Associate Business Developer – R&D Innovation

Catalyze Group; Amsterdam-Duivendrecht; On-site; EUR 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Catalyze Group in Amsterdam is seeking an Associate Business Developer to help build a robust pipeline and connect innovators across LSH, GSI and IDT. You will identify and qualify potential clients, perform high‑volume outreach, and support senior teams in turning leads into partnerships.

This role suits recent graduates or early‑career professionals aiming to start a career in sales and business development within the R&D innovation ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or recent graduate.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Self‑driven and eager to learn in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Build and expand a network across LSH, GSI and IDT with innovators, researchers and industry leaders.
• Conduct high-volume outreach to potential clients and industry experts while maintaining quality.
• Identify, qualify and nurture high‑potential leads and opportunities.
• Develop a strong pipeline that can grow into partnerships over time.

Skills

Networking

Lead generation

Sales outreach

Relationship building

Prospecting

Education

Bachelor's degree or recent graduate

Tools

CRM systems

MS Excel

Job description

As an Associate Business Developer at Catalyze, you will build and expand a strong network of innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and industry leaders across our three key sectors:

• Life Sciences & Health (LSH)
• Green & Sustainable Innovations (GSI)
• Industrial & Digital Technologies (IDT)

Your primary focus will be identifying and qualifying potential clients, generating leads, and supporting our business development teams in building and maintaining long‑term relationships.

Success in this role requires curiosity, persistence and resilience. Not every conversation will lead to an immediate opportunity, but the relationships you build can develop into valuable partnerships over time.

Who we are

Catalyze Group helps innovators turn breakthrough ideas into real‑world impact. For more than 20 years, we have supported entrepreneurs, researchers and organizations in securing grants and financing, developing innovation strategies, and creating societal impact. To date, we have helped raise more than €2 billion in funding and built a global network of over 6,000 innovation projects and partners.

Alongside our consultancy activities, Catalyze Group includes Catalyze Capital, our investment fund, and Grantific, an AI‑powered platform that supports the full grant process.

"Join us in accelerating positive global impact”

About the role

As an Associate Business Developer, you will play a key role in strengthening our commercial pipeline by identifying and qualifying new leads among both prospective and existing clients.

This position is ideal for recent graduates and early‑career professionals who want to build a career in sales and business development within the R&D innovation ecosystem. You will work at the intersection of science, technology and business, engaging with innovations that can create new markets, transform industries, and address major societal and environmental challenges.

One day, you might speak with the CEO of a medtech startup developing a new medical device; the next, with a professor at a leading European university working on artificial intelligence.

The Associate Business Developer role offers a clear development path toward a Junior Business Developer position. As you develop in the role, you will have the opportunity to specialize in one of Catalyze’s key sectors: LSH, GSI or IDT. Together, we will determine which sector best matches your interests and strengths, while also considering Catalyze’s business and team needs.

You will join a team of talented, curious professionals from diverse backgrounds. With our in‑depth understanding of the funding landscape, we help clients position their innovations for funding and growth, enabling them to create positive change.

What you will do

• Build and expand a network of innovative companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, academic leaders and industry experts across LSH, GSI and IDT, including biotech, medtech, energy, climate, food, agriculture, quantum, security, space and advanced manufacturing.
• Conduct a high volume of targeted outreach to potential clients and industry experts, while maintaining a high standard of quality and relevance.
• Identify, qualify and nurture high‑potential leads, including opportunities among existing Catalyze clients.
• Develop a strong pipeline of leads that can grow into sales opportunities over time.```... ? ... Implicit early val? ?