Collaborative Unit Head for the Urban Development Area in the Climate, Environment and Technology Administration

Do you want to help lead and promote urban and housing development in Copenhagen? If you think strategically, are good at building relationships, and would like to lead about 16 skilled and dedicated employees who work with housing, including urban development in Østhavnen, storm surge protection and the goal of more housing? Then read on.

About the job and your tasks

As head of the Unit for Urban Development and Coordination you will lead a newly established unit that works cross-functionally between the local plan area and the social housing sector. The unit works with coordination and monitoring of development in the housing area as well as with the early phases of urban development in Østhavnen and storm surge protection of Copenhagen.

The unit's task is to ensure political and managerial support in relation to progress and execution of local plans and housing, including social housing, cooperative housing and youth housing. The unit is also driving a number of analyses and action plans within the planning and housing area and shall elevate cross-cutting coordination of the administration's input to the municipal plan process.

You shall – together with the unit's two team leaders – lead about 16 skilled employees with different professional backgrounds such as generalists, architects and engineers. Your task will be to contribute to good collaboration structures across the area, professional development of both employees and the tasks the unit handles, as well as well-functioning external cooperation interfaces.

The position is located in the Area for Urban Development, which sets the framework for future new neighborhoods and major new construction in Copenhagen through local plans and the ongoing administration of social housing. We work on developing the existing city through renovations of the social housing stock and lifting up disadvantaged urban areas.

Our task is to realize the municipality's goals for e.g. architecture, traffic planning, environment, climate, the mixed city, quality of life and social sustainability. We work on a large scale with storm surge protection of the Copenhagen metropolitan area, at district level in Jernbanebyen, Nordhavn, Lynetteholm and Tingbjerg as well as with a wide range of smaller, varied projects throughout the city, where both new builds, transformations and preservation occur. Tasks are often complex, whether large or small.

You will report to Area Manager Mette Skovbjerg.

About you

We are seeking a strategically strong and clear personell leader who thrives best with leadership in collaboration. You are curious about and motivated to work with urban planning. You have the ability to prioritise, are solution-oriented and have a holistic view so the right professional disciplines and competencies are involved in the task solution.

You contribute to making our workplace attractive and efficient with high quality and integrity, which builds trust among Copenhageners, politicians and the outside world in general. You can continuously optimise case handling and processes in the unit and strengthen collaboration across the area, the department, the administration and the municipality. You highly value presence-led leadership, contribute to creating well-being and motivation and work to create a trust-based, developing and inspiring work climate.

Your tasks must be solved in close collaboration with your six unit head colleagues in the Area for Urban Development, but also with the rest of the Climate, Environment and Technology Administration and the other administrations in Copenhagen Municipality as well as external partners.

You will become part of the Climate and Urban Development leadership forum, which consists of the 22 managers in the department and contributes to the department's overall deliveries, including policy development as well as culture and cross-cutting development. We prioritise professional and leadership development highly.

We emphasise that you

• have a strong organisational understanding and think in holistic terms rather than silos and are a natural bridge-builder who thrives on broad contact and building strong relationships across disciplines
• have persuasiveness, good negotiating skills and want to exercise your leadership in collaboration with the unit's team leaders and succeed as a leader in a strong leadership community across the Area for Urban Development
• communicate easily and effortlessly with both internal and external stakeholders and partners
• have experience working in a political environment and experience with housing broadly
• have experience with managing and coordinating a broad task portfolio and an eye for economic, legal and political frameworks and perspectives
• thrive with a high tempo and maintain a humorous, upbeat attitude. You create a good atmosphere and meet your surroundings positively, straightforwardly and with natural authority. You recognise the importance of good collaborative relations and seek holistic solutions
• contribute constructively and naturally to the joint management tasks that cross the area and the department as a whole

About the department

The Area for Urban Development is part of the Climate and Urban Development Department, which with a holistic view, curiosity and high professionalism solves tasks within waste and resources, climate efforts, urban planning, social housing and analyses. The department has about 400 employees distributed across 17 professional units and a secretariat, all working with a common purpose to make Copenhagen an even better and more sustainable city to visit, live and build in.

As part of Climate and Urban Development you must be willing to engage in collaborations and projects that cross disciplines and professional areas. We believe that good solutions become stronger and more effective when we solve them together – coordinated and across disciplines, units and authority areas. We also operate with the norm of doing it properly, doing it together and doing it for Copenhagen.

The department is centrally located at Njalsgade on Islands Brygge.

Leadership framework

The Climate, Environment and Technology Administration has a leadership framework that sets the expectations for the role of leader in the administration. The leadership framework is our common direction for good leadership. For each level there are some specific roles and tasks. The framework is based on our three norms (values).

• We do it properly
• We do it together
• We do it for Copenhagen

Salary and terms of employment

Salary and terms of employment are set in accordance with the Chief Officer salary agreement for Copenhagen Municipality and the applicable collective agreement. We wish to fill the position on 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

More information

If you have any questions regarding the position, you are very welcome to contact Area Manager Mette Skovbjerg at 23 37 11 70.

Apply via the link no later than Sunday 15 November 2026

Along with your application you must upload your CV and evidence of your education and any other relevant documents.

There will be 1st and 2nd interviews. If you proceed to the 2nd interview, you will be asked to complete a personality test. Feedback on the test will be given up to the 2nd interview.

We expect to hold the 1st interviews on 25-26 November 2026.

About the Climate, Environment and Technology Administration

The Climate, Environment and Technology Administration performs regulatory tasks and serves citizens and businesses, among others in the environmental area, local planning, urban renewal, building case processing and the transport area. In addition, the Climate, Environment and Technology Administration is responsible for cleaning, maintenance and development of the city's roads and parks as well as parking enforcement. We employ about 2,700 staff and administer a gross budget of just under 4.8 billion DKK.