Open Innovation Consultant

**Who we are**:
Verhaert is a pioneering group of product innovation companies. Our roots go back to 1969.
Since than we’ve created more than** 1.000 new products**. We believe **innovation** is one of the few instruments to **create sustainable value add** and with a better world for all of us.
Our employees are multidisciplinary high-tech professionals who enjoy having large diversity of assignments both for companies in various sectors, such as consumer goods, healthcare, industry, internet of things,... and for leading **governmental agencies**.
Thanks to our many years’ experience we can **guide and support** other companies and governments in** bringing strategic innovation initiatives alive.**

**Open Innovation Consultant: Job Description**:

- You will guide** leading European governmental agencies** and **companies** in setting up **open innovation programs** with impact concentric trend sensitive technological domains, e.g. geospatial, IoT, robotics, etc.
- You will set up, participate and guide **high-tech start-up acceleration** and **incubation programs**, hence making open innovation work in practice.
- You will think on how to **reinvent open innovation processes**, methods or tools and provide adequate policy **advice** to create impactful** open innovation factories of the future** for our clients.

In the position of Open Innovation Consultant you can develop a **visionary and pragmatic mind-set**.
Curious about the many challenges to get your teeth in? Here is a random list of tasks and responsibilities for a big variety of customers and projects.
- As an** Open Innovation Consultant** you **manage** our technology **transfer activities** creating compelling impact.
- You lead technology opportunity **workshops** with cross-functional teams and guide them to pragmatic, actionable results in the field of innovation management, using our in-house proven methodologies.
- You organise and participate in **startup acceleration & incubation projects**, pitch events and explore new business models to ensure **cross-fertilisation** of technologies across different sectors and industries throughout Europe.
- You steer the entire trajectory: content, timing and budget and provide accurate **reporting** and all the related **administration**.
- You optimize the customer **relations** on **senior** **management** level as well as with product-, marketing-, technical and project colleagues.
- In order to realize all steps in open innovation projects in a successful way, you cooperate with the colleagues of our multidisciplinary organisation, from **innovation c**onsultants over **designers** to engineers and developers.
- You become the** trusted partner** who helps them creating impactful open innovation programs leading to new business opportunities and revenue streams.

**Open Innovation Consultant: Your Profile**:

- You dispose of a broad **business economics baggage** combined with a **technological affinity.**:

- You have a masters degree in **Applied Economics**, commercial or **business sciences** (master (applied) economics, commercial engineer,...)
- You have a mínimal **of 3 years professional experience** in an (innovative) consultancy function or similar.
- You have experience in **product and/or innovation management** where your market knowledge and insights go hand in hand with **technological** baggage.
- Experience in a **development** and **technological** environment is highly recommended.
- You own the true **consultancy** skills**:analytical**, synthesizing and **problem solving** abilities.
- You are **communicative** and open, have a **positive charisma** and** commercial flair**.
- You can take initiative, are self-assured, inquisitive and ready to listen.
- Je work **structured** and thematic in a methodological manner and strongly maintain the **helicopter** vision.
- Speaking and writing is fluent in **Dutch** **and** **English**. Knowledge of French and/or German is an asset.

**Our offer**:

- Verhaert is a challenging innovative environment guiding companies in their development and innovation trajectories.
- You will be working in multidisciplinary teams for very different companies in many different domains.
- You help building up the success of a result minded (often technological) environment and get the chance to fully expand your talents.
- You enter into a world of innovation and help building the future of many companies.
- You will be coached and guided in our world of innovation, helping you to become a trusted advisor for your customer and its business.
- You can count on our expertise to help you improve your people skills as well as on your technology transfer process capabilities.