Principal (Planetary Health) - Ålborg

BioInnovation Institute (BII); København; On-site; DKK 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

BioInnovation Institute (BII) is seeking a Principal to lead the Planetary Health team and establish its presence in Aalborg. The role involves Building relationships with universities, incubators, and investors while identifying regional research projects and startups.

You will work across locations, drive local ecosystem engagement, and mentor colleagues, with English proficiency and autonomous work style as core requirements.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience across life science or deep tech commercialization.
• Experience sourcing or maturing early‑stage projects.
• Commercial eye to distinguish venture‑backable opportunities.
• Established network in Danish research and innovation ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Establish and deepen BII’s presence in the Ålborg/Jutland ecosystem.
• Represent BII in the region and collaborate with universities, tech transfer, and industry partners.
• Develop relationships with regional stakeholders and funders.
• Source and develop a pipeline of research‑stage projects and startups.
• Guide regional applicants through BII’s assessment and onboarding processes.
• Generate intelligence on regional activity and funding dynamics.
• Run day‑to‑day operations and improve internal processes.
• Provide support and coaching across the organization.

Skills

10+ years experience

Strategic partnership building

Stakeholder engagement

Networking within Danish ecosystem

Independent work

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Principal (Planetary Health) – Ålborg

Are you energized by connecting researchers, engineers, investors, and industry – and eager to turn bold science and deep tech into startups that tackle the planet’s biggest challenges? And do you want to help shape BII’s presence in the Danish innovation ecosystem? Then we might have the perfect opportunity at BioInnovation Institute, where we are looking for a Principal to join the Planetary Health team in our Venture Creation department and establish BII’s presence in Ålborg.

Your Opportunity to Join BII!

The BioInnovation Institute (BII) is a non‑profit foundation established by the Novo Nordisk Foundation in 2018. Its mission is to accelerate research and startups to bring forward bold solutions that improve human and planetary health. BII supports collaborative, interdisciplinary innovation across Life Sciences and Deep Tech, helping transform cutting‑edge research into viable companies so that new discoveries can deliver real impact for people and society.

As a Principal, you will become part of BII’s Planetary Health team – one of three specialist teams in our Venture Creation department, alongside Human Health and Quantum. With a regional mandate, you will represent BII in the Ålborg/Jutland ecosystem and work hand in hand with universities, tech transfer offices, the local science park and incubators, investors, and industry partners, while staying closely connected to your Venture colleagues across locations. You will identify promising research projects and early‑stage startups, bring them into BII’s programs and help define how BII supports innovation in the region.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Establish and deepen BII’s presence and support in the Ålborg/Jutland innovation ecosystem
• Act as BII’s representative in the region – take a seat in local committees, represent BII at events, and work closely with local business development and tech transfer functions
• Own, develop, and maintain meaningful relationships with key regional stakeholders, including university leadership and commercialization functions, departments and research groups, the local science park and incubator environment, regional funding agencies, investors, and industry partners
• Source and develop a pipeline of qualified research‑stage projects and early‑stage startups from the region against the entry criteria for BII’s funding programs
• Guide regional applicants through BII’s assessment and onboarding processes in collaboration with your colleagues in the Venture Creation department across different locations
• Generate intelligence on regional research activity, funding dynamics, and talent
• Run day‑to‑day operations, business activities, and internal processes within your field, and help optimize processes and approaches
• Provide support across the organization as well as professional sparring and coaching to colleagues

Professional & Personal Qualifications

Alongside a passion for deep tech innovation and planetary health, you ideally bring:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field
• 10+ years of relevant experience and a proven track record of supporting and/or driving the commercialization of life science and/or deep tech innovations – e.g., at a VC/investor, start‑up, accelerator or TTO
• Experience sourcing, assessing, or maturing early‑stage, research‑based projects towards spin‑out and investment, e.g., at universities, incubators, or accelerators
• A commercial eye for scientific and technical propositions and the ability to tell research projects apart from venture‑backable ones
• An established network in the Danish research and innovation ecosystem and the wider Scandinavian/EU area
• A genuine curiosity about deep tech and how it can create new solutions for planetary health – hands‑on deep tech experience is an advantage, but not a must
• Experience working autonomously away from a central team, with full ownership of outcomes
• Strong interpersonal skills, a talent for building good relationships, and a collaborative team spirit
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English

As BII’s Principal in Ålborg, you will be part of a growing team spanning Copenhagen, Århus, and our international hubs – so you are comfortable working independently and thrive on collaborating across locations.

Working at BII

At BII we offer a purpose‑driven community where science and innovation create meaningful change and impact in society. BII’s entrepreneurial environment is shaped and nurtured every day by our employees, start‑ups, and everyone who joins us in bringing science to life. This role offers a unique opportunity to join Europe’s largest innovation and incubation initiative within life sciences and deep tech.

BII is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Ole Maaløes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N. From Copenhagen, the Secretariat supports strategy, governance, and coordination across BII’s international activities.

The position is based in Ålborg, where you will drive BII’s presence in Jutland with a high degree of local autonomy, in close collaboration with the Venture Creation team.

Equal Opportunities

At BII, we believe innovation starts with people. As a community of changemakers, we believe the best ideas emerge when people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences come together around a shared purpose.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace built on equal opportunities, where everyone can thrive and where pay is fair, equitable, and based on the principle of equal pay for equal work. We welcome all applications regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or socio‑economic background.

Curious for more?

If you are curious to know more about the position, please contact Christan Brix, Director of the Planetary Health team, at [e-mail].

The interview process is expected to take place in November. The preferred start date is around January 2027; however, we are flexible and will consider individual notice periods and availability.