Are you an outstanding executive personal assistant, with a desire to excel? To help facilitate a food system that provides food security for 10 billion people worldwide? Enabling viable businesses and healthy sustainable sectors? Are you a teamplayer, a personal professional, eager to contribute to ‘Shaping the Future of Food Together’? Do you see yourself fitting seamlessly into the profile outlined below? If so, we would be delighted to receive your application, including your resume, a brief motivation letter via maartje.smeenk@smeenks.com, by Monday, February 19, 2024, Noon (also see the role information below).
We look forward to meeting you!
SMEENK’S TOP PERSONAL ASSISTANTS
Assisting Excellent Leadership
JOB OPENING: NEXT-LEVEL TOP PERSONAL ASSISTANT, CEO FOODVALLEYNL, NL-WAGENINGEN (32-36 hrs/wk)
The organization
FoodvalleyNL, headquartered in Wageningen, the Netherlands, is a global, independent, and leading center of excellence in food innovation. Envisioning a food system that provides food security for 10 billion people worldwide, this practice leader focuses on strengthening the agri-food sector’s competitive position in the Netherlands, by fostering and promoting international collaboration among organizations, knowledge institutions, governments, and other stakeholders. This involves driving collective action with frontrunners across sectors and countries, and bolstering the ecosystem by providing access to the right people, financial resources, shared facilities, and best practices. Enabling viable businesses and new healthy sustainable sectors, the most optimum manner!
Operating under the distinctive concept of ‘Shaping the Future of Food Together’, approximately 400 partners worldwide and 40 passionate employees empower businesses and organizations in the Dutch food industry to thrive every day.
Culture
The core values that guide all activities of this international quality player are: together, personal, learning and development, and professional. Close collaboration with its stakeholders is central for this practice leader, as well as achieving a high quality standard, maintaining short communication lines, and establishing clear agreements at every level. Its internal culture can best be described as dynamic, passionate, knowledgeable, loyal, international, down-to-earth, transparent, reliable and warm businesslike.
What is FoodvalleyNL offering?
In addition to the opportunity to help facilitate a food system to provide food security for 10 billion people worldwide and empowering businesses and organizations in the Dutch food industry to thrive, FoodvalleyNL offers excellent primary and fringe benefits. You can expect a hybrid working principle with a minimum of two days at the office (including an allowance for working at home and an installed home workplace), a laptop and mobile phone, commute travel expense reimbursement, 27 holiday days (or 216 hours of paid leave) based on 36 hours of employment per week, and a pension fund with ABP. Along with an inspiring and passionate CEO and team, where no day is the same!
The role
The role of next-level top personal assistant to FoodvalleyNL’s CEO involves providing proactive assistance, maintaining a keen attention to detail, and efficiently coordinating tasks from start to finish. This includes anticipating needs, overseeing progress and initiating actions accordingly.
As to this role’s main responsibilities, you can expect:
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Role of strategic business partner;
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Complex calendar and time management;
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Organizing and coordinating travel arrangements and itineraries;
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Screening and organizing information, calls and e-mails;
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Resolving most questions and challenges independently, taking or coordinating the most appropriate action, referring only the most complex issues to higher levels;
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Streamlining, structuring and ensuring a smooth daily work flow;
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Preparing, planning and organizing various meetings and appointments;
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Taking minutes, recording action items and decisions, including follow-up control;
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Delving into processes and procedures;
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Preparing presentations, e-mails and documents;
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Further professionalizing the office organization;
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Maintaining budgets, noting issues and if applicable, making recommendations for improvement;
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All other business support tasks as needed.
The ideal candidate
The ideal candidate functions effectively in the ‘eye of the storm’ as the CEO’s eyes and ears. They are an energetic professional with an international mindset and high values and standards. Passionate about working alongside a fast-paced professional in a dynamic environment, they are nimble and adept at connecting people to ensure the CEO’s business life runs smoothly. They approach tasks in a structured and organized manner, demonstrating proactive problem-solving skills and resilience to stress. A true team player, they require minimal direction and excel at placing matters into perspective, even during peak workload. They have a proven track record of handling confidential information with discretion and possess a keen eye for detail, as well as a well-developed sense of business politics and diplomacy. They maintain a positive attitude and possess a natural interest in organizational design, welcoming the opportunity to contribute to the CEO’s goals and objectives. In summary, their passion lies in executive personal assistance, and they derive fulfillment from making impactful contributions.
The ideal candidate identifies well with the following criteria and competencies:
Criteria
- Interest in and affinity with the international food-innovative quality world of FoodvalleyNL;
- Education: Preferably pre-university education (VWO), followed by a completed Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Executive Support, Hotel Management or Business Administration;
- Minimum of five years of relevant work experience in a professional environment;
- Professional working proficiency in Dutch and English;
- Proficient in MSOffice; tech-savvy;
- Eager to start contributing to ‘Shaping the Future of Food Together’, especially after seeing the introductory video below!
Competencies
- Familiar with innovative trends and pioneering;
- Familiar with sustainable development (SDGs);
- Flexible, proactive, and decisive (taking initiative);
- Pleasantly assertive with great attention to detail;
- Entrepreneurial and accessible;
- Integral, organizationally sensitive, and involved;
- Quality and service-oriented, even under pressure;
- Result-oriented, both independently and with a team;
- Representative and good work ethic.
Application information
In summary, are you eager to help this inspiring and passionate CEO realize future-proof ambitions, of providing food security for 10 billion people worldwide? Strengthening the competitive position of the agri-food sector in the Netherlands? While fostering and promoting international collaboration among organizations, knowledge institutions, governments, and other stakeholders? And do you recognize yourself seamlessly in the profile outlined above? Then we are delighted to receive your application, including your resume, motivation letter and remuneration expectations, by noon February 19, 2024 via maartje.smeenk@smeenks.com.
Exclusivity
The search for this vacancy is exclusively handled by SMEENK’S Top Personal Assistants. Direct applications to FoodvalleyNL or any of its subsidiaries or partnerships, will not be processed.
Application process
- Deadline applications: Monday, February 19, 2024 at 12:00 Noon;
- Initial meetings with SMEENK’S Top Personal Assistants, Wageningen/Laag-Keppel/online: ideally w/c February 19, 2024; TBD;
- Interviews with FoodvalleyNL’s CEO: ideally w/c February 26, 2024; TBD;
- Ideal start date: April 1st, 2024; TBD;
- Employment type: Permanent (32-36 hrs/wk).
About SMEENK’S Top Personal Assistants, your intermediairy
SMEENK’S Top Personal Assistants is the Netherlands’ only executive PA-search specialist for excellent leadership. We find the right, next-level top personal assistants as business partners for CEOs, enabling them to focus optimally on their areas of expertise, and on achieving sustainable corporate results. Exceptionally agile and impactful. Because we believe that attention, focus and quality are prerequisites for sustained corporate success.
And we are delighted to use our passion, expertise, and network for your benefit!
SMEENK’S TOP PERSONAL ASSISTANTS. Assisting Excellent Leadership.
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