JOB DESCRIPTION

Are you passionate about turning cutting-edge research into real-world technological advancements? Do you excel at building bridges between scientific research and innovation? We are seeking a passionate Innovation Manager with some experience in deep tech innovation / business development to join our team and help drive the next generation of network technologies – quantum internet!
In this unique role, you will be working at QuTech, dedicating all your efforts to QIA, the Quantum Internet Alliance, a collaboration involving more than 40 industrial and academic organizations across Europe.
QIA’s mission is to build a global Quantum Internet by developing a full-stack prototype quantum internet network that validates all key subsystems. As a pioneering community dedicated to advancing a groundbreaking technology, QIA’s ambition extends beyond scientific leadership. The aim is to build an innovative European Quantum Internet ecosystem, capable of scaling all sub-systems to achieve world-leading European technology. In this regard QIA has launched the world’s first global quantum internet technology forum (QIATF) and is expanding its ecosystem further.
Find out more about QIA at https://quantuminternetalliance.org/
As Innovation Manager, you will support QuTech’ s Quantum Internet team and the QIA consortium in bringing technological advancements closer to real-world applications. You will identify innovation opportunities and help building strategies that connect research outcomes with future societal and industrial needs. Finally, you will grow collaborations with industry, academia, and key partners through QIATF.
This is a growth-oriented role, ideal for someone with (early) experience in deep tech innovation, technology transfer, or project support who is eager to develop into a quantum technologies senior innovation or business development career path.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the translation of QIA’s technological results from lab to potential real-world applications.
• Assist in identifying innovations with commercial and/or societal potential.
• Contribute to IP awareness, documentation, and early-stage capture in collaboration with researchers.
• Perform market and technology landscape scanning to monitor trends and competitors in relevant areas for QIA.
• Support the development of innovation and exploitation plans within the QIA programme.
• Maintain regular contact with QIA’s technical teams to stay updated on progress and emerging opportunities.
• Contribute to building and maintaining a consolidated innovation strategy for the consortium together with the QIA Innovation Team.
• Manage the QIATF membership and the QIA Technology Forum Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
• Expand QIATF by setting up new Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on relevant topics (e.g., network architecture, societal impacts and other relevant pre-standardization topics).
• Monitor and report on the impact of the QIATF activities to continuously improve the strategies in alignment with QIA vision and QIA’s technical teams.

REQUIREMENTS

Three or more years of experience in innovation management/support, project management /coordination, or technology transfer, preferably in a technical or academic setting.

• Experience with multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• Familiarity with large multi-actor and multidisciplinary R&D projects; experience with EU projects is a plus.
• Background or interest in engineering, computer science, or physics, with curiosity for quantum technologies is highly desired.
• Excellent networker, capable of maintaining long-term relationships and establishing new ones.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills, with enthusiasm for connecting science with innovation.
• Curious, proactive, and willing to learn.
• Strong communication skills in written and spoken English.

Dutch citizenship or a European working permit is required to apply

• Support the translation of QIA’s technological results from lab to potential real-world applications.
• Assist in identifying innovations with commercial and/or societal potential.
• Contribute to IP awareness, documentation, and early-stage capture in collaboration with researchers.
• Perform market and technology landscape scanning to monitor trends and competitors in relevant areas for QIA.
• Support the development of innovation and exploitation plans within the QIA programme.
• Maintain regular contact with QIA’s technical teams to stay updated on progress and emerging opportunities.
• Contribute to building and maintaining a consolidated innovation strategy for the consortium together with the QIA Innovation Team.
• Manage the QIATF membership and the QIA Technology Forum Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
• Expand QIATF by setting up new Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on relevant topics (e.g., network architecture, societal impacts and other relevant pre-standardization topics).
• Monitor and report on the impact of the QIATF activities to continuously improve the strategies in alignment with QIA vision and QIA’s technical teams