Senior Advisor Risk and Quality Management

Do you like to further professionalise quality and compliance processes? Do you also want to continuously strengthen the improvement cycle? Do you want to work in a risk-driven way, with processes that fit SURF's innovation-driven way of working? Do you devise a continuous improvement process based on a structure, methodology and integrated approach across various disciplines, such as privacy and security? Then we are looking for you!

Where you will work

SURF is the IT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research.

As a senior advisor risk and quality management consultant, you are crucial in finding this balance. You will build on the strong foundations that are already there. In addition, you bring coherence and structure without increasing regulatory pressure.

The team you will join

You will work within the Quality & Risk team: for us, the word quality is the positive explanation of compliance. As SURF, we arrange things neatly because we want to (quality), not because we have to (compliance). This team consists of 12 people: all 2nd-line officers in the fields of security, privacy, AI and CSR. Our supervisor is cooperating foreman: this person is responsible for integral risk management within SURF and steers an integral quality approach.

SURF has grown rapidly in recent years; processes have not grown with it. The approach for 100-150 employees does not fit over 600 people. Per discipline (e.g. security and privacy) the processes have been greatly improved and strengthened, but an integral approach to quality and compliance is lacking. Reinforcement is needed and that is why we are looking for you!
Whoever works at SURF works at a unique and open organisation. You notice this in everything: the structure of the organisation, the set-up of the project teams, the culture at our offices and the mutual atmosphere. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and takes a flexible approach to work-life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents in the best and broadest way possible.

What you will do

You take responsibility for an integrated, methodical approach to quality and risk management. You choose one appropriate framework and organize a PDCA cycle with the business. You are also the linking-pin to the 1st-line and, for example, the portfolio committee. Other team members are experts in their domain (e.g. security and privacy), but you can keep up on all topics and oversee the overlap. You coordinate management and steering information as part of a structured PDCA approach. You set up a dashboard for this, possibly using existing systems. In this way, you provide the responsible management with an integral overview and steer risk-based working. The manager of the team is the central risk manager for SURF and you will therefore work together on this.

What else you will be involved in

• You will set up a methodical approach to risk and quality management;
• You set up a structured management dashboard for quality;
• You are the linking pin to portfolio management;
• You are advisor to management and sparring partner for the business (product managers, team heads, etc.);
• You connect different disciplines (security, privacy, etc.) into one coherent approach.

Your skills and experience

• You are involved in many different topics; you come along well on all of them. In addition, you have an affinity with compliance topics such as security, privacy and AI.
• You have experience in setting up and managing a risk and quality management system (such as COBIT, ISO-9001, ISO 3100, ISO 27001, etc.) and are pragmatic in your approach. In short, you develop a working method appropriate to SURF and do not blindly apply a theoretical method.
• You can communicate at different levels and in different ways: you advise boards and management as well as sitting down with departmental Product Managers and advising them on how to apply quality processes.
• You are not stuck in theoretical models, but are also a hands-on type who sets up the quality system and, for example, the dashboard yourself;
• You have demonstrable experience in an innovative IT organization;
• You have a pragmatic attitude: you can adapt methodologies to the organizational culture.

Prior to starting this job, a VOG must be presented.

SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.