Deputy Director sought for Development Center for Children and Families

Deputy for the director sought for Development Center for Children and Families

We are seeking a deputy with significant management experience from a children’s and youth home or a similar organization with specialized knowledge of mentalization-based wholistic environment therapy (MBE) and documented experience in working with organizational psychology processes.

You must be able to combine professional depth with clear leadership, both administratively and organizationally, and actively contribute to translating UBF’s professional foundation into cohesive practice across the organization.

About UBF

Development Center for Children and Families (UBF) is part of the Municipality of Næstved’s overall special provision for particularly vulnerable children and young people.

UBF consists of: Children and Youth Homes: Elvergården, Ladbyhus, the Children and Family Houses and the School at Åsen. In addition, House for Children and Families and Family Care. We are an organization with different professional backgrounds, working closely together to create development, well-being and better opportunities for children, young people and families in vulnerable positions. UBF is licensed for 58 residential places.

UBF’s target groups are children, young people and families with complex needs. Our professional foundation is a psychodynamic framework with mentalization-based environment therapy as a central part of practice.

After the merger of two larger 24-hour facilities, a key task is to further develop and anchor a common organizational culture where professionalism, leadership and collaboration support the main mission.

It requires leadership that can understand and handle organizational-psychological dynamics, unite different professional cultures and create direction, followership and shared responsibility.

As deputy you will be the headmaster’s close collaborator and a central part of UBF’s daily management in cooperation with department heads and staff.

You will receive managerial mandate within agreed areas of responsibility and delegation framework. You must ensure progress, follow up on decisions and create coherence between strategic and administrative priorities, professional development and day-to-day operations. You will also handle agreed managerial tasks in the director’s absence.

Your key tasks

Organizational development and shared culture

• Support the development of a shared organizational culture together with the director, the rest of the management team and employees
• Create a common direction and understanding of the main task across departments and professional groups.
• Systematically work with organizational-psychological dynamics, collaborative relationships and change processes.
• Ensure coherence between the professional foundation, employees’ practice and the quality of the efforts.
• Help further develop and anchor mentalization-based environment therapy.
• Support supervision, professional reflection and competence development.

Leadership, operations and coordination

• There will be several administrative leadership-support tasks. It is therefore expected that you have relevant experience and can see yourself doing this with energy.
• Coordinate cross-cutting tasks and collaborate with the director, department heads, psychologist, social worker and other staff.
• Participate in the work of the leadership team and the staff group.

Staff, work environment

• Contribute to recruitment, orientation and competence development.
• Handle the agreed personnel management tasks, including employee development interviews (MUS), evaluation of work methods (LUS) and follow-up on sick leave.
• Follow up on the work environment, APV 3-in-1 measurements and relevant development initiatives.
• Support that legislation and procedures regarding, among other things, the Social Supervisory Act, school supervision, adult responsibility, work environment and medicine- and health-related matters are complied with.

It is a requirement that you

• Are educated as a pedagogue or have a corresponding relevant education.
• Have significant and documented managerial experience, including experience as deputy with the aforementioned tasks in a children’s and youth home or a similar organization.
• Have in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of mentalization-based environment therapy and relevant continuing education.
• Have documented experience in implementing and developing the mentalization-based methodological approach, including professional reflection and supervision.
• Have relevant education in psychodynamic organizational psychology as well as documented practical experience with organizational development, culture change and change processes.
• Can participate in a daily work environment that requires a high degree of physical presence.

We expect you to translate organizational-psychological knowledge into concrete managerial practice. You must be able to identify and manage organizational patterns, professional tensions and create followership around common goals.

In summary

As a deputy you will have a central leadership role with responsibility and close collaboration with the director and department heads. You will have the opportunity to shape UBF’s professional and organizational development and will play an important role in anchoring a shared culture and professional direction. You will become part of a committed leadership community with a varied daily life, where strategic development, professional leadership and daily operations go hand in hand.

You must be clear, administratively strong, decisive and systematic, while also balancing your leadership responsibility with close collaboration and accountability.

Salary and terms of employment

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and agreement with the negotiating organization.

Information about starting salary and expected salary range

Via the link here you can see information about the relevant salary range for the specific position. In the overview, select Næstved Municipality, which job category (collective agreement) you are applying for and which specific position you are seeking. In the table below you can see the relevant information for the specific position.

Application deadline: 11 November 2026

Expected interviews: 24 November. If a second round of interviews is needed, it will be on 26 November

Start date: 1 January 2027 - can be agreed further.

Working hours: 37 hours per week

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about the position, you are very welcome to contact

Director Per Aarkrog telephone 4031 3710

mail [email protected]

Read about us at www.ubfnaestved.dk