DUF seeks a secretary-general with a strategic eye for association life and political influence

Do you want to lead an organization that works for strong democratic communities and for children's and young people's opportunities to participate and have influence? Can you set the direction, lead based on the strategy and bring together different interests toward common goals? Then you could be DUF's new Secretary General. We are seeking a Secretary General who can translate our ambitions into action and ensure a strong interaction between the member organizations, the political leadership and the secretariat.

Your task As Secretary General you will become a close partner for the politically elected leadership and in the daily work especially for the spokesperson, who is DUF's public face. You should contribute with qualified guidance, solid decision bases and secure implementation of the decisions that are made.

You will have overall responsibility for the secretariat's leadership, development and operations. Based on DUF's political goals and strategy, you should create clear priorities and ensure coherence between efforts, ambitions and the needs of the member organizations in collaboration with the rest of the secretariat.

The secretariat has grown in recent years, and as Secretary General you must be able to develop the organization in line with this and create direction and followership along the way. Currently the secretariat consists of about 70 employees spread across 7 departments, each with its own department head.

Your main tasks will be to

• Translate DUF's strategy into concrete goals, priorities and results.
• Lead and develop the secretariat with a focus on professional quality, collaboration and well-being.
• Strengthen relations with the member organizations and align their different perspectives in joint efforts.
• Support DUF's political advocacy and develop relationships with decision-makers and partners.
• Ensure responsible financial management, solid administration and good management of grants and funds in DUF's work to distribute about 250 million annually.
• Have an eye for DUF's overall activities and development, including the coherence between DUF's international and national work.

You are expected to deliver solid results, taking basis in the three-part structure of the association and the work of translating the Happiness Commission's recommendation that all children and young people should participate in a leisure activity, as well as creating better conditions for youth in democracy, among other things by putting 16-year voting rights on the political agenda.

Who are you? You are a leader with political understanding and a strong commitment to democracy, associations and the participation of children and young people.

You understand the interaction between a democratically elected leadership and a professional secretariat. You can advise clearly, challenge constructively and work loyally within the organization's democratic mandate.

We particularly value that you

• Have a strong political network and experience with advocacy.
• Have experience with personnel management and can see yourself as DUF's Secretary General.
• Can navigate in a politically led organization and build trust across interests and positions.
• Are willing to take on the task of setting the direction in an organization with multiple professional disciplines.
• Have a solid grasp of economy, operations and organizational development.
• As one of the first things, familiarize yourself with the subsidy regulations if you do not already have experience with the regulations and the work around the grants committee.
• Communicate clearly and can translate complex questions into understandable messages and decisions that guide DUF's work.
• Build strong relationships and see collaborations through to the end.
• Understand that volunteer work and the organized association life are the foundation of DUF's work.

You may come from a member organization, a stakeholder organization, civil society or another politically led organization. The crucial thing is your leadership skills and political acumen, your judgment and your ability to achieve results together with others.

As a leader you are clear, listening and trustworthy. You give employees responsibility and act when a decision is needed. You can accommodate disagreement and find common direction in an organization where diversity is a strength.

What you will get with us You will take on a central leadership role with the opportunity to make a difference for children's and young people's democratic participation and for the conditions of organized civil society. By stepping into a position where establishing and maintaining cross-civil-society cooperation is a core task, you also get the opportunity to expand your network.

You will become part of an organization with a clear purpose, engaged member organizations and a secretariat that every day works to translate DUF's visions and values into action.

The position gives you the opportunity to influence DUF's development in close collaboration with the political leadership, the member organizations, and the employees.

We offer an exciting and professionally strong work environment with engaged, informal and good-humored colleagues.

Terms of employment The position has no upper limit on working hours, and evening and weekend work are to be expected, distributed across roughly 30-40 evening meetings and about 5 weekends per year. Salary will be set by individual negotiation based on qualifications.

Main workplace will be at Scherfigsvej 5, 2100 Copenhagen Ø.

Application The deadline for applications is November 22 with start February 1 or as soon as possible thereafter. We expect to conduct first interviews on December 1 and 2 and second interviews on December 14.

Applicants should expect time for personality tests between the 1st and 2nd interview rounds, and applicants may be asked to solve a small case in connection with the 2nd interview.

DUF values diversity among its employees and encourages everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion to apply for the position.

You can obtain further information about the position by contacting DUF's spokesperson Anneline Larsen at email [email protected] . For questions about the recruitment process itself you can contact HR Partner Nina Nisted at tel. 60201403.

About Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd DUF is an umbrella and interest organization for 77 volunteer-based and socially engaged children and youth organizations, working to promote democratic communities for children and young people in civil society. Scouts, student organizations, church associations, environmental organizations and the political youth organizations are among the members.

DUF works to promote young people's participation in civil society and democracy locally, nationally and internationally.

Application deadline: 22. November