Head of Youth Home Platanenhof (m/f/d)

About the job

As the fifth largest canton in Switzerland with around 6000 employees, we are committed to the common good of society at the

cantonal administration. With an impressive variety of services,

our work affects all areas of life, whether education, economy, law, security, nature, health, construction, culture, or finance. Through our meaningful

work, we leave a small footprint every day, as it is relevant to over half a million people.

The Department of Security and Justice of the Canton of St. Gallen is committed through its diverse tasks to the safety of the population, a functioning rule of law, and social cohesion. The Office for the Enforcement of Sentences is part of the Department of Security and Justice and employs around 260 staff in various professional fields. Together, we open up new perspectives for people to live independently outside of crime and thus make an important contribution to a safe society.

The Youth Home Platanenhof is organisationally anchored as a main division within the Office for the Enforcement of Sentences. With around 85 employees, it supports juveniles and young adults placed under civil and criminal law according to socio-pedagogical principles and concepts. In both closed and open settings, new social, educational, and professional development perspectives are developed with the young people.

For our office, we are seeking as of 1 August 2027 or by agreement a

Head of Youth Home Platanenhof (m/f/d)

Workload: 80-100%

Workplace: Oberuzwil

What to expect

• You bear overall responsibility for the personnel, organisational, professional, and economic management of the Platanenhof
• You lead and develop your employees and promote a professional, appreciative, and binding collaboration
• You shape the strategic and operational further development of the Platanenhof and ensure contemporary structures, processes, and work concepts
• You ensure a high quality of offers and services and further develop these taking into account new professional findings and the needs of the referring authorities
• You are responsible for budget planning and compliance and ensure an economical and sustainable operation
• You represent the Platanenhof towards authorities, specialist offices, partner institutions, and other stakeholders and maintain a sustainable network
• You work closely with the office management, participate in relevant expert committees, and represent the Platanenhof, by agreement, also towards the public and media

What distinguishes you

• You have a master’s degree or a comparable higher education, preferably in social pedagogy, social work, psychology, pedagogy, or a related field
• You bring extensive, well-founded professional experience as well as several years of leadership experience, ideally in a complex institutional environment in the social, justice, education, or health sector
• You have proven leadership competence and experience in leading and developing employees and managers; corresponding leadership training is an advantage
• You think strategically and conceptually, recognise overarching connections, and develop organisation, offers, and structures proactively
• You are accustomed to assessing complex and interdisciplinary issues, developing sustainable solutions, and using your scope of action responsibly
• You combine high professional quality with organisational and economic thinking and make clear and comprehensible decisions even in demanding matters
• You convince as an integral, resilient, and communicative leadership personality and appear confident and binding towards employees, authorities, specialist offices, and other stakeholders

What we offer

• A versatile and responsible leadership role with high social relevance
• The opportunity to actively shape the future of the Platanenhof and its professional as well as organisational development
• A challenging and varied field of activity with high personal responsibility and short decision-making paths
• Close cooperation with the office management and a broad network of authorities and specialist offices as well as insight into the diversity of the Department of Security and Justice
• Attractive employment conditions and contemporary framework conditions of the Canton of St. Gallen

Ready for the next step? If we have aroused your interest and you would like to be part of the team, we look forward to receiving your application.