Venture Acceleration Manager

What you will do

As Venture Acceleration Manager, you are the business coach, and trusted advisor for a portfolio of start-ups and scale-ups supported by imec.istart. You will interact with different innovative stakeholders within imec.istart’s dynamic community and help spread our entrepreneurial message within Belgium and beyond. 

About imec.istart 
We believe entrepreneurship and technology can create long lasting and sustainable change for the better. Our mission is to support transformational tech entrepreneurs when they’re ready to take the plunge into entrepreneurship to create cutting-edge and innovative products that will disrupt local and global industries. We do that through a world-renowned coaching program backed by imec, a globally recognized leader in research and development based in Belgium. In addition, we provide startups with catalytic capital and access to our network of local and international investors to help them soar to new heights.  

imec.istart was launched in 2011 in Belgium as one of Europe’s first startup accelerators. Twelve years later, we are a globally recognized program with a portfolio of over 270 startups and scaleups, including an exhaustive partner and mentor network.  

Read more about imec.istart on https://www.imecistart.com/en

• You will be part of the imec.istart team, on a mission to scale tech start-ups. 
• You will screen and help select potential imec.istart candidates, especially the ones in the Walloon region. 
• You will coordinate, negotiate and administer the necessary agreements between imec.istart and your portfolio of startups  
• You will be the day-to day coach for (deep)tech start-ups supported by the imec.istart acceleration program, as part of the team of venture acceleration managers. It entails (but is certainly not limited to) helping ‘your’ startups with frequent sparring, needs analysis, ad-hoc troubleshooting, and connecting to other relevant internal and external stakeholders. 
• You will help create positive publicity for the imec.istart acceleration program. 
• You will inspire, encourage, and stimulate people to become entrepreneurs and get started with their tech start-up. 
• You will represent imec.istart in the local (Liège and Walloon) and international landscape and collaborate with the various partners of imec.istart. 
• You will build relationships with local and international partners and contribute to the setup and execution of projects with these partners, always with tech start-ups as the common thread. 
• The headquarters of imec is located in Leuven. The imec.istart team has its principal offices in Antwerp and Ghent, and your base will be La Grand Poste in Liège. 

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• You work and think at Master level. 
• You have at least 7 to 15 years of relevant work experience, preferably in an entrepreneurial environment. 
• Experience in running a start-up is definitely a plus. 
• Experience in the Liège and/or Walloon tech start-up ecosystem is a superplus. 
• You have good communication skills with excellent knowledge of English and French. Knowledge of Dutch is recommended. 
• You have a genuine interest in and understanding of advanced technologies, innovation, and business. 
• You have experience with (or an eager interest in learning about) sales and marketing, finance, legal and governance matters in a startup context. 
• You are a natural and enthusiastic networker, as well as a bridge-builder between key stakeholders. 
• You are a true team player and have experience working in a multidisciplinary team. At the same time, you thrive on working independently and taking initiative, and
• you are not scared of the prospect of being imec.istart’s main representative in the Liège area. 
• You combine a hands-on approach with a helicopter view and achieve goals in an efficient manner. 
• You are looking for a job with variety, as an employee in a stimulating environment.