Strategic Advisor for Elementary Education

The position

Every day, 63,000 children attend (elementary) school in Amsterdam. The City of Amsterdam works closely with schools, school boards, the primary education partnership, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that every child in Amsterdam receives a quality education. We strive to make the best school the one right around the corner and to ensure that all schools in Amsterdam are of high quality. The circumstances in which a child grows up should not play a role in his or her development. Unfortunately, where you were born still determines the opportunities you receive. The Amsterdam City Council is committed to combating this inequality, both now and in the future.

As a Strategic Advisor for Primary Education, you will be dedicated to shaping long-term policy for primary education and ensuring that the primary education team functions as effectively as possible. You will achieve this by fostering a positive work environment where team members have clearly defined responsibilities and receive your support in their professional development. You have final responsibility for the content of a large portion of the policy documents submitted to the alderman, the municipal executive, and the city council. Together with the other Strategic Advisor for Primary Education and the team leader, you are responsible for the team’s overall operations. You also support and advise the Head of the Education Department as needed on various complex substantive (department-wide) topics and policy issues.

Here's what you do on an average workday

• Provide substantive guidance on policy development and the implementation of initiatives that contribute to our mission of quality education for every child.
• Ensuring that the team functions effectively. A team in which everyone can develop to the best of their ability and make an optimal contribution to providing a quality education for every child. You will do this in collaboration with the other strategic advisor and the team manager.
• Create coherence and establish connections between the various issues the team is working on. These include issues such as school facilities, student transportation, special education, and the teacher shortage.
• Actively building and maintaining collaborative relationships with partners in the field, such as schools and school boards.
• Identifying politically sensitive developments and taking proactive action in response.

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!

The primary education team consists of just over 30 people. In addition to the position of strategic advisor, we have several other roles within the team. For example, we have senior, mid-level, and junior policy officers. These policy officers work together in sub-teams of up to seven people on a number of projects so that we can learn from one another and help each other get the work done. In addition to the policy roles, our team includes knowledge and information advisors. These advisors are responsible for our systems, such as the website schoolwijzer.amsterdam.nl and the IT system through which schools apply for grants. Finally, the grants team is also part of the primary education team. The colleagues in this team ensure that the process of applying for, accounting for, and disbursing grants runs smoothly.

We take a task- and area-oriented approach, and you will work closely with colleagues from other teams on various topics.

Learning and development are important to the team. That’s why we hold a team meeting every other week to share information and discuss professional challenges. Learning and development are also key themes in our performance review cycle. Together, we explore how employees can develop by taking on specific tasks, working alongside experienced colleagues, and participating in training. As a strategic advisor, you have an important role in supporting less experienced colleagues in their development and in thinking about, at the team level, which skills we need to strengthen within the team. For example, by organizing specific training sessions for the team.

The Primary Education team, along with the teams for Early Childhood Education and Childcare and for Secondary and Vocational Education, is part of the Education and Compulsory Education Department. More than 300 colleagues work in this department.

We operate in a dynamic environment in which schools (including school boards, school consortia, and teachers), other municipal departments (ranging from operational to policy-making), the municipal executive (particularly the aldermen for education and youth), and the city council are the key players. In addition, the G4, government ministries, and the Education Inspectorate are also important partners.

What you bring

For this position as a Strategic Advisor for Primary Education, you must have:

• At least 5 years of experience in strategic policy development and administrative consulting;
• Demonstrable experience in project management, process management, and programmatic work;
• At least 5 years of experience in providing substantive guidance, coaching, and mentoring to less experienced colleagues.

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: you can distinguish between main and secondary issues, break down a problem into its components, and establish logical connections between the various aspects;
• Vision: You have the ability to view issues within a broader context; you can think conceptually and strategically with a long-term perspective;
• Environmental awareness: You demonstrate a solid understanding of professional, organizational, social, and political developments, as well as other environmental factors, and know how to effectively apply this knowledge to your own role or organization;
• Results-oriented: You can set specific goals as a starting point for your own behavior and stick to them until the goal is achieved.

What we offer you

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

• A gross monthly salary of up to €6,993 (pay grade 13) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A one-year employment contract, with the possibility of a permanent contract thereafter, if you do not currently have an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, or if you have only a temporary one.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, you will retain it and be transferred. 
• 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, up to a 45-kilometer one-way commute, for the number of days you work in the office, and/or 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.

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

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions, please contact Arne Hoogcarspel, PO Team Manager, at a.hoogcarspel@amsterdam.nl and/or 06-20837536.

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by May 25, 2023, using the “Apply Now” button.
• 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 consideration during the selection process.
• We have formed a selection committee consisting of the supervisor, the department head, another team manager, an HR consultant, a strategic advisor, and two immediate colleagues.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will take place at our office located at De Amstel 1 in Amsterdam.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.