Industry and Partnerships Manager

Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium; Portugal; Hybrid; EUR 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible remote work

International environment

Professional development

Job summary

MIRRI-ERIC, based in Portugal, seeks an Industry and Partnerships Manager to drive engagement with industry, build collaborations and shape services that leverage MIRRI-ERIC’s microbial resources and expertise. You will coordinate with European partners and manage knowledge transfer initiatives to strengthen the bioeconomy.

The role combines business development with European project coordination, reporting to the Executive Director, and offers hybrid work within Portugal with a focus on

Qualifications

• MSc in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or similar.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with industry stakeholders and supporting collaborative research or innovation activities.
• Ability to understand scientific and technical needs and translate them into opportunities for collaboration.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.
• Experience coordinating activities, maintaining stakeholder information and tracking follow-up actions.
• Excellent written and spoken English (minimum C1 level).
• Excellent communication with scientific, technical, managerial and business audiences.
• Strong organisational, coordination and planning skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite or similar.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to industry engagement activities, with SMEs and biotech/biomanufacturing sectors.
• Map the industrial ecosystem to identify stakeholder needs and collaboration opportunities.
• Establish and maintain relationships with companies, industry associations and networks.
• Identify opportunities to increase awareness and use of MIRRI-ERIC resources among industry users.
• Investigate barriers to access and contribute to improved access arrangements.
• Develop tailored services and partnership models responding to industrial needs.
• Prepare and organise the European Industry Engagement Workshop with stakeholders across Health and Food Safety, Agrofood Security, Environment and Energy.
• Support Knowledge Transfer Programme development and pilot collaborations with industry.
• Coordinate interactions between industrial partners and MIRRI-ERIC members and service providers.
• Document outcomes and contribute to industry engagement case studies and policy recommendations.
• Contribute to training materials to strengthen industry engagement skills.

Skills

Industry engagement

Stakeholder management

Communication

Negotiation

Project coordination

English (C1)

Education

MSc Life Sciences

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM software

Job description

Organisation/Company Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number 101292674 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? Yes

Offer Description

Job Announcement

Industry and Partnerships Manager

Horizon Europe Project MIRRI-FIRM

Contract duration: Up to 4 years (including a 180-day probation period)

Contract type: Uncertain term contract, funded by the Horizon Europe project MIRRI-FIRM (Grant Agreement No. 101292674)

Working time: Full-time

Location: MIRRI-ERIC Headquarters (Braga, Portugal), with the possibility of hybrid work within Portugal

Salary: 30.000€-45000€: according to academic record and career path

Applicable legislation: Portuguese Labour Code and applicable Portuguese legislation.

Work Authorisation & Relocation: Applicants must hold the legal authorisation required to work in Portugal before appointment. MIRRI-ERIC does not provide visa sponsorship, work permit assistance or relocation support.

About MIRRI-ERIC

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (MIRRI-ERIC) is a pan-European distributed Research Infrastructure that connects leading microbial domain Biological Resource Centres (mBRCs), culture collections, universities and research organisations.

MIRRI-ERIC provides coordinated access to high-quality microbial resources, associated data and expertise, supporting research and innovation in biotechnology, health, agriculture, food systems, environmental sustainability and the circular bioeconomy. By promoting harmonised standards, quality management and FAIR data principles, MIRRI-ERIC contributes to scientific excellence and Europe's competitiveness in biotechnology.

About MIRRI-FIRM

MIRRI-FIRM is a Horizon Europe project that will strengthen and expand MIRRI-ERIC as Europe's reference Research Infrastructure for microbial resources.

The project will modernise the European microbial resource landscape by:

• strengthening the operational capacity and governance of MIRRI-ERIC and its national nodes;
• improving interoperability and FAIRness of microbial resource data and catalogues;
• harmonising quality management across microbial Biological Resource Centres;
• promoting environmentally sustainable operations;
• expanding collaboration with new Member States, Associated Countries and international partners;
• increasing engagement with industry and other stakeholders;
• reinforcing user services, long-term sustainability and resilience.

Position Summary

MIRRI-ERIC is seeking an experienced, proactive and highly motivated Industry and Partnerships Manager to support the implementation of the Horizon Europe project MIRRI-FIRM, with a primary focus on industry engagement, partnership development, knowledge transfer and improving industrial access to MIRRI-ERIC's resources, expertise and services.

The ideal candidate combines a Life Sciences background with experience in industry R&D and innovation.

The position will focus on the:

development and implementation of an industry strategy plan for MIRRI-ERIC aiming strengthening relationships with industry, particularly startups and SMEs in the biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors; identifying industrial needs and barriers to accessing research infrastructure services; facilitating collaborations between industrial users and MIRRI-ERIC; and supporting knowledge transfer and the development of services that respond to industrial needs.

restructuring and implementing a strategy partnerships plan to consolidate and develop new European and international collaborations. Such strategy shall identify synergies with other research infrastructures and innovation networks, and other scientific and societal organisations.

supporting the development and implementation of a MIRRI-ERIC Exploitation Plan and the identification of opportunities to promote the sustainable use of its resources.

