Strategic Policy Advisor for Community Sports Initiatives

The position

As a senior policy advisor for sports, you will focus on the social program, exploring how sports can be used as a tool to achieve other policy objectives within the social sector. Examples include using sports to combat loneliness, reduce health disparities, prevent young people from slipping into criminality, prepare them for the job market, and so on. In these types of programs, sports is not a standalone activity but part of a broader intervention. You will have an overview of everything happening in this field within Amsterdam, sometimes taking the lead or organizing activities yourself, and other times simply providing guidance or facilitating. You will work across departments and the entire municipality and, if necessary, can be flexibly deployed as a coordinator for (other) major policy priorities and assignments within Sport en Bos.

As part of the Policy and Development Department, you will work closely with colleagues from the Sports Promotion Department, Amsterdam’s seven boroughs, the Weesp urban area, and partner organizations to foster a positive and high-quality sports environment in Amsterdam. Through this work, Sports Promotion contributes to achieving a wide range of social goals, such as participation, health, well-being, and safety. You proactively seek collaboration and connection in this regard, drawing on your keen understanding of how a large public organization like the City of Amsterdam operates.

Here's what you do on an average day

• Setting up and coordinating projects, programs, and activities that incorporate sports as a tool. Examples include the Community Service Program, socially engaged sports clubs, and the use of sports and physical activity in Lifestyle Activation Interventions.
• Collaborating with internal and external partners such as social services agencies, municipal departments including Education, Youth and Care, Poverty, the Municipal Health Service (GGD), and city districts.
• Organizing the (co-)financing of activities, both within the municipality and with other partners, such as the federal government or health insurers.
• Act as a representative of Sport en Bos in coordinating substantive matters with partners.
• Supporting and advising colleagues and partners on the possibilities for using sports as a tool, acting as experts and sounding boards
• Coordinating the substance of lobbying activities related to sports and physical activity directed at other government agencies and umbrella organizations (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Association of Municipalities in the Netherlands, G4).
• Translating national policy into the context of the City of Amsterdam.
• Drafting administrative proposals and ensuring the smooth operation of the administrative (coordination) process.

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!

As part of the Policy and Development Department, you will work closely with colleagues from the Sports Promotion Department, Amsterdam’s seven boroughs, the Weesp urban area, and partner organizations to foster a positive and high-quality sports environment in Amsterdam. Through this work, Sports Promotion contributes to achieving a wide range of social goals, such as participation, health, well-being, and safety. You proactively seek collaboration and connection in this regard, drawing on your keen understanding of how a large public organization like the City of Amsterdam operates.

What you bring

For the position of Strategic Policy Advisor, you must have:

• A university-level education and intellectual capacity;
• Extensive experience working in a political and administrative context (e.g., municipal government, federal government), preferably in the social sector;
• Experience in independently setting up and implementing projects and programs, as well as providing substantive guidance to colleagues;
• Experience in providing administrative advice and excellent writing and consulting skills;
• A vision for and/or affinity with sports and physical activity, in relation to other social challenges in the social sector (such as poverty, loneliness, and health).

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: You have strong analytical skills. You can distinguish between the main issues and the details, identify the task at hand, and determine the right approach. You can quickly develop a vision for how sports facilities can be used profitably (in terms of both social and financial returns).
• Advisory skills: You are one of the key advisors to the alderman for Sports and Physical Activity. Because you always think two or three steps ahead, you are highly skilled at advising—and challenging—administrators;
• Persuasiveness: You’re brimming with ideas and know how to get others on board.
• Writing skills: You have a way with words, whether you’re drafting policy letters, memos, or other administrative documents. Your writing is concise, to the point, and, above all, impactful.
• Collaboration: You’re a team player and enjoy working together to achieve great results.

What we offer you

As a Strategic Policy Advisor for Community Sports Initiatives, you will join our team for 28–36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment:

• A gross monthly salary of up to €6,616 (pay grade 13) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A 12-month 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 contract.
• 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 €2 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 work laptop.
• Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out theCity of Amsterdam Personnel Regulations (PGA).

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by January 17, 2023, using the application button.
• 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 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.
• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of three rounds: a review of applications, an initial interview, and, if necessary, a second interview.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will take place in person or online on the scheduled date at our office in Amsterdam.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

We do not appreciate unsolicited solicitation from recruitment agencies, and such actions may result in exclusion from our other recruitment initiatives. We also consider the unsolicited submission of resumes by agencies to our employees to be solicitation. We will not review these resumes.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

If you have any questions about the position and/or the application process, please contact Henk Stokhof, Team Leader for Policy and Development, by emailat h.stokhof@amsterdam.nl or by phone at 06-20537361.