Startup & Accelerator Project Officer

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

Created in 2003, it strives today to meet tomorrow's major societal challenges, by nurturing an interdisciplinary approach and international outlook, investing in scientific quality and innovation, as well as offering personalised and multilingual teaching. The institution places particular emphasis on research with impact. To achieve this goal, its research priorities focus on digital transformation, medicine and health, as well as sustainable and societal development.
The University invests in its knowledge and technology transfer through an attractive intellectual property policy and numerous partnerships. 7,500 students are enrolled at Uni.lu, of which 1,000 are doctoral candidates. With 300 professors, students have privileged access to world-renowned expertise.
Times Higher Education ranks Uni.lu 20th in the Young University Ranking 2024 and among the top 250 universities in the world.

University of Luxembourg Incubator is looking to hire a Program Officer to help lead its startup accelerator and newly launched Sportstech program. Started in 2018, the University of Luxembourg Incubator (ULI) has led to creation of over 70+ companies and has made its mark in the Luxembourg startup ecosystem with multiple of startups making it to the finals of the Fit4Start program.

Coupled with the incubation, the ULI offers training and mentoring to startups via the UL venture mentoring service. To complement these initiatives, we launched the “Accelerator Program” 3 years back, and a new Sportstech training program last year to help the most promising ventures to grow and scale their businesses by seeking external funding.

Your role

The Program Officer (PO) role is an exciting role with the main responsibility of helping run the accelerator and helping our portfolio of startups grow to be the next big thing. You will implement the accelerator playbook with additional focus on sportstech startups, creating the best possible experiences and growth opportunities for our founders. You will play a key role running the day to day programs for our founders (including mentoring startups, organizing talks by outside mentors, lining up meetings with angel + VC investors, handling administrative/logistical duties as needed , supporting the recruitment of more mentors / partners / investors, helping hire / train / manage seasonally hired interns and any other staff, and doing other roles as needed (we're a lean team so we all get the fun of doing everything!).

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Together with the Head of the Incubator, continuously refine the accelerator program plan and then own the overall responsibility for the successful execution of the accelerator program
• Implement best practices from other comparable accelerators for helping our startups succeed, overseeing implementation of a curriculum helping founders grow their companies, and overseeing help connecting founders with investors, partners, and experts to help them grow
• Own the overall programming agenda, including scheduling mentors, speakers, investor visits, and other events
• Create and track metrics of the program (how well startups are doing, how they view our programs and how we can improve, etc)
• Relationship management with internal and external stakeholders
• Help improve the recruiting pipeline of startups for the program
• Help hire and manage interns/any other staff
• Engage with the local community, and plan broader outreach events/programs to showcase the accelerator program and its success stories
• Build a marketing and communication strategy for the accelerator together with in-house communication teams and leverage the various established channels to communicate the outcomes of the program
• Help in branding and positioning the accelerator in Luxembourg
• Help with budget, bookkeeping, and office management tasks as needed
• Other tasks as needed by the extended team
• Support the accelerator alumni on as needed basis
• Enjoy a collaborative work environment with the ULI colleagues

Your profile

• Prior experience in an accelerator/incubator/startup is a major asset
• An understanding of Luxembourg startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Strong interest in startups/venture capital/technology/entrepreneurship
• Service and customer orientation. Be comfortable in a changing environment and things that sometimes evolve quickly
• Attention to detail and respect for objectives
• Good interpersonal and public service skills are a plus
• Experience in event planning and logistics is a plus
• Voluntary attitude and ability to think outside the box, creative and solution-oriented mind
• Adaptability and multitasking to meet the needs of the service in a collegial spirit
• Comfortable with minimal direction or supervision
• Good interpersonal skills and friendly personality
• 4-6 years of relevant working experience
• Master’s degree or equivalent by work experience

We offer

• Multilingual and international character. Modern institution with a personal atmosphere. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of the “University of the Greater Region” (UniGR)
• A modern and dynamic university. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs …

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 12 Month
• Internal Job Title: Project Officer
• Work Hours: Part Time 20.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Campus Belval
• Internal Title: Project officer
• Job Reference: UOL07179

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