Programme Manager

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (Hogeschool Utrecht); Utrecht; Hybrid; EUR 81,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday pay 8%

Year-end bonus 8.3%

Health insurance support

Internet allowance

Public transport card

Bicycle plan

Discounts on insurance, software, gym

HU Development Portal

Additional leave

Sustainable employability hours

Job summary

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht seeks a senior education manager to lead the Creative Business bachelor’s programme. You will manage operations (HR, finance, marketing, logistics) while ensuring educational quality and strong student experience.

Collaboration with IIBS and external partners is essential. You will supervise a diverse international team, drive programme development, and align activities with institutional policies and budgets.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in economics, business administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years in a comparable leadership role.
• Experience leading policy implementation in higher education.
• Experience budgeting and allocating resources in higher education.
• Leading, coaching and developing professional teams.
• Track record of enhancing educational quality and student success.
• Strong strategic insight to translate institutional ambitions into actions.
• Excellent command of English; Dutch is used for internal communications.

Responsibilities

• Lead over 70 CB team members together with the fellow programme manager.
• Create connections between management, CB team, and research practice.
• Encourage ownership and ensure employee development.
• Inspire with a clear vision for education and research and drive results.
• Monitor curriculum quality and operations; implement improvements.
• Collaborate with lecturers and industry partners to align efforts.
• Lead change processes in an international context with stakeholder buy-in.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Intercultural communication

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Organisational awareness

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in economics or business administration

Job description

As manager of education at the bachelor’s programme Creative Business, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our academic vision, co-designing our study programme, managing a dynamic team of education professionals and overseeing business operations. In this role, you will balance operational responsibilities (such as HR, finance, marketing, and logistics) with a strong focus on educational quality, student experience, and academic coherence. You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Creative Business programme, together with your fellow programme manager.

The Creative Business (CB) bachelor’s programme is part of the International Institute for usiness Studies (IIBS). Our team consists of an international mix of professionals from the creative business field, experts in education and applied research, and support staff, consisting of around 70 colleagues. We currently welcome more than 1,100 students from all over the world and train them to become creative strategists: professionals who combine creative thinking with strategic planning to develop innovative solutions and drive impactful results within the global creative economy.

Your responsibilities include:

• Responsible for leading over 70 CB team members in close partnership with your fellow programme manager.
• Creating meaningful connections between management and the CB team, and between research and professional practice, ensuring sustainable partnerships both within and outside the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (UUAS).
• Facilitating your team’s success by encouraging ownership, and by setting clear guidelines. You actively contribute to employee satisfaction and personal and professional development.
• Inspiring team members with a clear and compelling vision for education and research, while demonstrating decisiveness in achieving results.
• Monitoring the quality and efficiency of the curriculum and operations, implementing improvements where necessary, and communicating changes clearly.
• Collaborating with stakeholders, including lecturers, and industry partners, to foster innovation and alignment.
• Leading and guiding change processes within a dynamic and international context, ensuring alignment, engagement, and sustainable implementation within the team.

Your profile

You are a people-driven manager with a focus on achieving results and capable of connecting and communicating effectively with a diverse and international team. You collaborate closely with your fellow Programme Manager, ensuring alignment, coherence, and shared ownership in programme development and decision-making. You demonstrate strong organisational, intercultural and political sensitivity, and can navigate interests across teams, programmes, and institutional levels. You lead in an inclusive and collaborative manner, valuing dialogue, active listening, and shared decision-making.

• A completed master’s degree in economics, business administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrable experience in a comparable leadership role (min. 5 years),
• Proven ability to lead teams through policy implementation and decision-making, ensuring alignment with institutional frameworks, in a collaborative manner,
• Demonstrated experience in managing financial and human resources within higher education, including budgeting, work package planning, and the effective allocation of resources.
• Experience in leading, coaching, and developing professional teams, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• A track record of enhancing educational quality, student success, and organisational performance.
• Strong strategic insight, with the ability to translate institutional ambitions and external developments into concrete actions within a complex environment.
• A clear vision on developments and innovations in the international professional field, and the ability to translate these into educational programmes.
• Internationalisation is part of our DNA. English is the working language of our programme and is used daily in teaching, collaboration, and communication. You therefore have an excellent command of spoken and written English. Dutch is primarily used in communication with other institutes and the wider university organisation.
• You thrive in this international and dynamic environment and contribute to an inclusive and cohesive working culture by bridging different cultural perspectives, professional backgrounds, and expectations.

