The North Jutland Region seeks an experienced head of division for Soil and Water

Do you want to help influence the environment in North Jutland in a sustainable direction?

Would you lead a department with engaged employees?

Then we have a very exciting opportunity for you right now. We are indeed seeking a Chief of Office for Soil and Water, which is part of the Department of Environment, Mobility and Education.

The task and the role as Chief of Office

As Chief of Office for Soil and Water you will lead an area with political and strategic attention both internally in the region and externally. The office performs a wide range of authorities under the Soil Contamination Act. The tasks range from mapping potential contamination to contamination investigations to cleanup of contaminations. We focus on developing the professional area, on creating good collaboration with the municipalities and on ensuring good citizen service.

Task solving takes place in close contact with affected landowners and stakeholders in the area, e.g., other authorities, consultants and contractors.

You will be responsible for the management, planning and organization of the office's tasks - including operations and development within the framework set each year by the Regional Council and the Executive Board. You have independent budget responsibility and are the line manager for the office's employees. The office's tasks are of public interest, so media handling will also be an important element of your work.

Internally in the office you should continue the positive organizational development, and at the same time put your mark on the department's continued development in close cooperation with the employees and the management team.

Excerpt from the task portfolio

• Responsible for, among other things, translating the strategy for protecting groundwater into concrete actions and supervising the statutory authority exercise that applies in the area.
• Responsible for the tasks the region handles following the national PFAS action plan.
• Politically, it is your task to ensure that the office delivers solid and unifying service to the Regional Council and the Environment, Mobility and Education Committee.

Your upcoming immediate supervisor, Director for Environment, Mobility and Education, Maibrit Lykkegaard, expresses these words about the task and her expectations for the new Chief of Office: -The Soil and Water area is important because the decisions we make today have implications for both the environment and our drinking water. Therefore, I am looking for a Chief of Office who can both lead a strong professional area and also invest in people, relations and collaboration.

I value integrity, high professional standards and the courage to think anew. In return you will meet management that is appreciative, values-based and built on trust under responsibility. I believe the best solutions arise when capable leaders get backing to succeed.

About you

You have experience with leadership and are so skilled at collaborating and engaging across, that others cannot help but follow you. You are interested in current societal challenges with securing groundwater and combating soil contamination, and you have professional insight into the area's complexity. Finally, you understand the framework that applies to politically governed organizations.

In leadership terms, you are familiar with a broad palette of tools such as network leadership, personnel management, strategic and professional leadership, and political servicing. We want a leader who can fulfill as much as possible of the following:

• You have a relevant education and a strong professional foundation, providing insight into the topics and areas the office works with.
• You can span the office's various tasks from statutory authorities to development processes that show new paths.
• You can lead 4 teams through their respective coordinators and understand how to build relationships across a wide organization with many professional disciplines.
• You come across as trust-building with natural authority and impact.
• You have a flexible and accessible way of working and are good at motivating, delegating and bringing employees' competencies into play.
• You are good at planning and coordinating, you like networking and participating in national knowledge collaborations with the other regions.

We offer

Soil and Water is organizationally part of the Department of Environment, Mobility and Education. As Chief of Office you are responsible for 24 specialized and engaged employees. You report to the Director of Environment, Mobility and Education and are part of the department's management team together with two other managers. You participate in the region's internal management forums and take part in external collaboration within the circle of regional soil chiefs under Danske Regioner.

We offer an exciting and meaningful job where we work together to solve many different tasks for the benefit of citizens in North Jutland. You will have the opportunity to shape the office's development both professionally and in the planning of the work tasks. In the North Jutland Region we focus on leadership, and there are many opportunities for inspiration and competence development as a leader in the region. When you start, we have arranged a targeted onboarding program, and you will be paired with a mentor who will accompany you for the first year.

If you want to know more

You are also very welcome to contact Maibrit Lykkegaard, Director for Environment, Mobility and Education, at phone number 61 24 69 41. You may conveniently send a text message to arrange a time.

Read more about Environment, Mobility and Education

Practical

We need you from January 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary and terms of employment in accordance with the agreement for managers.

There is an application deadline on November 11, 2026.

1st interview will take place Tuesday, November 17, 2026. 2nd interview will take place Tuesday, November 24, 2026. In connection with the second interview you will receive a case that must be presented to the hiring committee. Candidates who progress to the 2nd interview will participate in a test program with the recruitment partner from the North Jutland Region.

Application deadline: November 11, 2026

Department: Niels Bohrs Vej 30 9220 Aalborg Øst

Location: Shared Administration