Senior Program Manager Water and Spatial Transitions

0.8 - 1 fte | Utrecht | hybrid | Energy and Living Environment | € 5,086 - € 9,573 | WO Master

Translating insights from science and practice into administrative breakthroughs

The climate is changing; sea levels are rising, dry periods are lasting longer, and heavy precipitation is occurring more frequently. This has consequences for our living environment and requires choices regarding its design and use. We need more space for water and will have to make choices that align with the capacity of the water and soil systems. This is a major challenge, as housing construction, the energy transition, agriculture, and the economy also compete for that same space. Interests clash on a daily basis.

We are looking for a senior program manager who breaks deadlocks, organizes collaboration, and brings movement to the transition toward a climate-resilient Netherlands. As a program manager, you help the State, provinces, water boards, municipalities, and drinking water companies in developing visions, making policy choices, and designing programs. You guide teams and clients from problem to solution and contribute to acquiring leading projects. In doing so, you act as a mentor and driver within a growing team of advisors in the field of water and space.

• Process and program management: you act as an independent program leader or process director in complex spatial processes, reservation zones around flood defenses, or regional adaptation strategies.

• Connecting administrative interests: you bring ministers, provincial executives, dike reeves, and directors to one table and help them make decisions when interests clash.

• Team and market development: within our cluster of seven advisors, you coach mid-level and junior professionals; additionally, you leverage your network to expand assignments and collaborations (including via framework contract BADI).

• Strategic advice: you develop governance structures and implementation programs that are resilient to political changes.

'In our work, it is about connecting interests and translating complex issues into workable solutions. Together, we work on the transition to a climate-resilient living environment.' - Rens Baltus, team lead Sustainable Living Environment

Berenschot is an independent Dutch organizational consultancy firm in Utrecht, where more than 500 driven colleagues work on sustainable solutions for the challenges of our clients. We contribute to progress in organizations and society with our advice and solutions. Our organization has a flat structure without partners, which gives you influence over the projects you carry out.

You will be part of the Sustainable Living Environment team; a group of 22 passionate advisors with specializations in spatial planning, urban planning, and public administration. This team is part of the Energy and Living Environment advisory group, in which seventy advisors work together on various issues in the physical living environment. You will work in varying project teams to staff every assignment optimally, whereby we include not only the substantive issue but also governance, organizational design, change challenges, and regional cooperation in our advice.

In addition to hard work, there is plenty of room for personal growth; the space to develop yourself substantively and professionally is vast. We offer a wide range of internal and external training courses and challenge you to pursue your own ambitions. If you are not yet at home in the advisory industry, we are happy to help you so that you can quickly become fully involved. Of course, you can always rely on your colleagues. Furthermore, there is plenty of room for relaxation. Think of joint drinks, team outings, an annual cabaret performance, lunch lectures, and other activities.

• Academic working and thinking level with a minimum of 6 to 10 years of relevant experience as a program manager, process director, or strategic advisor in the field of water and space.

• You can provide direction and create support in political-administrative decision-making processes

• Demonstrable experience with political-administrative decision-making processes.

• A relevant and warm network within the water and spatial sector (ministries, water boards, provinces, Rijkswaterstaat, drinking water companies, or umbrella organizations such as UvW and IPO).

• Experience in setting up governance structures and unblocking stalled negotiations.

• A connecting personality with an eye for team dynamics and the growth of young talents.

At Berenschot, we offer a unique commercial environment without shareholders or partners. This gives us a lot of space and freedom to take initiative and the opportunity to commit ourselves to important social themes. Our informal culture is characteristic. Berenschot is a flat organization with short communication lines where you are truly listened to. There are plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth, where your initiative is embraced and facilitated. You have the freedom to take initiative here. Our diverse and inclusive personnel policy embraces diversity and offers everyone equal opportunities.

Naturally, we also have excellent employment conditions and great development opportunities:

• a one-year contract, with the absolute intention to offer you a permanent contract after one year

• an attractive salary between € 5,086 and € 9,573, tailored to your knowledge and experience

• a representation allowance of € 3,000 per year

• a regular collective profit-sharing scheme (depending on the results of the company)

• an attractive pension scheme

• 27 vacation days, with the possibility to purchase a maximum of 20 additional vacation days in the case of full-time employment

• flexible holidays. We offer the possibility to shift official holidays to days that are meaningful to you.

• a mobility scheme of your choice: a company car or a mobility budget

• a laptop and phone

• the freedom to determine where and when you work, in consultation with your colleagues

• plenty of room for development through internal and external training

Do you want to become a proud Berenschotter? Don't wait any longer and apply! Contact Vicky Schats via email v.schats@berenschot.nl or telephone 06 25 72 26 12. Do you have substantive questions about this vacancy? Colleague Rens Baltus is happy to answer them via 06 21 51 82 87.

Have you applied? Then you will receive a response within one working week. Is it positive? Then we would like to invite you for an introduction. Are we both enthusiastic after this conversation? Then a conversation with fellow advisors and your future manager will follow. That is the moment to ask your final questions. Do those conversations go well? Then we will ask you to complete our assessment. Does it turn out that you are a true Berenschotter? Then we will quickly proceed to a concrete offer. After this, you are a true Berenschotter and we would like to welcome you to our team.