Strategic Policy Advisor/Program Manager

The position

1. The policy regarding swimming certification and school swimming;
2. The policy regarding the operation and management of Amsterdam’s swimming pools;
3. Providing sufficient indoor swimming facilities in a growing city like Amsterdam;
4. Making swimming pools more sustainable.

Here's what you do on an average workday

• You will coordinate and provide strategic advice to the alderman and the administration. In addition, you will take the lead on issues, developing solutions in collaboration with industry partners and colleagues both within and outside the department (including Poverty, Education, Land & Development).
• You will serve as a program manager. In addition to drafting policies, you will provide guidance and lead the project team. You will monitor progress to ensure that objectives are met. In this role, you will be responsible for conceptualizing, advising, persuading, and (jointly) implementing initiatives.
• On behalf of Sport & Bos, you will serve as the point of contact for major grant partners, such as the Youth Sports Fund. You will also act as a contract manager at the strategic level for external operators of swimming pools in Amsterdam, such as Optisport and Sportfondsen Nederland.
• You’ll be working with a diverse group of stakeholders—from Amsterdam residents who promote swimming through local clubs to large organizations such as the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation (KNZB), Sportfondsen Nederland, and other government agencies. This means the results of your work will be quite varied. Sometimes this involves defining the social objectives of swimming pools, and other times it involves establishing policy guidelines for wading pools. But your responsibilities also include matters such as overseeing the renewal of Amsterdam’s approach to “swimming certification” or facilitating broader access to outdoor facilities (or their renovation).

This is where you get started

The Sports Policy & Development Department is responsible for sports in urban development, the implementation of spatial projects (sports parks), and, together with its partners in the social and physical sectors, shapes policy for sports facilities. Our department provides substantive strategic and tactical policy advice and oversees the implementation of Amsterdam’s sports policy. This is based on the following focus areas: elite sports and events, sports promotion, facility management and services, sports facilities, and public space. The Sports Policy & Development Department is part of the Sports & Forestry Division. Sports & Forestry works for both the City Council and the Executive Committee. A total of 21 employees work in the Sports Policy & Development Department.

What you bring

• At least a high school level of work and thinking.
• At least 3 years of work experience in leading the development and implementation of policy programs, including providing substantive guidance to the team;
• At least 5 years of work experience as a senior policy advisor;
• Some business knowledge. Preferably, you also have financial knowledge and experience;
• An interest in sports, particularly and preferably swimming.

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills;
• Environmental awareness;
• Collaborate;
• Results-oriented.

Here's what we offer you

• A gross monthly salary between €4,447 and €6,103 (pay grade 12) 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 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.

Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Amsterdam Municipal Staff Regulations (PGA).

Do you have any questions?

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by June 29, 2022, using the “Apply for this job” 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.
• The selection process consists of a CV/cover letter review and at least one interview. We have formed a selection committee consisting of the manager, an HR advisor, and a direct colleague with whom you will be working.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will be held in person during the weeks of July 4 and 11, 2022, at our office on Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.
• 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.
• Tip: Want to review this job posting later? Be sure to save it right away, because once the application deadline has passed, the posting will no longer be available.

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.