Municipality of Deventer is looking for an EXPERIENCED SENIOR QUARTERMASTER – ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (VTH)

Temporary assignment focused on the redesign and positioning of a merged team in Supervision, Enforcement and Permits.

>>> DEADLINE VOOR INSCHRIJVINGEN: 26 JANUARY 2026 – 09:00 AM <<<

The Municipality of Deventer is a historic Hanseatic city with ambitious plans for the future. With a strong focus on collaboration, responsibility and decisiveness, the municipality works every day for and with its residents. Employees work closely together, with short lines and a hands-on mentality, to continuously improve public services and organizational effectiveness.

Due to the temporary merger of several teams within the domain of supervision, enforcement and permits, the Municipality of Deventer is looking for an experienced Quartermaster – Organizational Development who can fulfil this role on a temporary but high-impact basis.

DEADLINE & EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

Application deadline: Monday 26 January 2026 – 09:00 AM

Interview date: Thursday 29 January 2026, from 14:00

Start date: To be agreed
End date: To be determined
Contract duration: Fixed-term temporary assignment

Working hours: To be agreed
Working days: Monday to Friday
Hybrid working: Yes

Location: Municipality of Deventer

Contract type: External hiring via Flextender
⚠️ Self-employed contractors (ZZP) are excluded due to the Dutch DBA legislation

IT equipment: Bring Your Own Device (laptop, phone and accessories)

WHY THIS ASSIGNMENT?

Within the Municipality of Deventer, several teams have recently been temporarily merged into one team of approximately 45 employees. This includes:

APV and Special Local Regulations
Legal enforcement staff and support
Building and housing inspectors
A VTH policy advisor

As a result, a team has been formed with diverse backgrounds, tasks and working methods. This temporary merger requires a reassessment of the organizational structure, governance, positioning of roles and collaboration, both internally and in relation to the wider municipal organization.

By appointing a quartermaster, the municipality aims to:

Create clarity in roles, responsibilities and governance
Strengthen collaboration within the team and with other departments
Develop a sustainable organizational design aligned with the existing organizational model
Ensure compliance with legal requirements, including the separation between permitting and supervision/enforcement

This assignment combines organizational analysis, advisory work and change-oriented quartermastering in a complex public-sector context.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE

Quartermaster role & organizational design

Mapping the current situation, including:
- Tasks
- Roles
- Staffing and formation
- Governance and steering
- Work processes and collaboration
Analysing similarities and differences between:
- APV & Special Regulations
- Legal enforcement
- Building and housing supervision
Exploring multiple organizational and positioning scenarios, including advantages and disadvantages
Identifying and assessing the legally required separation between permitting and supervision/enforcement
Actively involving the relationship with other teams and departments within the municipality

Advisory activities

Acting as an independent advisor to the commissioning manager (Department Manager Sustainability and Compliance)
Engaging in dialogue with employees, (interim) managers and key stakeholders
Translating analysis into concrete, decision-ready advice

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Municipality of Deventer requires an experienced quartermaster due to the temporary merger of multiple teams within the supervision, enforcement and permitting domain. This merger has resulted in a complex team structure that requires reassessment to ensure clarity, effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

The role of the quartermaster is to deliver, within a defined period, a well-substantiated and broadly supported proposal for the optimal organizational setup and positioning of the merged team and its functions. The proposal must align with the existing organizational structure of the municipality; the creation of an additional management layer is explicitly not an option.

The quartermaster maps the current organizational situation, analyses content-related overlaps and differences between the various disciplines, and develops multiple organizational scenarios. These scenarios are assessed on feasibility, effectiveness and alignment with legal and organizational requirements.

The assignment is carried out in close cooperation with employees, (interim) managers and relevant internal stakeholders. The quartermaster operates independently and in an advisory capacity and does not hold any line-management or hierarchical responsibility.

The assignment results in a concrete, decision-ready advisory report for management, including one or more preferred scenarios for the future organizational setup.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Demonstrable experience with organizational development within a municipal or comparable public-sector organization
At least 3 years of experience (in the past 5 years) as a quartermaster, organizational consultant or similar role within government
Demonstrable experience with supervision, enforcement and/or permitting processes (VTH)
Completed higher professional education (Bachelor level or higher)
Strong awareness of political-administrative dynamics
Ability to work independently, analytically and in a connective manner

Nice to have:

Experience with complex change processes in the public sector
Strong advisory and reporting skills

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

A future-proof organizational design and positioning of the merged VTH team
Clear allocation of roles, responsibilities and governance
Improved collaboration within the team and with other municipal departments
Compliance with legal requirements regarding permitting and enforcement
A supported, well-founded and decision-ready advisory report

KEY COMPETENCIES

Change leadership and organizational sensitivity
Political and administrative awareness
Strategic and analytical thinking
Result-oriented working style
Strong communication skills
Ability to connect strategy with day-to-day practice
Careful and structured process management

GOOD TO KNOW

The selected candidate must additionally provide:

A valid Certificate of Conduct (VOG)
A signed integrity statement and confidentiality agreement
Availability to work on-site in Deventer as part of a hybrid working arrangement

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