The role combines industry-facing business development and stakeholder engagement with European project implementation and coordination. It requires the ability to build productive relationships, understand the needs of scientific and industrial stakeholders, coordinate activities across an international consortium, and translate project objectives into practical outcomes that strengthen MIRRI-ERIC's long-term sustainability and socioeconomic impact.

The position reports to the Executive Director of MIRRI-ERIC and unfolds in collaboration with the MIRRI-FIRM project team.

Main Responsibilities

The successful candidate, among others, will:

• Contribute to the implementation of industry engagement activities, with particular attention to SMEs and organisations in biotechnology, biomanufacturing and related sectors.
• Support the mapping of the industrial ecosystem to identify stakeholder needs, technological bottlenecks, knowledge gaps and opportunities for collaboration.
• Establish and maintain relationships with companies, industrial associations, innovation networks, technology developers and other relevant stakeholders, including organisations such as EuropaBio and the European Enterprise Network.
• Identify opportunities to increase awareness, accessibility and use of MIRRI-ERIC's microbial resources, expertise and existing services among industrial users.
• Investigate barriers to industrial access to MIRRI-ERIC services and contribute to recommendations for improving access arrangements, service relevance and user experience.
• Support the development of tailored services and partnership models that respond to industrial needs and contribute to research, development and innovation in the bioeconomy.
• Contribute to the preparation and organisation of the European Industry Engagement Workshop, including stakeholder outreach, thematic session planning and engagement with industrial representatives across the domains of Health and Food Safety, Agrofood Security, and Environment and Energy.
• Support the development and implementation of the Knowledge Transfer Programme, including the identification and facilitation of pilot collaborations with industrial partners across MIRRI-ERIC's three scientific domains.
• Coordinate, where assigned, interactions between industrial partners and the relevant MIRRI-ERIC members, scientific experts and service providers to explore the feasibility, risks and expected impact of proposed collaborations.
• Document outcomes and lessons learned from industry engagement activities and contribute to the preparation of industry engagement case studies, policy recommendations and other project outputs.
• Contribute to training activities and materials designed to strengthen industry engagement skills within MIRRI-ERIC and its network.

Essential Qualifications

Applicants should have:

• an MSc in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or similar.
• demonstrated experience building relationships with industry stakeholders and supporting collaborative research or innovation activities;
• the ability to understand scientific and technical needs and translate them into opportunities for collaboration;
• strong communication, stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills;
• experience coordinating activities, maintaining stakeholder information and tracking follow-up actions;
• excellent written and spoken English (minimum C1 level);
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with scientific, technical, managerial and business audiences.
• Strong organisational, coordination and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities and deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite or similar and familiarity with digital collaboration tools.

Desirable Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• at least 3 years of professional experience in bioindustry;
• experience in biotechnology, microbiology or sectors using microbial resources, including health, agriculture, food or environmental applications;
• experience in technology transfer, research commercialisation or business development within the life sciences;
• an established understanding of industry innovation ecosystems and research–industry collaboration;
• experience preparing collaborative project proposals or participating in European-funded R&D projects;
• knowledge of intellectual property, confidentiality and contractual issues in research partnerships;
• experience organising international workshops, matchmaking activities or industry events;
• familiarity with customer relationship management tools and methods for measuring partnership outcomes;
• awareness of the European Roadmap of research infrastructures.

Personal Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• integrity, professionalism and discretion in handling commercially sensitive information;
• confidence in engaging industry stakeholders and building trusted relationships;
• initiative and persistence in developing opportunities and following through on commitments;
• scientific curiosity and the ability to connect research capabilities with practical industry needs;
• clear communication and an ability to work with scientific and business audiences;
• strong organisation, attention to detail and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving;
• teamwork and adaptability in multidisciplinary and international environments.

What We Offer

MIRRI-ERIC offers:

• the opportunity to connect a European Research Infrastructure with industry R&D and innovation and the European Research Infrastructures ecosystem;
• participation in MIRRI-FIRM and its activities to strengthen industry engagement, international partnerships and long-term sustainability;
• an international, collaborative and multidisciplinary working environment;
• opportunities for professional development in research partnerships and life science innovation;
• flexible working arrangements, including the possibility of partial remote work from Portugal;
• the opportunity to work with reference mBRCs, researchers and industry stakeholders across Europe;
• remuneration and working arrangements as specified in the confirmed position details.

Selection Procedure

Applications will be evaluated based on academic qualifications, relevant professional experience, demonstrated competencies and motivation for the position. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview, online or at MIRRI-ERIC Headquarters. The interview will also assess industry engagement, partnership development and communication skills in addition to soft skills.

Data Protection

MIRRI-ERIC processes applicants' personal data solely for the purposes of managing this recruitment procedure and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). Personal data will be accessed only by individuals involved in the recruitment process and retained for the period necessary to complete the procedure and fulfil applicable legal obligations.

Hearing of the candidates

After notification of the results, candidates will have 10 working days to comment.

MIRRI-ERIC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Applications are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.

In accordance with applicable Portuguese legislation, candidates with disabilities will be given preference in cases of equal ranking. Applicants wishing to benefit from this provision should indicate the degree of disability and any specific requirements for the recruitment process.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium Country Portugal City Braga Geofield