Communications Team Manager

The position

As Communications Team Manager, you will oversee all communications functions within the Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), from strategic advice to implementation. You will directly manage 9 professionals and provide functional oversight to approximately 26 colleagues. Together, you will handle communications advice, campaigns, media relations, internal communications, and online communications (web and social media) for all departments of the GGD. You will also be responsible for crisis communications.

You help the team make clear decisions about who we’re reaching, what we’re communicating, and through which channels. This ensures that employees know where their priorities lie and that projects and messages are aligned, both within the team and in collaboration with other departments and external partners.

You encourage ownership and boldness. Colleagues dare to experiment, learn from their experiences, and showcase their results. All of this takes place within a safe and inclusive work culture centered on collaboration and open communication. The team and the communications practice reflect the diversity of Amsterdam. Building on this foundation, you will develop and share a GGD-wide vision for communication that provides direction, inspires, and is effectively communicated to internal clients and the team.

Strategic role and responsibilities

You are a member of the Management Team of the Healthy Living Department and contribute to the development of this department and its 130 employees. As an innovative leader, you use communication to improve the health of all Amsterdammers. You will develop and implement new forms of communication, digitization, and service delivery that contribute to the strategic objectives of the GGD and inspire the team and partners to achieve concrete results together. In coordination with the Communications Department of the City of Amsterdam:

• Will you be participating in the GGD-wide Operational Management Meeting as the communications lead?
• Are you a co-client for the Services initiative?
• Do you align your team’s work with the GGD’s strategic goals?
• We advise you on crisis communication and external positioning.
• You manage the budget and ensure that resources are used effectively.
• Maintain your relationships with partners such as healthcare institutions, educational institutions, the media, and community organizations.

You monitor developments in society and within the organization and translate these into clear communication. You identify risks and opportunities and actively involve employees and partners in the implementation process. In this way, you guide innovation and ensure that the team and the organization achieve the GGD’s goals.

Here's what you do on an average day

• Connecting departments and fostering collaboration:You will coordinate projects across Communications, Digitalization, and Services, and maintain contact with internal and external partners to achieve shared results.
• Implementing digital innovation:You will develop and implement innovative communication solutions, such as new digital tools and AI applications, in line with the GGD’s objectives.
• Providing advice:You will support the executive board, the head of the Healthy Living department, and the management team by providing analyses, reports, and strategic advice on crisis communication, branding, and external positioning.
• Developing the team and staff: You encourage ownership, provide feedback, and conduct coaching sessions so that the team can grow and deliver tangible results.
• Monitoring the budget and goals:You oversee the budget, plan resource allocation, and monitor progress to ensure that objectives are met.
• Strengthening a safe and inclusive work culture:You will help build an open, safe, and inclusive environment where collaboration, diversity, and innovation are central.

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!

Working at GGD Amsterdam means contributing to the health of all Amsterdammers. With over 1,800 colleagues spread across 27 locations, we are always close to the residents. The Communications team advises, coordinates, and implements communications, campaigns, public relations, online channels, and behavioral interventions for all departments of the GGD, ensuring that the organization communicates consistently, visibly, and effectively with residents and partners.

The Healthy Living Department works with residents to create a healthy social, physical, economic, and healthcare environment, with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups, where the potential for health gains is greatest. The Healthy Living management team (MT) consists of the department head and six team leaders: four from subject-matter teams, one from the GGD-wide Communications team, and one from operations.

What you bring

For this position as Communications Team Manager, you must have:

• At least 5 years of experience managing a team of 20+ employees in an organization with multiple departments, diverse interests, and a large team.
• Demonstrable experience and a proven track record in initiating and implementing innovations in the areas of communication, digitalization, and service delivery. You have a strong vision for these areas and know how to design and implement strategic innovations, while inspiring others and involving them in the process.
• At least 5 years of experience in a senior change management, coordination, or advisory role within an organization with multiple departments and complex processes, such as the national government, provincial government, G4 cities, large municipalities, or the UWV, including comprehensive team and project management.
• Experience with budget management and a results-oriented approach, involving the allocation of resources and the monitoring of progress and results.
• Experiential knowledge: personal experiential knowledge, either because you have interacted with target groups with specific needs in your community or because you yourself belong to one of these groups, or because you have insight into their lives through (social) networks in Amsterdam. 

