Business Development Manager Energy Systems & Building Construction

VITO; Winterslag; Hybride; EUR 60 000 - 80 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Competitive salary

Various extra-legal benefits

Flexibility in work location

Training and development opportunities

Healthy work-life balance initiatives

Résumé du poste

VITO in Belgium is seeking a Business Development Manager to support the commercialization of innovative technologies in the Water & Energy Transition unit. You will be responsible for co-developing products, managing partnerships, and overseeing technology transfer.

The ideal candidate holds a Master’s or PhD in a relevant field and is fluent in Dutch and English. A competitive salary and flexible work arrangements are offered, including opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a commercial role or business development.
• Familiarity with intellectual property protection and valorization.
• Ability to analyze market trends and customer needs.

Responsabilités

• Help bring technologies to market through co-development of products.
• Follow-up contacts with industrial partners to prepare contracts.
• Initiate and support targeted marketing activities.

Connaissances

Fluent in Dutch and English

Strategic thinking

Customer relationship management

Excellent communication and networking skills

Formation

Master’s or PhD in engineering, energy, or building & construction

Description du poste

VITO develops enabling technologies for a more sustainable economy, environment and society. At the EnergyVille campus in Genk, we closely collaborate with various industrial partners and our EnergyVille partners KU Leuven, Imec and UHasselt on, amongst others, heating & cooling systems and building & construction innovation. To support these activities, we are looking for an experience business development manager.

Job Description

As a Business Development Manager in the Water & Energy Transition unit you help to bring technologies being developed at VITO to the market. This is done by co-developing innovative products and services with companies and transferring technology and know-how to companies.

As a member of the Business Development Team you report directly to the Valorisation Director of the unit. You will mainly support the business development and commercial activities of two specific technology teams within the unit. You will gradually broaden your view on the technology portfolio of the unit and across different VITO units to explore synergies and potential R&D collaboration topics.

You will work closely together with the teams specialized in Heat Exchanger Design Optimisation and Building Envelope Design & Construction. You will support these teams by:

• Familiarizing yourself with the key technologies, competences and intellectual property within the team as well as the current application areas and related products and services.
• Following-up contacts and contracts with existing industrial partners together with the Lead Scientists and the team Program Manager to prepare follow-up contracts to bring the technology to a higher technology readiness level and finally to the market.
• Registering interactions with (potential) clients in the customer relationship management system and pro-actively monitoring of selected key accounts.
• Actively participating in in- & external networking activities to scout for new contract research opportunities in existing or new application areas.
• Taking the lead in the team valorisation strategy, defining, executing, and evaluating a valorisation roadmap and commercial action plans.
• Initiating and supporting targeted marketing activities for specific products or services together with the Lead Scientists and the central Marketing and Communications team.
• Coordinating the preparation of R&D proposals together with lead scientists and negotiating R&D contracts.
• Providing support in technology transfer and/or licensing negotiations in close collaboration with the central IP Management and Tech Transfer Office.
• Regular reporting of the status of the contract research portfolio and valorization tracks to the team and the Valorization Director.

Requirements

• You hold a master’s or PhD degree in a relevant domain (e.g. engineering, energy, building & construction).
• You are fluent in both Dutch and English.
• You have proven experience in a commercial (or closely related) role in innovation. Experience in a commercial, business development or valorisation role for R&D is a plus.
• You are familiar with protection and valorization of intellectual property.
• You can analyze market and technology trends and customers’ needs and translate these into innovative solutions (services, products).
• You are a strategic thinker with skills in customer relationship management and key account management.
• You can translate strategies into goals and concrete actions and plans.
• You enjoy working with colleagues from different fields and can adapt your style and way of working to the situation at hand.
• You have excellent communication and networking skills and are a promoter for internal and external collaborations.

Offer

• You will be part of a growing research organization with an international reputation, known for its cutting‑edge technological research and scientific based advice.
• You will contribute directly to sustainable developments at local, national and global level through breakthrough innovative applications. In this way, you help to provide answers to contemporary grand societal challenges.
• A competitive salary supplemented with various extra‑legal benefits including allowances, insurances and a modular holiday package.
• Innovation is our most important asset, so it goes without saying that we give our employees the opportunity to learn and further develop themselves both on the job and through training.
• We work ‘activity‑based’ within VITO. Your activities determine your work location, with your home office as a possible work location (e.g. 1 day a week). Work location in case of physical presence is mainly in Genk (EnergyVille) and only occasionally in our other offices.
• As a business development manager, you also spent a significant portion of your time (on average 1 to 2 days a week) on external events and company visits.
• At VITO, we place strong importance on maintaining a healthy work‑life balance. We actively support this by offering flexibility tailored to your individual needs.