Head of ecosystem innovation projects (m/f) / Luxinnovation

Full-time permanent contract, ref. : HOEIP

Are you interested in carrying out a mission at the national innovation agency in order to contribute to Luxembourg’s economic development through innovation ? Are you willing to join a professional, multidisciplinary, dynamic, and human-sized organisation ? Then this job opportunity is for you !

Reporting to the CEO and working closely with our Business Relationship Management team, you will be responsible for the structuring, planning, development and implementation of ecosystem innovation projects, which are multidisciplinary and bring together academic, industry and government experts from various fields to tackle real-world problems, incorporate current technologies and practices and challenge the participants beyond their regular fields of operation. You will be responsible for building and managing a team of project managers.

We are looking for an English and French-speaking holistic thinker with a proven track record in structuring large projects and leading project teams, excellent interpersonal skills and in-depth understanding of the Luxembourg ecosystem composed of public and private players.

Responsibilities

Update Luxinnovation’s idea-to-ecosystem project process :

• Develop a comprehensive framework for turning ideas into concrete plans in order to generate viable ecosystem innovation projects in close collaboration with the Luxinnovation team and other stakeholders. This should include clear guidelines for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and closure. The framework should be flexible enough to accommodate the requirements of each project, while maintaining consistency in the way flagships projects are managed across the organisation and with multiple stakeholders
• Create a process to collect feedback from companies and project ideas that have been identified by the Luxinnovation team and governmental departments

Management of the ecosystem innovation project portfolio :

• Project initiation, scoping and methodology : With your team, collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including governmental departments, industry partners, research organisations and internal team members to define projects’ scope, objectives and success criteria. Assess and check the projects’ feasibility, level of impact and alignment with Luxembourg’s national strategic economic priorities. Prepare a business case for each project and evaluate the legal and financial options. Use your expertise to choose the right methodology to implement projects and define work packages and milestones to ensure a structured and systematic approach. This includes setting clear timelines, assigning responsibilities and establishing detailed project plans that will guide the team towards successful project completion
• Project execution and follow-up : With your team, carry out and facilitate the execution of flagship projects. Monitor the projects’ progress and ensure effective and regular communication
• Risk assessment and mitigation : Identify potential risks and propose strategies to mitigate them. Anticipate challenges and adapt as needed
• Monitoring and reporting : With your team, implement robust monitoring mechanisms. Regularly track project progress, milestones and key performance indicators and input them into Luxinnovation’s information system. Prepare concise reports for stakeholders

Team management

• Optimise resource allocation while balancing competing priorities
• Plan and organise the daily work of your team
• Ensure an efficient and structured allocation of resources
• Supervise, provide training and support the development of the team members under your responsibility
• Evaluate their annual performance and work closely with HR to define learning & development plans
• Ensure smooth communication and information sharing with the CEO
• Execute administrative management tasks (validations, leaves, home office, reporting, etc.)

Skills and qualifications

Qualifications and experience

• Master’s degree in business administration, project management or a related field
• At least 10 years of experience in managing complex projects in the private sector and with the public sector
• Experience in legal and financial structuring of entities such as GIE, non-profit organization, SIS, etc.
• At least 5 years of experience in resource management (time, budgets) and team management

Technical and interpersonal skills

• Certified project manager with proficiency in project management software tools, methodologies and best practices
• Structured mindset with strong organisational skills
• Ability to manage complex situations with tact and thoughtfulness, pragmatism and common sense, excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Proactive in identifying potential contentious issues, seeking and implementing solutions
• Ability to work under pressure and handle multiple projects simultaneously

Mindset is key

• Self-motivated person with a proactive behaviour, commitment, work ethic, open to change and critical thinking ; you are action and result-oriented
• You are open-minded, collaborative, curious, eager to learn and develop, customer and people-centric, humble and leading by example

Language skills

• Proficiency in French and English. Luxembourgish and German are an advantage

Why choose this position ?

• This newly created position is an excellent opportunity to apply and pass on your knowledge and experience in a publicly funded and human-sized organisation, driven by a sense of purpose.
• You will bring a key contribution to the organisation on a wide range of strategic projects, with the possibility to put in place sensible, grounded and long-term actions and initiatives.
• You will contribute to building strong solutions for Luxembourg’s innovation ecosystem.
• You will be in contact with multiple private and public stakeholders and will have numerous opportunities to learn and grow.

If you are interested in joining us, please submit your application online in English. Any question ? Do not hesitate to contact Emilie Zimer, our HR Director (emilie.zimer@luxinnovation.lu).