Chair of the Supervisory Board

About the CAOP Foundation

For more than 30 years, the CAOP Foundation has been the independent knowledge and collaboration partner dedicated to strengthening the public sector in the Netherlands. CAOP operates in virtually all sectors of the public domain: government, education, health and social services, public safety, culture, and sports. Our clients include ministries and municipalities, employer and employee organizations, labor market funds, committees and hotlines, educational and healthcare institutions, and numerous other social organizations. Our joint nature enables us to bridge the perspectives of employers and employees. We are therefore committed to maintaining and strengthening the long-standing relationships we have with the social partners.

Our expertise focuses on issues that matter: future-oriented work and learning, public administration, labor relations, labor market policy, collective bargaining agreement renewal, sustainable employability, prevention and health, social safety, integrity and employee participation, educational innovation, digitization, and AI. We conduct research, provide advice, and offer process support in these areas. 

What sets us apart are our in-house research chairs, which focus on topics such as professional expertise in the civil service, good governance, labor relations, educational innovation, healthy workplaces, and transitions in the public sector. By bridging the gaps between academia, policy, and practice, CAOP helps the public sector respond effectively to complex societal developments and shape them proactively.

Complex social issues also call for new ways of thinking and acting. CAOP embraces this challenge through social innovation: an approach in which we focus on transforming work organizations and maximizing the use of competencies, with the aim of improving business performance and fostering talent development. In doing so, we explore solutions, test what works, and scale up successful initiatives. The CAOP Foundation is a non-profit organization with more than 300 dedicated employees and offices in The Hague, Utrecht, and Amsterdam.

Transition and Future Developments

The complex landscape of work and learning is constantly evolving. Our partners expect us to support them in driving transformation, to contribute ideas and provide strategic advice, and ultimately to help build a strong public sector and society in which everyone can participate. This also means change for the organization itself. Because CAOP wants to make a difference and continue to do so. In the coming years, we will continue to develop as a knowledge-driven, proactive, strategic partner that offers clients access to up-to-date knowledge and proven approaches, provides support for social innovation and transition, and works to strengthen public organizations and the public sector as a whole.

Our key priorities include strengthening our substantive and scientific knowledge base, validating our intervention methodologies, further developing our integrated approach, deepening relationships with clients and stakeholders, advancing our impact-oriented approach, clarifying our organizational positioning, increasing our visibility, and expanding our partnerships.   

Internally, our challenge is to transform CAOP into an efficient and effective organization with a clear chain of command and strong (professional) leadership, where collaboration, diversity and inclusion, knowledge sharing, entrepreneurship, and organizational learning are naturally central, and where we can—if necessary—flexibly and quickly adapt our services to changes in the environment, supported by simple and modern processes and systems.

The new Board of Trustees

CAOP has undergone significant development in recent years, leading to a new multi-year strategy for which the current oversight model is no longer suitable. There is therefore a need for a smaller Supervisory Board (RvT) that operates with defined portfolios. The new Supervisory Board will consist of a maximum of five members, including the chair. The portfolios will cover strategy and policy, finance, people and organization, entrepreneurship and innovation, IT, and quality. The chair will be responsible for the organization’s overall strategic direction and policy development (strategy and policy portfolio). A new member of the Supervisory Board for the “finance” portfolio was appointed in early 2025. The other three members will be recruited after the summer of 2025 in consultation with the new chair. The Supervisory Board meets an average of six times a year. In addition, the chair is expected to be available for interim consultations with the executive director and for occasional events that contribute to the organization’s network and community.

Desired experience and skills

• Experience and Expertise:Extensive knowledge and experience in labor relations in the public sector, strategic positioning, and organizational development. Political and administrative experience, as well as prior leadership or chairperson roles, are essential.
• Governance and Oversight:A thorough understanding of the complexities of managing a professional organization in the public sector. Able to serve as a sounding board, provide strategic advice, and interact with the board in accordance with good governance principles.
• Strategic leadership:Able to build relationships with various stakeholders and social partners as an ambassador, and serve as a strong sounding board for the executive. 
• Coaching skills:Coaching skills that are essential for collaboration within the Board and with the CEO.

Desired skills

• Vision:Able to focus on the big picture and long-term policy.
• Environmental awareness:Staying actively informed about developments that could affect the organization.
• Independence:Must be able to exercise oversight independently, free from conflicts of interest, and with an impartial perspective that serves the public interest of CAOP.
• Knowledge of the public sector:A clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the public sector, including the importance of relationships with social partners. 
• Communicative and authoritative: The ability to give others space, stay the course, and naturally guide the decision-making process.

Are you excited?

The CAOP Foundation is being assisted in this process by the executive search firm Colourful People. To apply, please upload your resume and cover letter (both in PDF format)by May 16 at the latestvia the application form on the Colourful People website. If you have any questions, please contact Hatice Türkmen, senior partner at Colourful People, at 06 46 08 12 32. The preliminary interviews will take place on May 20 and 21 (via an online meeting). The final interviews are scheduled for June 13.