Mentoring Program Officer - Utrecht

DUO for a JOB matches young people with a migration background (mentees) with people aged 50+ (mentors). For six months, the mentor voluntarily supports the young person in their search for a job or further education. Why? To strengthen young people’s position in the labour market, make better use of the experience of people over 50, and challenge stereotypes.

The organization has more than 100 employees (in the Netherlands, Belgium and France), 150 volunteers and over 1,800 mentors. We launched in Rotterdam in 2021 and now work with a team of eight colleagues there. We have just started in Utrecht and are looking for our first Mentoring Program Officer who, together with the Regional Manager, will help launch the mentoring program.

Are you ready to help lay the foundations of DUO for a JOB in Utrecht? As our very first Mentoring Program Officer in Utrecht, you’ll have the unique opportunity to put DUO for a JOB’s successful concept on the local map. As Mentoring Program Officer at DUO for a JOB, you’ll make a concrete contribution every day to the future of (new) young people in Utrecht!

As a Mentoring Program Officer, you will take on the coordination of the mentoring program together with the Regional Manager. You will be responsible for the quality and growth of the program in Utrecht and the surrounding area. Together with the Regional Manager, you will ensure that the first mentor-mentee pairs get started, that the mentoring program takes shape, and that the first operational partners are engaged. You will receive advice and support from the Rotterdam team as well as colleagues in Belgium and France.

(Part of) your responsibilities • Recruiting new mentors and mentees • Delivering information sessions • Conducting intake interviews and matching mentor-mentee duos • Organizing and delivering mentor trainings, and exploring ways to improve existing training sessions • Supporting and coaching duos from their first meeting through to the final evaluation • Writing newsletters for mentors, mentees and partners, managing other internal communication channels, and organizing events • Keeping track of all information related to our mentor-mentee journeys in our systems • Initiating and building a strong operational network in Utrecht, connecting with neighborhood teams, youth organisations and local partners **But also…
** Alongside your operational responsibilities, you will also take on other roles and tasks. What exactly? We’ll define that together based on your experience and ambitions. In addition to your work in Utrecht, you will sometimes contribute to the broader development of DUO for a JOB as an organization. In doing so, you’ll collaborate with colleagues from our offices in Rotterdam, Belgium and France.

• You enjoy working on diversity & inclusion and strengthening social cohesion in Utrecht • You are motivated to contribute to a social initiative that builds bridges between people from different backgrounds and life experiences • You are good at juggling a variety of tasks and are able to structure, prioritise and keep an overview • You are flexible and resilient. In a start-up phase, things don’t always go exactly as planned. You stay calm, learn from mistakes and adjust your course when needed • You know how to have constructive conversations with our volunteer mentors and mentees to support them throughout their journey. By listening actively, asking the right questions and providing clear feedback, you encourage ownership, growth and collaboration within the duo • As a warm and professional point of contact for DUO Utrecht, you create an atmosphere of trust and inclusiveness from the very first interaction for people of different backgrounds and ages • You have experience in, or affinity with, the social sector • You have strong spoken and written communication skills in Dutch and English • You are available for 32–36 hours per week • You enjoy launching new projects, connecting with people and working on a diverse range of tasks

Don’t meet every single requirement but still feel excited about this role? We’d still love to hear from you. We look beyond checklists and believe that strong teams are built on diversity. Differences in background, gender identity, age, education, political or religious beliefs, and more make our team stronger.

•    You’ll be part of a small, motivated team within a successful and innovative initiative that is continuing to grow •    The opportunity to work with a wide range of people and organisations: mentees, mentors, volunteers, as well as partners from the social, private and public sectors •    An organizational structure and culture that encourages flexibility and responsibility •    A one-year contract that can be converted into a permanent contract based on good performance •    A salary in line with the Social Work Collective Labour Agreement (CAO Sociaal Werk), scale 8, depending on your experience •    32 days of annual leave based on a 36-hour work week •    8% holiday allowance annually and a year-end bonus of 8.3% •    50% pension contribution through Pensioenfonds Zorg & Welzijn •    A MacBook and iPhone for work use •    A pleasant workplace in Utrecht •    Start date: to be defined together