Development Director at the Social Services Department in the City of Helsingborg
Description:
Do you want to lead development and innovation work that makes a real difference for residents? We are looking for a development director with strategic and operational overall responsibility for the social services department's development unit and PART preventive work together. About the workplace In the city, the social services department is responsible for individual and family care. Our mission is to enable residents to become self-sufficient in life so they can take an active part in society. We are in the process of reshaping ourselves according to the new social services with a focus on creating a more accessible social service based on three areas of operation: authority, services and support, and housing. We are looking for an experienced and confident change leader who wants to take strategic overall responsibility for development and innovation in a politically governed organization. Job responsibilities You lead and develop two units with a shared mission – to create sustainable development that makes a real difference for residents. One part of your assignment is to lead the department's Development Unit, which provides development and innovation support to the social services department's core activities. Together with your team, you create conditions for systematic development work where service design, residents' needs, and data-driven learning are converted into improved working methods, services, and social initiatives. You strengthen the department's structure, development capacity, and innovation culture so that change becomes a natural part of operations. The second part of your assignment is to lead staff and work within PART – Preventive Work Together. PART is a joint innovation and collaboration platform between the City of Helsingborg, the City of Landskrona, and Region Skåne. Here you lead the work of developing and testing new solutions to complex societal challenges together with residents, civil society, academia, and other societal actors. The focus is on creating equal conditions for children and young people to succeed in school and achieve the best possible health. As a development director, you naturally move between strategy and implementation. You translate research, environmental monitoring, and new perspectives into practical business development and create conditions for ideas to lead to real change. You lead both long-term development processes and concrete innovation initiatives and ensure that they create value for residents, operations, and the organization. The assignment involves close cooperation with department management, operations managers, other departments, political leadership, academia, civil society, and external collaboration partners. You build trusting relationships and create engagement around common goals. As a manager, you have responsibility for operations, staff, work environment, and budget, while developing a culture where learning, innovation, and collaboration are a natural part of everyday work. We are looking for you who want to help shape the future of social services – where development is not a project alongside operations, but a way of working that permeates the entire organization and is based on residents' needs. What we offer We offer you a varied, responsible, and stimulating job with opportunities for personal development. The workplace is smoke-free and health-conscious, and as an employee you receive a wellness allowance of 3000 kronor per year and other wellness benefits through the benefits portal epassi. Qualifications We are looking for you who Have an academic university degree. Preferably a master's degree or doctoral education Have several years of experience leading change and development work in a complex organization Have experience with needs-driven and user-driven development as well as resident involvement Have been a manager with responsibility for personnel, work environment, and budget Have experience working in the municipal or public sector and are familiar with politically governed processes Have experience leading both permanent employees and project resources Have worked across sectors and built sustainable collaborations Are curious and have the ability to absorb research and theory to translate it into practical business work Have excellent ability to express yourself in Swedish orally and in writing and can understand and use research literature in English PERSONAL QUALITIES You are a professional, clear, and trustworthy team player with a strong drive to develop organizations and create value for residents. You are structured and systemically intelligent, with strong anchoring ability and the ability to create momentum in complex contexts. You are a person with ambitious goals, visions, and a passion for development based on residents' needs. You need to be communicative and confident in dialogue with both management and operations as well as external parties. You thrive in an outward-facing role where you spread learning, give lectures, and drive opinion on issues concerning children, young people, and adults. Environmental monitoring is a natural part of your working method and you translate new perspectives into practical action. Working in the City of Helsingborg Do you want to help create a better city together with the people of Helsingborg? Then you should work in the City of Helsingborg. Here you can use your creativity and drive to make life easier and safer for our residents, visitors, and business community. Together with curious and helpful colleagues, you make a difference in people's lives, both today and in the future. A good job today, a better city tomorrow. You can read more about what it's like to work in the city here: https://helsingborg.se/arbete/sa-ar-det-att-jobba-i-staden/ Other information Application deadline: 2026-08-16 Employment form: Permanent Extent: 100% Start date: By agreement Number of positions: 1 To ensure quality in the recruitment process in the City of Helsingborg, we use the recruitment tool ReachMee. Therefore, we ask you to submit your application via ReachMee by clicking the application link in the ad. Your CV and other documents relevant to the position, such as educational certificates or professional licenses, should be attached to the application. You will also answer screening questions. If you don't hear from us, check your spam folder as emails are sometimes sorted there. If you are applying for a job and have protected personal information, you should contact the recruiting manager mentioned in the ad who will guide you further for a secure application process. You should not apply digitally via the application link. Union representatives https://intranat.helsingborg.se/hr/samverkan-och-delaktighet/fackliga-foretradare/
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Overview
- Type
- job
- Status
- active
- Visibility
- public
- City
- Helsingborg
- Address
- Stortorget 17
- GPS
- 56.0735795, 12.7838657
- Phone
- Published
- 7. 8. 2026
- Edited
- 16. 8. 2026