Incubation Manager – Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)

Introduction

About the TU/e Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO)
The TU/e Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) is the university’s hub for transforming scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. As part of its 2026–2030 strategy, KTO is evolving into a strategic ecosystem orchestrator, building integrated value chains and enabling high-impact deeptech ventures.
A core pillar of this strategy is the creation of a TU/e early-stage incubator and venture-building capability, bridging the gap from ideation to venture formation and connecting to leading external deeptech venture builders.

Job Description

Role: Incubation Manager (deeptech venture building)
We are looking for an experienced venture builder in deeptech who will design, launch, and manage TU/e’s early-stage incubator and orchestrate venture-building activities across internal and external partners.
This new position is pivotal to achieving TU/e’s ambition to become a European deeptech powerhouse, capable of producing 15–20 high-quality spin-offs annually and building a strong pipeline of scale-ups, while also serving as a central driver of KTO’s ambition to bridge the TRL gap, professionalize the spin-off funnel, and establish a high-throughput venture creation engine.
You will operate at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and investment, working closely with researchers, business developers, TU/e Participations, and leading European venture-building organizations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design & manage TU/e’s early-stage incubator

• Lead the set-up, development, and daily management of the TU/e incubator (from ideation to venture formation).
• Define and implement selection criteria, stage-gating, and program structure aligned with our KTO’s portfolio approach.
• Build a structured incubation journey including validation, team formation, business modelling, and readiness for venture-building programs.
• Ensure alignment with TU/e priority domains (energy, health, digital/semiconductors, advanced materials).

2. Venture building & external partnerships

• Orchestrate collaboration with leading Dutch and European venture-building partners.
• Prepare and position selected teams for external venture-building and acceleration programs.
• Co-develop joint programs, pipelines, and handover mechanisms with partners.
• Manage relationships with ecosystem partners, including corporates, investors, and EU networks.

3. TRL bridging & venture development

• Translate early-stage research into validated venture opportunities by guiding teams through TRL progression in close collaboration with our business developers.
• Support proof-of-concept, validation, and early market engagement activities.
• Ensure ventures are investment-ready, with clear value propositions, teams, IP positioning, and funding strategies.
• Connect teams to funding instruments (pre-seed, seed, EU programs).

4. Spin-off funnel & portfolio management

• Manage the early-stage spin-off funnel ("deal flow"), ensuring structured progression and quality control.
• Work with KTO colleagues to implement data-driven funnel management and selection mechanisms.
• Contribute to achieving KTO KPIs such as spin-off creation, venture-building participation, and capital attraction.
• Maintain clear handover to investment teams.

5. Entrepreneurial ecosystem & culture building

• Actively stimulate an entrepreneurial culture among researchers and students in close collaboration with KTO’s student incubator manager.
• Develop and deliver incubation programs, workshops, and venture-building support activities.
• Engage with faculties, institutes, and the Innovation Space to ensure strong deal flow and participation.
• Contribute to building incubation hubs close to research environments.

Job Requirements

Profile & requirements
Education & experience

• Master’s or PhD degree in engineering, science, or a related field.
• 7–12 years of experience in venture building, startup creation, or deeptech investment.
• Proven track record in building and scaling deeptech startups (founder, venture builder, or investor role).
• Experience with incubators, accelerators, or venture studios is strongly preferred.

Expertise
Strong affinity with:

• Deeptech venture creation and TRL bridging
• Startup validation methodologies (lean startup, customer discovery, etc.)
• Venture-building models and co-creation with external partners
• Early-stage financing (pre-seed/seed, public and private funding)
• Ecosystem orchestration and stakeholder management

Skills

• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong execution power
• Ability to translate scientific innovation into business opportunities
• Excellent stakeholder management and partnership-building skills
• Strong coaching and mentoring capabilities for early-stage teams
• Structured, data-driven, and able to manage complex pipelines
• Fluent in English (Dutch is a plus)

If you are concerned that you don’t meet all the requirements sufficiently, but the job does excite you, then be sure to respond, we would love to look at your profile.

Conditions of Employment

An exciting position within an international yet personal university. You are right in the middle of the students, on a green campus within walking distance of the central station. Besides beautiful architecture, you will find varied workplaces and excellent sports facilities. We also offer you:

• A monthly salary of minimum € 6,512 to maximum € 7,904 gross for full-time employment, depending on your knowledge and experience (scale 13 Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).
• In addition to vacation pay, a structural end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• A favorable arrangement for more holidays or a sabbatical.
• A selection model for additional fringe benefits.
• Working hours in consultation for an optimal work-life balance.
• Scope for your talent with advancement prospects and excellent development opportunities such as mentoring, workshops and coaching.
• Partially paid parental leave and reimbursement for commuting expenses, working from home and the internet.
• A generous employer contribution to the favorable ABP pension plan.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.

Here you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us

We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to have more information about the position, please contact the hiring manager Renato Calzone, [email protected].

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact HR Services via [email protected], or +31 40 247 2421.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

If you are interested, please use the ‘apply’ button to send us your CV and letter of application with your motivation and a description of your qualifications. Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.

Screening of candidates begins as soon as applications are received and continues until the position is filled. Where applicable, internal candidates will be given priority over external candidates where they are equally suitable.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Please note 

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Important for non-EU applicants: Please be aware that for this position, specific residence permit requirements apply. If you are a non-EU national, you may not be eligible to legally work in this role under current Dutch immigration regulations. We strongly advise you to contact our Staff Immigration Team ([email protected]) before applying to check your eligibility and to receive further guidance.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.