About this role
The Faculty of Science (NAT) at SDU seeks an Innovation Manager to accelerate the translation of research into societal and commercial impact. Working within the External Relations Team, the faculty research support unit, you will be the primary connector between researchers and industry partners, helping to identify opportunities for collaboration, co‑creation and commercialization in a wide range of topics from e.g. cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum, defence to space. You will support researchers in accessing innovation‑oriented funding and play a central role in building a culture of industrial collaboration, entrepreneurship, and spin‑outs at NAT while ensuring cross university focus. Key responsibilities Cultivate partnerships: Identify and engage relevant companies, foundations, clusters and other external partners on behalf of our researchers; explore collaborative potential and negotiate mutually beneficial projects and sponsorships. Matchmake researchers with industry partners and support consortium building, both nationally and internationally. Drive innovation funding: Proactively identify and shape funding opportunities, including programs such as Innovation Fund Denmark, Horizon Europe, and the European Defence Fund (EDF). Build and mobilize strong networks and consortia, connect relevant partners, and help generate competitive project ideas. Guide researchers through early-stage positioning, partner alignment, and proposal strategy, including support on concept development, consortium building. Commercialization and spin‑outs: Assist researchers in evaluating the commercial potential of early‑stage science and develop pathways for technology transfer, including licensing, spin‑outs and joint ventures. Collaborate closely with SDU’s Research & Innovation Organization (SDU RIO), tech transfer offices and innovation hubs to support intellectual property protection, licensing and early-stage investment. Promote innovation culture: Organize workshops, seminars and matchmaking events to raise awareness of innovation opportunities. Collaborate with department leadership to integrate innovation strategies into research planning and contribute to NAT’s external funding and innovation strategy. Communicate and advocate: Represent NAT’s scientific strengths to industry and external stakeholders, ensuring that the faculty’s expertise is visible and accessible. Develop promotional materials and contribute to web content, newsletters and other communication channels to showcase success stories and opportunities. Build and qualify the innovation pipeline: Identify promising ideas and collaboration opportunities through a strong presence at conferences, matchmaking events, and key innovation forums. Assess and mature these into high-quality initiatives, positioning them for funding, partnerships, or commercialization while continuously strengthening the pipeline. Desired qualifications Academic background: Relevant education and hands-on experience in working within a university and/or software/computer science engineering field; additional business training, startup experience or certifications are an advantage. You have a broad understanding of emerging technologies across science and technology . Innovation expertise: Strong experience with innovation funding instruments (e.g., Innovation Fund Denmark, EU programs, EDF) and a proven ability to build consortia and develop successful collaborative projects, spinouts, or your own startup ventures. Familiarity with intellectual property management and technology transfer processes is essential. Network and partnership skills: Proven track record of building and leveraging networks across government, defence, space, science, and cross-university collaboration, as well as within industry and venture capital ecosystems. Demonstrated ability to establish trusted relationships with senior technical experts, policymakers, business leaders, and investors. Strong communication and negotiation skills in English; Danish is an advantage or you are expected to be willing to learn it. Business acumen: You have a solid understanding of how research-based ideas can be developed into application-oriented innovation. You play an active role in early-stage venture development by supporting the validation of value propositions and identifying collaboration opportunities. Drawing on experience from e.g. a business incubation environment, you ensure clear and effective pathways from research to partnerships, venture creation, and commercialization Personal qualities: Self‑driven, agile and goal‑oriented, yet collaborative and supportive. Able to prioritize multiple tasks and work independently but also contribute actively to team goals. You enjoy working with diverse people and are motivated by creating impact through innovation. We offer You will join a motivated, international External Relations Team that bridges project management, policy intelligence, liaison with funders and hands‑on grant writing. We offer: A dynamic work environment with close collaboration across four departments (Biology; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Mathematics & Computer Science; Physics, Chemistry & Pharmacy). Ample opportunities for professional development, training and networking. A flexible, family‑friendly workplace that supports work–life balance and values diversity and inclusiveness. If you are passionate about science, adept at bridging technology and business, and motivated to help researchers turn ideas into societal impact, we encourage you to apply. The University wishes our staff to reflect on the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. Practical information English is the working language in our team, and a high level of professional proficiency in both written and spoken English is essential for this position. At the same time, Danish is the administrative and