Strategic Development Manager

As a Strategic Development Manager within the Corporate Strategy Office, you will play a pivotal role at the intersection of public R&D funding, deep-tech innovation, and strategic innovation development. In this role, you will help shape and connect public funding to imec’s internal innovation pipeline, ensuring alignment between strategic priorities, funding opportunities, and high-impact innovation initiatives, while enabling the transformation of ideas into funded projects and scalable innovation programs.

What you will do

• Public Funding & External Program Leadership
• Act as imec’s key interface with European and international funding agencies, and take responsibility for monitoring and contributing to these funding programs.
• Monitor and influence funding policy developments through participation in workshops, conferences, and stakeholder meetings, ensuring imec’s research priorities are well represented in work programs.
• Initiate and follow up funded projects through the different steps of creating consortia, drafting project proposals, submission, evaluation procedures, negotiation and setting up cooperation agreements. After approval of the project, you provide the necessary support to the technical teams.
• Develop and maintain high-level expertise within a designated imec research domain, with accountability for securing and sustaining funding for that area.
• Internal Innovation Portfolio Management
• Identify high-potential, disruptive innovation ideas and coach cross-functional teams through a structured assessment process, fostering win-win outcomes across imec teams.
• Drive internal innovation initiatives from early ideation through valorization using a stage-gated approach, while building strong relationships across the R&D community, business teams, and scientific leadership to generate support for innovative research projects.
• Monitor the progress of innovation projects, manage critical milestones, organize regular reporting to key stakeholders, and resolve or escalate issues related to technical, business, or operational challenges.
• Enable effective decision-making for innovation projects by ensuring transparent governance, stakeholder alignment, well-organized decision meetings, and clear communication of outcomes.

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

Who you are

• Master’s or PhD in microelectronics, electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, materials science, or a closely related field.
• 8+ years of experience in deep-tech innovation, program management, and/or funded research environments.
• Technology enthusiast with an entrepreneurial mindset, driven by passion for technology that creates impact.
• Familiar with public funding ecosystems, with an established network related to funding programs and policy.
• Demonstrated high level of initiative and ownership; results-driven and able to work independently.
• Excellent English communication skills
• Willing to travel as needed.