Professionally strong department head for the special institution Skodsborg

Will you lead one of Copenhagen Municipality's most specialized treatment offerings for children and adolescents?

And do you thrive in a daily life where high professionalism, clear leadership and difficult decisions go hand in hand?

At the specialized institution Skodsborg we are seeking a department head with professional heft, human resilience and a desire to be a visible leader close to practice. You will be part of a daily routine where decisions must be made quickly, employees developed, and where the well-being, development and safety of the youths are always the focal point.

About Skodsborg

Skodsborg is a highly specialized 24-hour treatment facility under Copenhagen Municipality's Social Administration.

We have room for eight youths aged 12-17, of whom three beds are partially closed. The youths have complex psychiatric and social issues, often characterized by trauma, self-harm, substance abuse and emotional regulation difficulties.

Around the youths stand about 35 dedicated staff in a strong multidisciplinary collaboration between pedagogues, care assistants, social worker, psychologist, nurse, kitchen staff and management.

We work from a clear child-centered perspective and a treatment environment characterized by relationships, structure and high professionalism. Our methodological basis includes milieu therapy, MI, Low Arousal, trauma-informed approach, mentalization as well as narrative and cognitive treatment principles. Simultaneously we continuously develop our practice based on new knowledge including neuroscience.

A leadership role with high emotional demands

Skodsborg is a workplace with high complexity. Here you encounter acute crises, psychiatric issues, conflicts, self-harm, escapes and use of force. Therefore we seek a leader with feet on the ground who can maintain calm, direction and overview – even when pressure is high. In return you'll be part of a close leadership team and a staff group where we help each other, spar closely and believe that the best solutions are created in collaboration.

About the position

As department head you will be responsible for staff, operations, clinical quality and development. You are a visible leader in the house and an important culture carrier who translates the institution's values and treatment methods into practice. Your tasks include among others

• professional leadership and development of employees
• implementation of treatment methods and development initiatives
• quality assurance of documentation, record-keeping and use of force
• responsibility for the duty roster together with our administrative duty planner, recruitment, onboarding, sickness absence and work environment
• close collaboration with the institution's manager, psychologist, social worker, nurse and external partners.

We are looking for you who

• are a trained social educator (pædagog) or have a psychological background
• have leadership experience – preferably from 24-hour institution setting, social psychiatry or another highly specialized area
• are a clear and presence-based leader with strong relational competencies
• can create calm and direction in complex situations
• thrive with both strategic development and daily operations
• work systematically and see quality, documentation and legal certainty as a natural part of core tasks
• are a strong communicator and are motivated by developing staff and professional practice.

With us you get

You do not get an easy leadership job, but a meaningful one. You become part of an ambitious workplace with high professional standards, strong values and close leadership collaboration, where trust, sparring and shared responsibility are the foundation. Together we work every day to create development and new opportunities for some of society's most vulnerable youths.

If you are motivated by standing in complex situations, creating development through relationships and being a visible leader close to practice, we look forward to hearing from you.

Special institution Skodsborg is part of Copenhagen Municipality's Social Administration and anchored in Center for Children and Young People.

Employment terms

The position is 37 hours per week. Start date is January 1, 2027. Salary and terms of employment are fixed according to the applicable collective agreement and qualifications. We will obtain child and criminal records checks as well as references as part of the hiring process.

Further information

You can obtain further information from the institution's manager Maria Langberg at 24 46 53 39.

Apply via the link no later than Thursday 19 November 2026

We expect to conduct first interviews Monday 23 November and second interviews Thursday 26 November. In connection with the second interview, a personality test and a case will be included.