Manager Ecosystem & Innovation

Are you a connector with a heart for societal challenges? Do you get energy from building networks in collaboration with a wide range of people and organizations in complex environments? Then we are looking for you.

As Manager Ecosystem & Innovation, you will further build a lively and visible campus community where companies, knowledge institutions, startups, students, government and social partners find each other and work together. You make sure the campus is more than a physical place. You build a strong network platform where innovation, talent, knowledge sharing and new partnerships take shape, in line with existing programs and communities in Brainport and across the Netherlands.

What will you do?

As Manager Ecosystem & Innovation, you build a strong and active ecosystem around smart, safe and sustainable mobility, automotive, artificial intelligence, testing, software, data and mobility-to-grid. You make sure companies, knowledge institutions, startups, scale-ups, students and governments find each other and bring new ideas and innovations to life together.

You energize the campus community by connecting residents, starting new partnerships and creating an attractive program that includes theme sessions, meetups, challenges, living labs, student projects and innovation programs. You turn strategic themes into concrete activities and projects that encourage knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration.

You build and maintain a broad network of knowledge and education institutions, companies, industry associations, development agencies and other partners. You also grow the startup and scale-up community on the campus, connecting young companies with know-how, investors, launching customers and relevant innovation programs. In this way, you create opportunities for new business activity, valorization and economic impact.

You are part of the Management Team and work closely with the managing director and the three other MT members, as well as with the members of your team, who are still to be recruited. Together, you strengthen the appeal of the campus, the tenant and startup community, and the visibility of the impact achieved on the campus. As a member of the Management Team, you hold overall responsibility for strategy, results, budget, stakeholder management and team development within your own domain.

You are visible, connecting and practical, with a can-do attitude. You see where the opportunities are, take initiative and know how to get people and organizations moving. You keep a close eye on what the community needs, as well as on the results and impact of your activities. You are one of the faces of the campus and tell our story with enthusiasm to all kinds of audiences: both large and small.

Who are you?

You are a connecting and entrepreneurial professional who gets energy from people, innovation and collaboration. You can bring different worlds together, from companies and startups to knowledge institutions, government and education, and you spot opportunities for new partnerships.

You are curious, visible and approachable. You take initiative, think in terms of possibilities and know how to turn ideas into concrete programs, projects and activities. You inspire others to join in and make sure plans actually get off the ground.

You also have:

• 5 to 10 years of relevant work experience in an environment where an ecosystem was built to test, validate and accelerate innovations, preferably related to mobility and/or energy and/or system integration
• experience supporting, investing in and further developing startups and scale-ups
• experience building and maintaining national and international networks
• an affinity with technological innovations, challenges and environments
• excellent communication skills in English and Dutch.

What we offer

You will work from our office on the Automotive Campus in Helmond, in the close vicinity of many of the companies, researchers and partners we work with. You will be part of a small team that is building the campus organization. You can take initiative and help shape how we work together and how the campus develops.

For this role, we offer 32 to 40 hours per week and a one-year contract, with the prospect of a permanent position. The salary is in line with the market and will be based on what you bring. We also offer pension contributions, holiday allowance, a laptop and phone, and an electric lease car for commuting and business travel.

Please apply by [date] via this link. Would you like to know more first? Then contact [name] at [contact details]. The first interviews will take place on [dates] in Helmond. The second interviews are planned for [dates] in Helmond. During the application process, we may ask you for references.

Please do not contact us for sales or recruitment services in response to this vacancy. We handle recruitment and selection ourselves.