Editor-in-Chief Youth

36 hours per week

Are you able to both produce youth programming, expand the VPRO youth brand, and provide direction to the VPRO youth department? Then read on quickly, because we are looking for a:

36 hours

• You take initiative in further expanding the VPRO Jeugd brand. You know exactly what is happening among children and young people (ages 3 to 12) and connect with their world. You understand which themes and tone of voice suit the target group and VPRO. With your sharp vision on (social) media, you bring a smart balance between linear, online channels (Zapp and own channels), and offline. You breathe the vision of VPRO Jeugd and know flawlessly what it stands for. This is what you need to further build out the brand with pride and courage.

• Together with the production manager, you provide direction to the youth editorial team (approximately 17 editorial members). You are responsible for content, financing, production, and people. You manage the editorial team in a pleasant and clear manner. You offer structure, dare to delegate, and create a safe environment in which talent can grow and the team works together optimally. You are the person ultimately responsible in the chain, constantly making decisions and ensuring that editorial members are covered in programming.

• Together with the two other editors-in-chief, you develop formats and media expressions with maximum impact. You provide direction, edit with precision, and stimulate the team to create innovative content.

• You are the internal and external face of VPRO Jeugd. You know your way within the NPO landscape and see opportunities. You know what distinguishes VPRO Jeugd and convince the NPO and internal stakeholders with strong arguments. Additionally, you bring a warm network and actively enter into collaborations with new partners and makers. Youth is 1 of the important pillars of VPRO. In the transition to the broadcasting house and beyond, you are an important interlocutor and leader. You see opportunities, dare to step off the beaten path, and have the political antennae to shape this transition.

• You maintain very short lines with marcom and work closely with other internal departments to make ideas larger than the media expression alone.

• Youth works closely with external producers; you maintain these relationships and know who is important in the field.

• For a small part of the role, you run productions yourself.

• You think about the role of public children's programming in an increasingly commercial and algorithmically driven world. You form alliances with partners within and outside the Mediapark and think along about public youth programming of the future.

VPRO Jeugd has been a supplier of distinctive children's programs for over thirty years. Not your everyday fare, but something different. At the VPRO Jeugd editorial team, we make youth documentaries and content such as Bollox, Wilde buren, and Techbitch.

• Salary, depending on age and experience, between €4,629.04 and €7,491.57 on a full-time basis. This position is an editor-in-chief J.

• A place within the VPRO: a broadcaster that stands for content, innovation, and independent thinking.

• An inspiring work environment where journalism, creativity, and digital innovation come together.

• A committed team that offers space for own ideas and experimentation.

• Employment conditions in accordance with the CAO for broadcasting staff.

Apply differently!
Within VPRO, we strive for as wide a representation of Dutch society as possible. Everyone should feel free to join VPRO and recognize themselves in the stories we tell. We deviate from the traditional way of applying. In addition to sending your CV, we would like to see the answers to the following questions:

• In a maximum of 400 words, answer the following question: Which youth program do you currently feel is missing at VPRO? How do you convince the NPO of this program?

• What position do you believe VPRO Jeugd holds in the media landscape?

• Looking at VPRO Jeugd: what should we preserve and what do you miss?

• Reading the vacancy: what would you still need to learn?

• Which five makers/faces would you like to connect to VPRO Jeugd?

Respond no later than Wednesday, November 11, 2026 via the application button below.

For questions about the position, you can contact Zoë de Wilde, deputy editor-in-chief, via z.de.wilde@vpro.nl

• you work in a stimulating and creative working environment
• your desk is located in a magnificent piece of architecture (the most beautiful building in Hilversum, if we do say so ourselves) a 7-minute walk from the NS station in a wooded area
• you have excellent training and development opportunities
• you are provided with a laptop
• within your function, you have all the possibilities to organize your own work
• you experience legendary summer parties and much-discussed New Year's parties
• you eat in our renovated company restaurant and can get the most delicious coffee from our certified baristas in our own Petit Café
• you enjoy 200 vacation hours per year
• You have unlimited access to mental care and psychological support via the OpenUp.nl platform.

At VPRO, we work as sustainably as possible. We use several instruments to reduce our CO2 emissions as much as possible. For example, we work with albert, an international sustainability platform for broadcasters, which aims to limit the CO2 emissions of the production process to a minimum.