Communications Lead (Social Domain) – Municipality of The Hague

Lead the SZW communications team and ensure that residents of The Hague receive clear, professional, and impactful communications.

As the SZW Communications Lead, you’ll lead a team of professionals and provide them with professional coaching. You’ll ensure all communications with residents are clear, effective, and persuasive. You’ll develop strategies, guide your team through complex issues, and utilize innovations like AI to continuously improve services.

What are you going to do?
As Communications Lead, you’ll oversee the team of advisors and ensure that all SZW communications with residents are professional and effective. You’ll provide professional coaching to your team and support them in delivering high-quality communications.

Your duties will include:

• Operational management of the communications team and professional coaching of consultants.
• Developing and managing the communications strategy of SZW, including developments and applications of AI.
• Evaluating assignments and team output, including final approval of communication products.
• Together with the team, estimating the size and priority of new assignments and determine the planning.
• Supporting team members in understanding the message to residents and making choices in communication tools.
• Ensuring consistency, correct application of the style guide and tone of voice.
• Keeping documentation, guidelines and knowledge sharing within the team up to date.
• Coordinating with municipality-wide communication networks; share and apply test results and lessons learned.
• Collaborating with internal departments for optimal implementation and quality of communication.
• Identifying, testing, and applying innovations; assessing the impact on the target group and evaluating their application and implementation.
• Reporting to management and stakeholders; primary point of contact for escalations and adjustments.

What do they offer?

• a 32 to 36-hour working week with a salary of at least €4,465 and a maximum of €6,343 gross per month (scale 11), based on a full (36-hour) working week;
• a fixed-term employment contract for a period of 12 months with the possibility of extension or an employment contract for an indefinite period;
• an individual choice budget (IKB) worth 17.05% on top of your salary, which you can use as you choose, for example for extra leave, salary or repayment of student debt;
• room to build up compensatory leave;
• the option to exchange Easter Monday and/or Whit Monday for another religious, cultural or national holiday or commemoration day;
• various training and development opportunities;
• and much more. View other  employment conditions via the “Apply now!” button.

What are the requirements?
You are an experienced professional with a keen eye for detail and quality. You have a passion for language and communication.

• Leadership and team management: lead and coach the communications team, inspire colleagues, and set the course.
• Decisive and connecting: anticipate, handle deadlines decisively and connect the team with the environment to achieve goals.
• Analytical and clear: see connections between communication expressions, substantiate choices, and convert complex information into clear communication for the target group of the social domain.
• Feedback and collaboration: provide constructive feedback and collaborate effectively with team members and other colleagues within the municipality.
• Results-oriented and proactive: work accurately, efficiently and in a structured manner and utilise innovations such as AI where possible.
• Knowledge and skills: familiar with SharePoint, Excel, and Jira; knowledge of the SZW target group and experience writing for the government is a plus.

About the team
The Citizen Communications team is part of the Service and Quality Directorate (D&K). Citizen Communications is responsible for ensuring clear and appropriate communication with SZW’s target groups, such as immigrants, the homeless, and residents or entrepreneurs with debt, without work and/or income support. The Citizen Communications team leads and advises on appropriate communication across all communication channels of the Social Affairs and Employment Projects Department (SZW). They do this in accordance with the Direct Duidelijk guidelines and the SZW Communications Guidelines, using text, images, and audio.

As communication experts, the team develops the communication strategy. This involves close collaboration with teams both within and outside the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, and testing (new) communication with the target group. Citizen Communications maintains and manages the communication tools and measures their effectiveness. Citizen Communications supports the organization by making the message in communication tools understandable, by drafting or testing communication materials. They support colleagues in other teams by monitoring the communication tools until implementation.

The Citizen Communications team monitors technological innovations, proactively advises colleagues, and plays a stimulating and guiding role in abandoning old technologies or communication channels and adopting new ones.

Click the link to learn more about how to apply!