Vacancy | Senior Manager Strategic Relations

Are you an enthusiastic, professional networker that believes in the power of biotech to create a more sustainable world?    

Planet B.io is looking for a Senior Manager Strategic Relations to support and grow our community of start-ups, scale-ups, and corporates in the biotech and foodtech sector. 

We offer: 

• A versatile and challenging position with full responsibility of all strategic relations and partnerships that Planet B.io has built and will build. Creating partnerships is a core activity of Planet B.io; they are crucial to bring value to our community. Our relationships are diverse and comprise companies, service providers, financing organizations, knowledge institutes, NGOs and public parties.
• A great working culture in a small, action-oriented team of purpose-driven colleagues in an ambitious organization, allowing you to make an impact in the biotech sector. 

About Planet B.io

At Planet B.io we believe that modern biotechnology offers unique solutions for the transition into a sustainable, bio-based and circular society. The purpose of Planet B.io is to support biotech companies to successfully innovate and grow. We offer two main services:  we build a local community of biotech organizations at the Biotech Campus Delft, where we offer labs and offices, shared facilities, space to grow and produce, and a vibrant community. Secondly, we build a global network of a wide variety of organizations that offer services that support our community.     
The motto of Planet B.io is Collaboration for Impact. Our activities range from scouting interesting companies, organizing events, facilitating financial support (subsidies and investments), leveraging a network of scientific, technical and business support. 

Planet B.io is a non-profit, impact-oriented triple helix organization, founded in 2020 by dsm-firmenich, TU Delft, Municipality of Delft, Province of South Holland, and InnovationQuarter. We are a team of 8 people, highly driven by doing the right thing to create true impact. Our success is not measured by profit, but by the success of the development of the biotech sector, with Delft as a unique homebase with a bright future.  

Planet B.io is located at the Biotech Campus Delft, a unique location that has been a center of excellence for industrial biotech since 1869. Today, about 1200 people and 22 biotech companies are present at the campus, varying from corporates (dsm-firmenich, Centrient) to scaleups to startups. There is also a pilot plant on campus and greenfield for new production facilities. Since 2023, a partnership with ASR Dutch Science Park Fund has secured a bright future for the Biotech Campus Delft with the intention to invest €500 million in new lab and office buildings in the coming 20 years. Planet B.io is responsible for developing the local community at the Biotech Campus Delft and connecting it to the (inter)national biotech ecosystem.

About the position 

You are responsible for managing existing, and building new, strategic, external relations and partnerships of Planet B.io, with the aim of enhancing the growth of our companies and attracting new companies to the Biotech Campus Delft. Creating value-adding partnerships is a key success factor for Planet B.io to support the successful growth of our biotech community.

You’ll report to the Managing Director, and you will be part of the Management Team. 

Your job consists of the following activities:

1. Manage external relations:

• Assure an excellent relationship with our principal partners (dsm-firmenich, Dutch Science Park Fund, TU Delft, Municipality of Delft, Province of South Holland, and InnovationQuarter). Investigate collaboration opportunities for both Planet B.io itself, and for our community. Collaboration opportunities range from co-organizing events, joining innovation programs, connecting with funding opportunities, etc.
• Manage (existing and new) relationships with organisations that support companies in their business growth, e.g. investors, experts, or service providers. 
• Manage (existing and new) relationships with other networking organizations, e.g. ecosystem builders, campuses and NGOs.
• Manage (existing and new) relationships with parties that stimulate entrepreneurship e.g. TTO’s, incubators, and accelerators.  
• Manage (existing and new) relationships with relevant companies.
• Manage (existing and new) relationships with knowledge institutes and authorities.

2. Build a partnership strategy assuring maximal value for our external partners and for our community. 

• Organise a structured way of working with our external relations.
• Assess how partnerships can contribute to the future business model of Planet B.io.
• Investigate most interesting international partners to collaborate with.

3. Contribute to the success of our community and the Planet B.io organisation:

• Building a valuable community for both Delft-based and external community members. Collaborate with Planet B.io’s Business Developer, and with the Communication & Community Manager in scouting, lectures and events, new programs etc.
• Coach the team members that execute projects with external partners.
• Contribute to the strategic discussions to secure a successful future of Planet B.io organisation.

Your profile

• University (HBO or WO) degree, at least 5 years of experience.
• Experience and proven track record in professional networking, closing partnerships, preferably with both public and private partners, and preferably in a technical context.
• Commercial background with affinity for (bio)technology, or (bio)technology background with commercial experience.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken). Speaking and writing Dutch is a pre.

Your personality

• Collaboration and networking are your natural skills.
• You are an independent thinker and worker, and you capture new opportunities and finish what you start.
• You are a good communicator; you keep colleagues and stakeholders well-informed, and you understand the importance of customer-orientation.
• You are a team player; you fit best in our team if you strive for a better world and bring in a positive attitude and a good sense of humor. 

Offer

A 0,8 - 1 FTE job. Initial contract will be for one year, which can be prolonged upon mutual agreement. Partial working from home can be discussed. Salary in line with the experience of the candidate.

Application Process

Please submit by sending your application by December 1, 2024 to info@planet-b.io, including your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and motivation for applying.