Project Manager - Strategic Innovation – DTU Link

Danmarks Tekniske Universitet; Roskilde; Hybrid; DKK 520,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

DTU Skylab seeks a Project Manager to lead a two-year innovation initiative anchored at Risø DTU Link, collaborating with academia, startups, and industry across the water and environment domain.

You will oversee planning, finances, reporting, grants, and partner engagement, ensuring progress across multiple workstreams. Fluency in Danish and English, plus experience with public-private partnerships, is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in project management within innovation, research, or public-private partnerships.
• Background from the innovation ecosystem or higher education in a relevant field.
• Knowledge of business development & entrepreneurship.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall project planning and execution, including finances, reporting, and grant administration.
• Coordinate key community events and a final evaluation with external partners.
• Act as primary contact for participants, partners, and staff across academia and industry.
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Grant management

Funding applications

Strategic partnerships

Job description

Want to make an impact on the innovation agenda?

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager for an upcoming two-year innovation project. The main task is to oversee the progress and to facilitate the community of 15 new research and innovation projects led by different departments across DTU and our startup partners.

The job

DTU Skylab is looking for a Project Manager to drive a strategic innovation initiative within the water and environment domain in close collaboration with our partners at the Danish cluster for water and environment, CLEAN. This role will be anchored in DTU Skylab, with a primary base at DTU Link at Risø, a dynamic hub for innovation, test facilities, and collaboration between academia, startups, and industry.

As Project Manager, you will take ownership of a multi-stakeholder innovation project focused on water and environmental solutions. You will work at the intersection of strategy, partnerships, and execution - ensuring progress across activities, stakeholders, and funding streams.

You will play a key role in strengthening the innovation ecosystem at DTU Link and contributing to the broader Risø Gateway strategy and positioning. Read more about Risø Gateway www.risoe.dk.

Key responsibilities:

Project leadership & administration

• Lead the overall planning and execution of the innovation project, including finances, reporting, and grant administration
• Plan and execute key community events
• Coordinate a final project evaluation with an external partner (e.g., COWI or similar)

Stakeholder management

• Act as the primary point of contact for project participants, partners, CLEAN cluster and DTU staff
• Maintain strong relationships across academia, industry, and cluster partners

Fundraising & business development

• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities

Our expectations of you

We are looking for a structured and proactive project manager who thrives in a collaborative and innovation-driven environment.

You likely have:

• Experience in project management, preferably within innovation, research, or public-private partnerships
• Relevant background from the innovation ecosystem or higher education in a relevant field
• Knowledge about or understanding of business development & entrepreneurship
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to work across diverse organizations
• Experience with funding applications and grant management
• Interest in, or knowledge of water, environment, or sustainability
• Fluency in oral Danish and English

You are:

• Organized and able to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Comfortable taking ownership and driving initiatives forward
• Collaborative and relationship-oriented
• Motivated by creating impact through innovation.

What we offer

• A central role in shaping innovation activities at DTU Link and Risø Gateway, together with a small team of colleagues, researchers from DTU, and 20-25 startups sharing the same office environment with you
• Close collaboration with leading actors within water, environment, and sustainable energy
• A dynamic and informal working environment at DTU Skylab in Lyngby
• Opportunity to work at the forefront of innovation ecosystems and partnerships
• A two-year contract for the duration of the project

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for academic staff employed in technical-administrative positions at DTU (AC TAP): www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures.

The position is a full-time position and the employment is set for two years (the duration of the project) with a start date of 1 November 2026 or according to mutual agreement.

The workplace is DTU Risø Campus near Roskilde, located in a beautiful setting at Roskilde Fjord. It is to be expected that a few days each month will be spent at DTU Skylab in Lyngby.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

Location

Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

Apply Before

2026-09-17T21:59:00+00:00

DTU Skylab At DTU Skylab, the convergence of technologies and talent from different fields, combined with an entrepreneurial mindset, creates a unique culture of learning and innovation for everyone involved in our community. We offer soft funding, business acceleration, prototyping, and a space to grow for deep tech start-ups and pre-start-up projects. DTU Skylab also hosts many extra-curricular events and programs initiated by our staff and wider community.

DTU Skylab is located at the main DTU Campus in Lyngby and is housed in a facility of 5500 square meters, complete with labs, workshops, auditoriums, open spaces, and project rooms. We are a cross-disciplinary learning environment used by various institutes at DTU.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829 DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.