Business Development Manager Battery Management and Battery Testing

VITO Research; Belgique (MO); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible work location

International research environment

Job summary

VITO is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager for its Water & Energy Transition unit at Genk's EnergyVille campus. You will co-develop innovative products and services with industry partners and transfer technology to companies.

You will lead valorisation strategy, drive commercial action plans, support licensing and R&D proposals, and work closely with Lead Scientists, IP Management, and the Marketing team to bring technologies to market.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD degree in a relevant domain (e.g. engineering, energy, building & construction).
• Fluent in Dutch and English.
• Proven commercial experience in innovation or R&D valorisation.
• Able to analyse market and technology trends and customer needs and translate these into innovative solutions.
• Strategic thinker with CRM and key account management skills.
• Excellent communication and networking abilities to foster collaborations.

Responsibilities

• Familiarize yourself with technologies, competences and IP within the team and identify application areas.
• Follow-up contacts and contracts with industrial partners to mature tech to market.
• Register interactions with clients in the CRM system and monitor key accounts.
• Network actively to scout new contract research opportunities.
• Lead valorisation strategy and execute a roadmap and commercial action plans.
• Coordinate targeted marketing activities with scientists and central Marketing.
• Support R&D proposals and negotiate contracts.
• Assist in technology transfer and licensing with IP Management Office.
• Provide regular reporting on portfolio status to the Valorisation Director.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Customer relationship management

Key account management

Communication skills

Networking

Analytical mindset

Adaptability

Education

Master’s or PhD in engineering/energy/building

Job description

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 Battery Management and Battery Testing. 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.

• 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 valorisation of intellectual property.

• You can analyse 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.

• We highly value a good work-life balance at VITO. This is achieved by adopting a flexible attitude depending on your specific needs.