Head of the Management Secretariat in the Danish Defence Personnel Command

Would you like to work close to top management and help ensure progress, coherence and development across the entire Personnel Command? Do you have strong leadership skills, political acumen and the ability to deliver results through collaboration? Then you could be the section head we are seeking for the lead secretariat in the Personnel Command.

About us

The Personnel Command is the Danish Ministry of Defence's consolidated HR organization and is responsible for all personnel-related work across the group.

The Leadership Secretariat is part of the Center for Coordination and Development, which – in addition to the leadership secretariat – consists of four other sections with tasks related to the overall coordination and management of the command, communication, and centrally driven analyses, development activities and evaluations in the personnel area.

As a section head you will be part of the center’s overall leadership, which consists of two office heads and five section heads. The center consists of about 45 employees and is characterized by a strong sense of community, high professionalism and a shared ambition to make a difference.

About the position

The Leadership Secretariat plays a central role in the Personnel Command and supports the top management through leadership assistance, governance and follow-up on central tasks as well as coordination of complex cases across the organization. The tasks span a wide range, the tempo varies, and priorities can change quickly.

You will be the people leader for the secretariat’s 10 employees, who come from different backgrounds and experiences. Your task will be to set the direction for the secretariat’s work, create an overview and ensure that tasks are prioritized and solved in the right quality and on time. You will create the framework for employees to succeed through clear leadership, ongoing sparring and support, as well as a good balance between professional thoroughness and efficient task execution. In some cases you will also personally handle selected difficult or high-priority tasks.

The position involves close collaboration with the management and with managers and employees across the Personnel Command. You will also have a broad contact surface to the Defence Command, the Ministry of Defence, the Veterans Center and other authorities in the ministerial area.

Your main tasks will be to

• Lead and develop the employees.
• Prioritize tasks and ensure smooth daily operations of the Leadership Secretariat.
• Ensure an overview of and progress in the secretariat’s tasks, including timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Drive and coordinate complex cases and processes across the Personnel Command and other authorities.
• Ensure qualified leadership support through precise, targeted and decision-oriented written products.
• Develop workflows and processes so that the work in the Personnel Command remains coherent, efficient and focused on the essential.

About you

You have a relevant academic degree and preferably experience with leadership support in a politically governed organization, e.g. a ministry or an agency.

You have managerial experience or are a clearly demonstrated leadership talent. You understand the role and tasks of a leader and want to test yourself as a leader or further develop in a role close to top management.

You have a range of competences that prepare you for the leadership task: You are comfortable in preparing e.g. notes, decision proposals and reports, and you can independently drive a case from the initial problem statement to the finished product. You understand the importance of achieving the right balance between professional thoroughness, political understanding and clear communication.

We particularly emphasize that you

• Master political support and written communication. You can translate complex issues into short, precise and decision-oriented products. You have an eye for the recipient’s needs and can identify what is essential for the political and administrative leadership.
• Provide governance and progress. You work in a structured and independent way, maintain an overview of parallel tasks and ensure that cases are driven to a successful conclusion – even when deadlines are short and priorities change.
• Can trim cases and find solutions. You know how to distinguish between the essential and the less essential, create clarity about problems and possible solutions and recommend a clear direction. You know when a case requires further analysis, and when the evidence is sufficient to make a decision.
• Deliver results through collaboration and coordination. You build strong relationships, handle different interests and professional perspectives, and can bring relevant actors together to joint solutions. You communicate clearly and follow up so that agreements are translated into action.
• Are a clear and trust-building leader. You set direction, create clear frameworks and prioritize tasks with an eye to both the organization's needs and the employees’ competencies. You motivate and develop the staff through hands-on leadership, professional sparring and clear expectations.

You thrive in a daily life with great variation, shifting priorities and tight deadlines, where quality, precision and collaboration are crucial.

Knowledge of the Ministry of Defence area would be an advantage, but is not a requirement.

Conditions of employment

The appointment is made in accordance with the at any time applicable agreement between the Ministry of Finance and a number of academic organizations for academics in the state (Academics Agreement). This is a position as a senior consultant with personnel management.

Depending on your qualifications and competences, there is a possibility for negotiation of pay supplements. The position is linked to an employer-financed pension scheme.

The workplace is in Ballerup.

As an employee under the Ministry of Defence’s area, you are subject to some special terms. You must, among other things, be security cleared and maintain the security clearance throughout the employment.

You as an employee are obliged to render service outside the country’s borders, including at units in international operations with a view to participating in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, humanitarian and other similar operations.

Contact and application

If you would like to hear more about the position, you are welcome to contact Office Head Ida Holst at telephone 2324 3178.

If you have questions about salary and terms of employment, you are welcome to contact HR consultant Birgit Jepsen at telephone 3266 5811.

The application deadline is 15 November 2026, and interviews are expected to be held subsequently. The position is to be filled as soon as possible and no later than 1 January 2027.

You apply for the position via the link and please attach your application, CV and copies of candidate certificates including grades. Please note that attachments must be added in PDF format.

In the Ministry of Defence’s organization we believe that diversity optimizes task execution. Therefore we encourage all interested regardless of background to apply for the position.

About the Personnel Command

We recruit and retain competent employees for more than 40 educations and 25,000 positions for Denmark’s security, and we place a special emphasis on our veterans and their families. Our world revolves around the operational core task, and we support everyone from the conscript to the Minister of Defence.

We have a strong cross-disciplinary HR environment with a focus on development. When the operational reality changes, we do the same. It requires more than ordinary HR.

We are headquartered in Ballerup with decentralized partner elements and recruitment centers around the country.