Quartermaster Red Carpet programme for Lifeport Welcome Center Arnhem Nijmegen Region
Temporary assignment | public-private partnership
Lifeport in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region faces a major labour market challenge. Employers, educational institutions and public authorities are increasingly seeking ways to attract international talent and retain it in the region in the long term. At the same time, initiatives and services are still organised in a fragmented manner.
That is why the municipalities of Arnhem and Nijmegen are working together with The Economic Board on the next phase of the Lifeport Welcome Centre (LWC): a regional approach in which public services, employer services and community building come together in a single, strong ecosystem for various target groups of international talent.
For this next phase, we are looking for a Project Initiator for the Rode Loper programme who can turn vision into concrete results.
The mission
In 2025, a decision was taken at board level to adopt a growth model in which a basic service (‘one-stop-shop’) is combined with a supplementary ‘red carpet’ programme, aimed at the onboarding and long-term retention of international students and (knowledge) workers in the region. The pioneering phase is dedicated to fleshing out, validating and implementing this approach.
The assignment comprises two interrelated parts:
- Developing and implementing
You will work with local authorities, employers, educational institutions and regional partners on:
- a specific range of services for international employees and employers; at this stage, you will be in frequent contact with employers and employer representatives to identify their needs;
- a workable governance and organisational model;
- a long-term funding proposal (public/private);
- a clear positioning of the Lifeport Welcome Centre within the region.
- Implementation and validation
In addition, you will ensure visible progress in practice:
- You will secure the commitment of employers and partners;
- You will carry out at least two components of a pilot project within the ‘Red Carpet’ programme;
- You will link existing initiatives and networks;
- You will set up monitoring systems and success indicators.
You will work on behalf of the core team, comprising the municipalities of Arnhem and Nijmegen and The Economic Board.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for an experienced project initiator or programme manager who is comfortable operating in a complex public-private environment.
You will have:
- experience at the intersection of the labour market, economic development and international talent issues;
- demonstrable experience in public-private partnerships;
- the ability to translate strategy into concrete action;
- strong skills in stakeholder management and reconciling diverse interests;
- experience in developing proposals, ecosystems or new forms of collaboration with employers, the education sector and government;
- the ability to operate independently whilst demonstrating administrative sensitivity.
Experience with international talent issues, expat services, human capital or regional collaboration is an advantage.
What are the objectives of the assignment?
The pilot phase has resulted in, amongst other things:
- a comprehensive range of services;
- a proposal for governance and organisational structure;
- a validated funding model;
- demonstrable employer participation;
- a working pilot with initial visible results.
The project will be carried out in phases with clear go/no-go milestones.
Context of the assignment
Lifeport Arnhem-Nijmegen Region now employs over 23,000 international workers. In addition, the region sees a strong influx of international students through institutions such as Radboud University, HAN University of Applied Sciences and ArtEZ. These groups are essential to the region’s economic development, but are not yet sufficiently and systematically connected to employers and to the region as a whole.
The Lifeport Welcome Centre is set to evolve into a cohesive regional approach in which service provision, onboarding, employer support and community building reinforce one another.
Practical information
- Temporary assignment / start-up phase (approximately 6–9 months)
- Hybrid deployment in the Arnhem–Nijmegen region
- Project commissioned by the municipalities of Arnhem, Nijmegen and The Economic Board
- Start date: 1 July 2026 or earlier if possible
Interested?
Please send a brief covering letter and your relevant profile/CV to r.bouwman@theeconomicboard.com by 3 June at the latest.
For specific enquiries, please contact Marie-José Dilweg at Nijmegen City Council on 06 5015 1306 or Laura Schutter at Arnhem City Council on 06 3111 4843.