You should have the following skills:

• Thinking and acting inclusively:You create an inclusive work environment that reflects Amsterdam’s diversity and provides a socially safe workplace. You support employee development, recognize their talents, and actively contribute to strategic policy-making that promotes inclusion and diversity within the organization. You approach your work with an open and curious mindset, view differences and talents as strengths, and promote active participation and equality within the team.
• Providing direction:You take responsibility and help the team align their day-to-day work with the GGD’s overarching goals. You make decisions, establish clear guidelines, encourage collaboration both within and outside the team, monitor progress and results—even when resources are limited—and turn plans into action. You demonstrate what has been achieved and ensure that the work contributes to the most important priorities.
• Risk tolerance:You are willing to make decisions and take the initiative, even in situations where not all information is available. You weigh risks and view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Fostering innovation: Youidentify opportunities for improvement and innovation and translate them into action. You critically evaluate existing work methods, introduce new ideas, and involve employees in finding solutions. You align changes with organizational goals and guide the team through the implementation process.
• Aware of the broader context: Youare well-informed about developments within the various GGD departments and programs, the municipal organization (including the Communications Department), and society at large. This enables you to conduct progress reviews, budget discussions, and decision-making effectively, and to identify risks and opportunities.

What we offer you

As a Communications Team Manager, you will join our team for 32 to 36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary between €5,885 and €7,740 (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 assigned to another organization under a temporary assignment agreement.
• 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.
• 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.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance, a cell phone, and a laptop.

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

Apply for this job

If this job opening interests you, we look forward to receiving your application no later than April 5, 2026 via the "Apply" button.

• Please note: For this position, youdo not needto submita cover letteralong with your resume; instead, you will answer 6 application questions. Please give these your full attention, as your answers are the only information we will use to evaluate you in this round. Please keep your answers concise, using no more than 200 words per question.
• In your answers to the questions below, please provide examples that are as specific as possible and follow theSTARR method.
• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of three rounds of interviews.
• If your resume and your answers to the questions match the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The first interviews will take place onApril 9, 2026, and the second round of interviews will followin week 16at our office located at Nieuwe Achtergracht 100 in Amsterdam. Please make a note of this 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.

Interview questions (please answer concisely, in no more than 200 words per answer):

1. Why are you applying specifically for this position and specifically with the GGD? What aspects of this role appeal to you the most, and why?
2. Provide an example of a time when you initiated and implemented a new approach or innovation in communication, digitalization, or service delivery that aligned with the organization’s goals. How did you shape your vision, engage the team and stakeholders, and what was the concrete result?
3. Describe a situation in which you managed a team of 20 or more employees within an organization with multiple departments and complex processes. How did you provide direction, foster collaboration, and support employees in their professional development?
4. Please provide a specific example of a change initiative or consulting project within a complex organization. How did you engage stakeholders, get the team on board, and implement the changes?
5. What does an inclusive and safe work culture mean to you, and how do you incorporate it into your leadership style?
6. Please explain in your letter how your personal experience—for example, because you have experience working with target groups with specific needs, belong to such a target group yourself, or have insight into their lives through (social) networks in Amsterdam—helps you effectively tailor communication projects to different target groups.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Karen den Hertog, Head of the Healthy Living Department, at karen.den.hertog@amsterdam.nl. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Tanja Lemmert, corporate recruiter, at t.lemmert@amsterdam.nl.

Questions?

Do you have a question about working for the City of Amsterdam? Please check the frequently asked questions first. If you can’t find the answer there, please contact us via the contact form or call 14 020.