What we offer

We offer you, as an experienced leader with a passion for education and team development, the opportunity to inspire our teams and strengthen our academic programmes. UUAS also offers excellent employment conditions, including:

• A one-year contract type (D4) with the possible prospect of a permanent position, for 0.8–1.0 FTE. Internal candidates retain their current contract type.
• A competitive salary in scale 13 (Programme Manager 2), up to €8,020.60 gross per month (full-time), depending on experience.
• An 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• A health insurance contribution of €300 gross per year and an internet allowance of €37.50 net per month (full-time).
• A public transport card from Reisbalans, allowing you to travel free of charge by public transport for both work and personal use. If you prefer to travel by car or bicycle, you will receive an excellent mileage allowance instead.
• We offer excellent study and professional development opportunities through our own HU Development Portal.
• With a full-time employment contract of 40 hours per week, you are entitled to approximately 53 days of leave, including public holidays and mandatory days off. In addition, you will receive 45 sustainable employability hours each year.

You will also receive a laptop and smartphone to support flexible, location-independent working. Additional benefits include a bicycle plan and discounts on insurance, software, and gym memberships.

Why join us

At HU University of Applied Sciences, there are many opportunities for you to further develop yourself and advance your career. We actively support your development, whether it involves expanding your knowledge, receiving coaching, or taking the next step in your career. With us, you can continue to grow in a challenging and socially engaged environment where enjoyment is key. Opportunities are always there—it is up to you to seize them.

You will be working at HU University of Applied Sciences

HU University of Applied Sciences is a large community of nearly 40,000 students and over 4,000 staff members. Together, we work closely with professional practice and with each other to develop solutions to today’s challenges.

HU is located at the Utrecht Science Park and in Amersfoort and offers education at associate degree, bachelor’s, and master’s level. Recently, the professional doctorate has been added. Through our research, we make a (regional) impact and educate students to become innovative professionals.

You will become part of a community where we connect with each other both inside and outside of work in many different ways and places—for example, through the HU Alumni community, the HU Gender and Sexuality Alliance (HU GSA), or the Diversity & Inclusion Network.

The HU community is open, equitable, and sustainable, and in this way we help shape professional practice, society, and the professionals of the future.

The Institute for International Business Studies (IIBS)

The Institute for International Business Studies (IIBS) is highly international, attracting students and colleagues from around the world. It is an English‑speaking institute within a Dutch‑speaking environment, located at Heidelberglaan in Utrecht. The institute offers several international bachelor’s and master’s programmes.

The International Business programme prepares students for careers in international companies, entrepreneurial start‑ups, and innovative organisations worldwide, with a focus on management, finance, and marketing. Graduates are clear‑thinking, innovative problem‑solvers and entrepreneurial professionals in the global business landscape.

Application process

If you would like more information before applying, please contact Martine Overdijk - Kerkhoff, Director of IIBS, at [e-mail]. For questions about the application process, you can contact Judith Beuse (Recruiter) at [phone] or [e-mail].

You can apply online up to and including 4 November. The vacancy will close on 5 November 2026. Unfortunately, applications received after the closing date cannot be considered in the recruitment process. Please note: if we receive a sufficient number of applications, we may close this vacancy earlier than planned, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We aim to schedule the first interviews for the week commencing 9th November 2026. Following the first interview, we will assess the need for a second interview. If so, we aim to plan the second interview in the week commencing 16th November 2026. The final, specific dates for first and second interview will be added after 27 October.

The start date will be determined in consultation.

The application procedure can be found in the application code on our website: https://www.hu.nl/werkenbij/arbeidsvoorwaarden. This page also includes a link to the Collective Labour Agreement for Universities of Applied Sciences (CAO HBO).

A reference check, a digital verification of your diploma and identity document, and the application for a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) are part of the selection procedure.

HU employees should apply via the internal vacancy portal on myTalent.