Head of Social Assistance (80% - 100%)

Burgdorf, the modern city in the Emmental

Burgdorf is an urban, prosperous center in the green with over 17,000 inhabitants and a large catchment area. The Social Directorate provides services in child and adult protection and social assistance, in foundation supervision, as well as specialist offices for migration and aging for the city of Burgdorf and the surrounding municipalities of Hasle b. Burgdorf, Oberburg, and Ersigen.

We are looking for a

Your tasks

Organizational and professional performance of the social assistance area

Personnel responsibility for the social assistance area with about 15 social workers and personnel management of the directly subordinate team leaders

Ensuring the implementation of social assistance in accordance with applicable law and decisions of the social commission

Development of internal guidelines in close collaboration with the management

Ensuring cross-departmental internal collaboration with the areas of child and adult protection and support (administration, finance)

Responsibility for quality assurance and controlling

Collaboration and networking with various stakeholders and partner organizations

Participation in reporting to municipal, cantonal, and federal institutions

Participation in responding to political initiatives and consultations

Independent case work in the range of 20-40 percent of a full-time position

Your profile

You ideally have a master's degree in social work or law or are willing to complete relevant further training. You have solid expertise in the areas of social assistance, social insurance, and law, and possess proven professional and leadership experience. Your analytical and strategic thinking helps you in addressing conceptual tasks. With your experience in project work, you bring ideal conditions for contributing to the further development of the Social Directorate. A high level of social and advisory competence characterizes you. We are looking for a committed personality who enjoys working for professional social work in a public service. Networking thinking and acting within and outside the Social Directorate is a matter of course for you. You have very good IT user skills.

Your perspectives

We offer you an interesting task in a varied and demanding work environment with room for design. Mutual assistance is as natural as short paths for decisions. Continuous training and further education are supported. Modern working tools and motivated colleagues await you. Working hours are based on the annual working time model. With good public transport connections, employee-friendly employment conditions, and its central function, the city of Burgdorf is an attractive employer. As a member of the management, you can significantly shape the further development of the Social Directorate. Home office is possible to a limited extent.

Contact

Your questions will be answered by Andreas von Wartburg, Head of the Social Directorate, at the phone number 034 429 93 03 or by email at andreas.vonwartburg@burgdorf.ch or Daniel Frei, former head of social assistance and designated head of the Social Directorate as of January 1, 2026, at the phone number 034 429 92 45 or by email at daniel.frei@burgdorf.ch.

Please submit your application by August 10, 2025, via our online portal.

We look forward to meeting you.