Innovation Program Associate

The role:

As the Innovation Program Associate, you will play a key role in supporting the execution of Rockstart’s partner programs. Working closely with the Innovation Program Leads, you will help ensure the smooth planning, execution, and evaluation of our programs, providing essential support across scouting, marketing, startup engagement, and stakeholder coordination. This is a great opportunity to be a part of our mission to empower founders that drive positive change on a global scale.

Your main responsibilities are:

• Project Support: Collaborate with the Innovation Program Leads in running various partner programs: being ingrained in the entire process of planning, executing and evaluating Rockstart’s partner programs.

• Prepare scouting and selection materials: Team up with our Venture team to support the scouting process by providing briefing materials, presentations, and meetings for all the people involved in the selection process of the startups for the programs.  

• Prepare marcoms materials: Team up with our marketing department, to provide briefing materials, presentations, and meetings to design and execute the marketing campaigns for our partner programs. 

• Program design support: Ensuring all processes, templates and tools are in place for a smooth onboarding process of startups and mentors throughout the program.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Support in identifying and onboarding relevant mentors, trainers, and experts to strengthen program networks.

• Startup & Mentor Support: Engage with startups and mentors to provide necessary resources and ensure a positive program experience.

• Create evaluation reports: With impact metrics on every program ensuring that we can always improve our support towards each stakeholder. 

• Events support: Take the lead on the design and execution of all Partner Programs events and support on other relevant Rockstart events.

What makes you the perfect candidate?

You are a highly organized and proactive team player with a passion for supporting startups and driving impact.

You thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining strong attention to detail.

You enjoy collaborating across teams and engaging with stakeholders to create meaningful innovation programs.

Must have requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree or Master's degree in business administration, innovation, project management, business design, or any related field.

• You have knowledge and deep interest in startup methodology or corporate innovation;

• You have 1-2 years of experience in operations, program execution, in either a startup, corporate, or incubator/accelerator program. 

• You are a strong communicator who gains energy from networking and meeting people;

• You have a proactive, entrepreneurial, results-oriented attitude with an ability to work effectively in a fast-paced organization;

• You are strongly detail-oriented, challenging your own and other people's work in a constructive manner focused on feedback; always trying to make a lasting impact

• You are fluent in English;

Start: May 2025

Availability: 32-40 hours per week 

Remuneration: Based on experience, including a budget towards growth and personal development and remote work allowance

Duration: 7 months (incl. 1 month probation) with the intention to renew long term for the right candidate

Location: Amsterdam office (open to CPH) (hybrid)

A bit about Rockstart

We are an international team of +45 professionals dedicated to empowering purpose-driven founders to drive positive change on a global scale. We have an entrepreneurial mindset, we are open and honest, we strive to get results and we're committed to our mission. What we value most is founders, their big, bold dreams and how we can add value and create a better future together.

We are a global, remote-first organization with offices in Amsterdam (NL), Copenhagen (DK), and Bogota (COL).

We provide fast-track scaling solutions for purpose-driven founders operating in Energy, AgriFood and Emerging Technology - through domain-focused, mentor-driven programs, market introductions and investments from early stage to series B from our funds.

Since its establishment in 2011, Rockstart has invested in more than 350 startups and its alumni value to date is €1.3bn. Rockstart has notable exits such as Wercker, Bouw7, iClinic and in 2021 3D Hubs and Brincr.