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Corporate Engagement and Programs Lead

About EIT Digital

EIT Digital is a leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organisation driving Europe’s digital transformation. Our mission is to bring breakthrough digital innovations to the market and develop entrepreneurial talent to foster economic growth and improve the quality of life in Europe.

As a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), we integrate education, research, and business through a pan-European ecosystem comprising 350+ top European corporations, SMEs, startups, universities, and research institutes. EIT Digital is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups in the digital sector.

About the Role

EIT Digital is strengthening its corporate innovation and partnership initiatives to foster deeper engagement between large enterprises, SMEs, and startups within its ecosystem. The Corporate Engagement and Programs Lead will play a pivotal role in driving strategic corporate relationships, facilitating open innovation collaborations, and developing programs that enable corporate partners to leverage EIT Digital’s expertise in digital transformation and deep tech innovation.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead Corporate Engagement activities: Develop and execute an effective and integrated value proposition to engage corporates in EIT Digital activities in collaboration with EIT Digital ecosystem, innovation, education and unipreneurship teams.
  • Design and Implement Corporate Innovation Programs: Create and manage structured corporate acceleration, startup and scaleup scouting and open innovation initiatives that connect businesses with startups and scaleups in the EIT Digital ecosystem.
  • Drive the Growth of EIT Digital’s partnership: Expand EIT Digital’s network of corporate partners and members, identifying opportunities for collaboration in innovation, investment, and talent development.
  • Drive Corporate Participation in EIT Digital activities: Ensure corporates actively participate in EIT Digital activities such as the Open Innovation Factory and EU-funded projects (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, …), facilitating joint ventures, co-development projects, PoCs, and innovation challenges.
  • Manage the EIT Digital Corporate Innovation Club: pro-actively manage and grow the EIT Digital Corporate Innovation Club as a premier network for corporate innovation leaders. Build a trusted environment for sharing best practices, exploring collaborative innovation opportunities, and driving impactful partnerships within the EIT Digital ecosystem.
  • Enhance Startup/Scaleup-Corporate Collaboration: Bridge the gap between startups/scaleups and corporations by further developing the EIT Digital Open Innovation Factory and EIT Digital Champions into corporate collaboration frameworks that result in commercial agreements, sponsorships, joint ventures, or technology co-development.
  • Contribute to Growth Services and Equity Investments: Work in close collaboration with the Growth Services Team and Equity Portfolio Lead to align corporate engagements with investment and scaleup support.
     

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Increased Corporate Participation: Growth in the number of corporates engaged in EIT Digital programs.
  • Higher Revenue from Corporate Programs: Increase in corporate partnership contributions and monetisation of engagement activities.
  • Successful Startup-Corporate Collaborations: Growth in the number of corporate-startup partnerships leading to joint ventures, co-developments, and acquisitions.
  • Conversion rate: increase in the percentage of engaged corporates that transition into paid long-term strategic partnerships and memberships

Language Requirements

Fluency in English (written and spoken) is essential.

Additional European languages (French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German, Finnish, Swedish, or Hungarian) are a plus.

Travel Requirements

Frequent travel between EIT Digital’s European offices and Brussels HQ, as well as external engagements with corporate partners.

Location

Preferably at EIT Digital HQ in Brussels.

Other EIT Digital locations may be considered, provided there is easy access to key European innovation hubs.

Reporting Line

Reports to EIT Digital Chief Innovation and Education Officer.

Employment Type

Full-time position.

To apply

If you're passionate about digital transformation and want to contribute to Europe’s innovation leadership, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your resume and motivation letter to careers@eitdigital.eu outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. Only applications with a motivation letter will be considered.

Internal applications are encouraged and will be given priority. EIT Digital is actively building a talent pool for future opportunities, so we welcome applications from both internal and external candidates.

At EIT Digital, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Join us in shaping Europe’s digital future!

Applications should be submitted before 5pm CET March 31st, 2025.

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Co-Funded by the European Union