Department Head for the Department of Children, Youth and Families

Head of Department for Children, Youth and Families

Would you like to lead a central department responsible for the well-being of children, young people, and families across the country?

The Department of Children, Youth and Families is seeking a visionary and strategically strong permanent secretary who can lead and develop the department's area of responsibility in close collaboration with the Naalakkersuisut and other stakeholders.

About the Department for Children, Youth and Families

In the Department for Children, Youth and Families, we focus on strengthening the conditions for children, young people, and families, and we work to achieve the political goals in the sector.

The Department for Children, Youth and Families consists of the Management Secretariat and the Department for Cross-Cutting Projects and Monitoring. We are 15 engaged and dedicated employees who work closely with our political leadership. The department has an underlying unit, the Social Agency, which ensures the implementation and operation of the political strategies and action plans.

The department handles tasks within:

• Political advice and servicing of the Minister for Children, Youth and Families
• Development and implementation of strategies and action plans in the area.
• Ongoing follow-up, monitoring, and reporting of initiated initiatives to ensure optimal utilization of financial resources.
• Preparation of decision-making basis for the political leadership as well as implementation of decisions with a focus on goal and result achievement.
• Coordination of task resolution in relation to other departments, institutions, and actors, and building good collaborative relationships.
• Implementation of general administrative guidelines, procedures, and quality requirements, as well as organizational development and establishment of clear communication and reference relationships.
• Project management and activity planning.

Emphasis will be placed on the following when filling the position:

• Relevant higher education and professional knowledge within all or parts of the department's area of responsibility. Proficiency in the Greenlandic language will be an advantage.
• Good knowledge of Greenlandic society as well as insight into the interaction between the Naalakkersuisut, Inatsisartut, and the municipalities.
• Solid experience in financial management at a strategic level, including multi-year budgeting, prioritization processes, and financial analyses.
• Documentable results from reform work in the social sector will be highly valued.
• A strong structure in the approach to work as well as the ability to create an overview and progress in complex processes.
• Loyalty and emphasis on human relationships to ensure a good working environment – both at the management level and among employees in the organization.
• Good strategic skills, including prioritization, influence, and political acumen.
• Management experience from a politically led organization as well as responsibility for financial management.
• Ability to involve internal and external stakeholders in solving the department's core tasks.
• Experience with management, coordination, and execution of larger projects.
• It is an advantage if you are proficient in Greenlandic, Danish, and English.

Applicants are expected to have both national and international perspectives. The right candidate possesses strong communication and collaboration skills as well as personal impact. The position requires visible leadership that can build and maintain an effective and reliable organization that continuously develops and adapts to societal needs.

In addition, the candidate is expected to demonstrate loyalty, have a structured approach to their work, and emphasize human relationships as the foundation for a good working environment – both at the management level and among employees further down in the organization.

Employment conditions

The position is filled for a term of 4 years, starting on May 1, 2026, or by agreement.

The position is currently classified as equivalent to 39. The salary with fixed components, own contribution to pension, and fixed-term allowance in LR 39 amounts to DKK 99,438 monthly and DKK 1,193,256 annually as of April 1, 2026.

Employment is primarily based on collective agreement terms. If the applicant is already a civil servant under the Civil Servants Act for the public sector in Greenland, employment may occur under civil servant terms.

There are also rules regarding unpaid leave for civil servants in the state as well as employees under a number of AC agreements, which may also include spouses/partners of employees under the Greenland Self-Government.

The working hours are generally 40 hours per week. For the position, there is no maximum working time set, and the provisions regarding compensation for overtime and lost days off do not apply.

Housing

No staff housing is provided for the position. If the applicant already has staff housing through employment in the Self-Government, this will be retained. The housing is linked to the employment relationship and must be vacated upon termination.

Additional information

The organizational plan and description of the department's tasks can be seen at:

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The management basis of self-government can be read here:

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Application deadline January 9, 2026, at 12:00 PM.

Interested?

If you have questions about the position, you are welcome to contact Partner Dorthe Flies from Flies HR at mobile +299583117 or dorthe@flieshr.dk.

Flies HR handles the recruitment process, so all inquiries should be directed here. We continuously invite relevant candidates for interviews.

If you have any further questions regarding the position, you are welcome to contact the Head of Department in the Chairman's Department, Hans-Peder Barlach Christensen at hape@nanoq.gl.

We look forward to hearing from you.

You can find more information about the Government of Greenland at https://naalakkersuisut.gl

About the Government of Greenland

If you are looking for challenges and want to influence everyday life through your work and help shape the future, then a job with the Government of Greenland is for you.

We expect a high level of responsibility and value professional qualifications, a healthy analytical approach to things, and adaptability in our employees. Additionally, your ability to structure your daily routine and maintain an overview is important.

Greenland's Self-Government consists of a Central Administration, with more than 650 employees spread across several departments, as well as a number of decentralized units. Together, we are more than 2500 people associated with Greenland's Self-Government. The task of the Central Administration is to provide Naalakkersuisut (the government) with a solid political decision-making basis and to implement the political decisions.

You can read more about Greenland's Self-Government at http://www.naalakkersuisut.gl/job

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