Strategic Advisor for Healthy Living

The position

As a Strategic Advisor for Healthy Living, you will support and advise the department head and the management team on the vision, strategy, and positioning of the Healthy Living department. The goal is to realize the city’s ambitions so that all Amsterdammers have equal opportunities for good health.

Together with your colleagues, you will provide advice on overarching themes that align with the goals of the “From Care to Health” Framework and the Amsterdam Health Policy Memorandum. You will help strengthen the department’s strategic position within local and national networks. You will work on administrative and strategic issues such as task-oriented work, equitable investment, improvement sprints for management reports, and innovation.

You approach issues from various perspectives and know how to distinguish between main and secondary concerns. You draw on both your own knowledge and the expertise of others, and take the political and organizational context into account to drive change. You work closely with policy advisors within the department’s programs. In addition, you constantly seek to connect with other colleagues in the department, the GGD, and other municipal departments. You ensure that health is fully integrated into all municipal policy.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You coordinate department-wide and cross-departmental issues. You carefully evaluate and analyze new assignments or proposals before deciding how to proceed. You organize the necessary resources and contribute to analyses and strategic considerations for medium-term issues (3–10 years).
• From needs assessment to concrete recommendations for the department head and management team.
• You will coordinate your proposals with policy advisors, program managers, team leaders, and key stakeholders.
• You will analyze documents that may impact the programs of the Healthy Living Department and provide recommendations for presentations to the municipal management team and aldermen.
• You will prepare the department head for various meetings and provide advice on the positions to be taken, in consultation with policy advisors and program managers, among others.
• You maintain a network and engage in discussions with partners both within and outside the municipality regarding policy developments.

This is where you get started

We strive to be a great employer that ensures all our colleagues feel seen and valued. We embrace the differences among our colleagues; these differences lead to better results for both our organization and our city. We aim to build a workforce that reflects Amsterdam’s diverse population. So, whoever you are, you’re more than welcome here!

Equal health opportunities for everyone. It shouldn’t matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from. GGD Amsterdam is committed to monitoring, protecting, and improving the physical and mental health of everyone in the Amsterdam-Amstelland region. GGD Amsterdam is the largest and oldest public health service in the Netherlands. It currently employs approximately 1,400 staff members.

The Healthy Living Department of the Amsterdam Municipal Health Service (GGD Amsterdam) is dedicated to prevention, as well as promoting and protecting the health of all residents of Amsterdam and the Amstel region. We take a systemic approach to health disparities, conduct research where necessary, and engage with the lives of Amsterdam and Amstel residents in all their diversity. Together with and for the residents, we work to create a healthy social, physical, and economic care environment. In doing so, we pay special attention to the most vulnerable groups, where the potential for health gains is greatest. The team you will be joining consists of dedicated and passionate professionals from various disciplines, such as strategic advisors, a lobbyist, a research coordinator, a digital strategy advisor, and communications advisors.

What you bring

For this position as Strategic Advisor for Healthy Living, you must have:

• At least 3 years of experience as a strategic advisor at the management and/or executive level.
• At least 3 years of experience with administrative processes within a government organization.
• Demonstrable experience in independently tackling a strategic issue, from identifying the problem to providing concrete recommendations. In your cover letter, you are expected to provide a specific example of a strategic issue you have addressed, describe how you approached it, and explain how you arrived at your recommendation.
• At least 2 years of experience translating societal signals and needs into strategies and policies.
• At least 2 years of experience in strategic stakeholder management, during which you have engaged with various stakeholders (internal and external, local and national/international) with differing interests.

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: Able to distinguish between main and secondary issues, break down a problem into its components, and establish logical connections between the various aspects.
• Creativity: Generates diverse, sometimes original ideas and solutions.
• Environmental Awareness: Demonstrates a solid understanding of professional, organizational, social, and political developments, as well as other environmental factors, and knows how to effectively apply this knowledge to one’s own role or organization.
• Persuasiveness: Uses personal authority to influence people and situations, with a focus on gaining acceptance and overcoming resistance. Communicates ideas clearly and confidently.

What we offer you

As a Healthy Living Strategic Advisor, you will join our team for 32–36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary between €5,008 and €6,777 (pay grade 12) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A fixed-term employment contract for a period of 24 months, with the option to extend, if you do not currently have an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, or if you have only a temporary contract.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, you will retain it and be assigned to another organization under a temporary assignment agreement.
• Opportunities for professional development and training. Our in-house training center, the Amsterdam School, offers a variety of training programs, professional development tracks, and on-the-job coaching to help you continue to challenge yourself.
• An individual flexible budget (IKB) equal to 17.05% of your salary, which you can use for things like additional pension contributions or extra days off.
• A pension plan with ABP, the pension fund for the public sector and education.
• A travel allowance of €0.10 per kilometer for travel by car, €0.15 per kilometer for travel by bicycle, and €0.21 per kilometer for travel by public transportation. This applies to a one-way commute of up to 45 kilometers and for the number of days you work in the office.
• For days you work from home, you will receive a work-from-home allowance of €3 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• Hybrid work: In this role, you can work partly from home and partly in the office. We provide the necessary equipment to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace at home.
• A cell phone and a laptop.
• An office space in downtown Amsterdam, overlooking the canals.

Interested in learning more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Municipality of Amsterdam Personnel Regulations (PGA) on our website.

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by July 15, 2024, usingthe application button onour website.
• We would like to receive your cover letter, in which you explain—in no more than one A4 page—why your work experience and skills are a good fit for this position. Your cover letter will be taken into account during the selection process. Please note: In your cover letter, please also provide a specific example of a strategic issue you have addressed, describing how you approached it and how you arrived at a recommendation.
• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of three rounds. During the initial screening, we use your cover letter and resume to determine who we will invite for an interview. During the first round of interviews, you will meet your immediate colleagues from your team and the department. The second interview is with one of the team leaders and the head of the Healthy Living department.
• The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday, July 18, and the second round on Monday, July 22. Please make sure to note these dates in your calendar.
• This job opening is being advertised internally and externally at the same time. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

For more information about the position and the application process, please contact Fieke Oostvogel, Strategic Advisor, at foostvogel@ggd.amsterdam.nl or call 06-39821582.
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