DUF seeks Secretary General with a keen eye for strategy, association life and political influence

Do you want to lead an organization that works for strong democratic communities and for the opportunities for children and young people to participate and have influence? Can you create direction, lead from the strategy, and bring together different interests around 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 interplay between the member organizations, the political leadership, and the secretariat.

Your task

As Secretary General you will be a close partner for the politically elected leadership and, in daily practice, especially for the figurehead who is DUF’s outward face. You must contribute with qualified advice, solid decision foundations, and a reliable implementation of the decisions that are made.

You will have the overall responsibility for the secretariat’s leadership, development and operations. Based on DUF’s political goals and strategy, you shall 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 step with this and create direction and followers along the way. At present, the secretariat consists of about 70 employees distributed across 7 departments, each with its 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 bring their different perspectives together in joint initiatives.
• Support DUF’s political advocacy and develop relations with decision-makers and partners.
• Ensure responsible financial management, solid administration and good governance of grants and funds in DUF’s work distributing approximately 250 million annually.
• Have an eye for DUF’s overall work and development, including the coherence between DUF’s international and national activities.

You are expected to deliver solid results, anchored in the triple role of the association life and the work of translating the Welfare Commission’s recommendation that all children and young people should participate in a leisure activity, and to create better conditions for young people in democracy by, among other things, placing 16-year voting rights on the political agenda.

Who are you?

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

You understand the interplay between an elected political leadership and a professional secretariat. You can advise clearly, challenge constructively and work loyally within the organization’s democratic mandate.

We especially emphasize that you

• Have a strong political network and experience with advocacy.
• Have experience with personnel management and can see yourself as Secretary General for DUF.
• Can navigate in a politically led organization and create trust across interests and viewpoints.
• Throw yourself into the task of setting direction in an organization with multiple professional disciplines.
• Have a secure grasp of finance, operations and organizational development.
• As one of the first things, familiarize yourself with the grant regulations if you do not already have experience with the regulations and the work around the tips committee.
• Communicate clearly and can translate complex issues into understandable messages and decisions that guide DUF’s work.
• Create strong relationships and follow collaborations through to the end.
• Understand that voluntariness and organized association life are the foundation of DUF’s work.

You may have experience from a member organization, an interest organization, civil society, or another politically led organization. What is crucial are 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 trusting. 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 get with us

You will have a central leadership role with the opportunity to make a difference for children and young people’s democratic participation and for the conditions of organized civil society. By stepping into a position where establishing and maintaining collaboration across civil society is a core task, you also gain 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 staff.

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

Employment terms

The position has no upper limit on working hours, and evening and weekend work is expected, distributed over 30-40 evening meetings and about 5 weekends per year. Salary is determined through individual negotiation based on qualifications.

The primary workplace will be at Scherfigsvej 5, 2100 Copenhagen Ø.

Application

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

Time should be allocated to conduct personality analyses between the first and second round of interviews, and candidates may be asked to solve a small case in connection with the second interview.

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

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

About the Danish Youth Council

DUF is an umbrella and advocacy organization for 77 youth and youth organizations, working to promote democratic communities for children and young people in civil society. Scout organizations, student organizations, church associations, environmental organizations and political youth organizations are among its members.

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

Application deadline

22 November

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact

Nina Nisted

Phone: 60201403

Application deadline

22 November 2026

Apply for the position