Director of Ecosystem Change & Data

The organisation

Start-ups and scale-ups create tomorrow’s jobs and drive progress in vital areas such as energy transition, cyber security, and health care. The Netherlands is a European innovation hotspot and Techleap is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization determined to keep it that way. Their catalyst role towards entrepreneurship began in 2019. Along with public and private stakeholders, they’ve built a well-connected, inclusive, and self-empowered Dutch tech ecosystem that boosts growth in investments, talent, and jobs.

Techleap supports founders and tech ventures by solving their most significant challenges: hiring talent, raising capital, and expanding internationally. A primary activity is to establish a curated community called BOLD. It’s where more than four hundred founders and CxOs connect, openly share challenges, and find solutions together. Another main activity is to help the government design tech-friendly policies, such as the taxation of equity remuneration. Additionally, Techleap runs programs, hosts events, provides access to resources and international networks, and shares expertise.

“The Dutch tech start-up ecosystem has come a long way, but acceleration is needed to become one of the global frontrunners. To achieve that, we will double down on our deep tech programs, data capabilities, collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, and communities.'' - Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy for Techleap

Since its launch, Techleap has been a publicly funded organization. But recently, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has extended Techleap’s mandate at half the budget and a request to raise additional public and private funding. In response, the team has launched a campaign to bring together the people and capital to continue its invaluable work. This has sharpened Techleap’s thinking around impact, funding, and collaboration with its stakeholders. The team also created a transformation plan to prepare the spin-off of certain activities, increase focus on deep tech, and strengthen commercial and entrepreneurial capabilities to maximize their contributions to the Dutch start-up and scale-up ecosystem.

The position

The Netherlands is one of Europe’s best places to start a tech venture. At the same time, there is still much room for improvement in laws and legislation. Techleap’s Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will actively liaise with the government and other public and private stakeholders to create the perfect conditions for start-ups and scale-ups.

Tasks & responsibilities

The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will initiate and supervise the design and execution of a portfolio of interventions to support the Dutch government in planning interventions such as adopting favorable programs, policies and legislations for the (deep)tech start-up and scale-up climate. They will be a catalyst connecting public and private stakeholders and rallying them behind this mission. The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will lead two teams. The first focuses on the interaction with government agents, including members of the House of Representatives and ministry officials, and many other ecosystem partners and stakeholders, e.g., universities, banks, pension funds, and venture capital firms, in the Netherlands. The second is the Data Analysis & Research team, which conducts data-driven research to inform Techleap’s system change strategies and interventions. The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will lead, work with, and strengthen the team, overseeing its activities and boosting its capabilities.

“The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will spearhead our work with the government and other key stakeholders to deliver positive system change and strengthen the position of the Netherlands as the leading European start-up hub.'' - Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy for Techleap

Interaction with the government and other public and private stakeholders is a significant part of the role. Therefore, the Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will need the clout to be a convincing discussion partner for senior government officials and executives and the experience to know how political and legislative processes generally unfold and can be influenced. They will be supported by a knowledgeable team and will work closely with Constantijn van Oranje, who will continue to play an active role in this field.

The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data and their team will focus on various topics, including deep tech interventions, incentives & taxes, subsidies, talent & education, and diversity. The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will take a strategic, data-driven, and fact-based approach. They will liaise with the government to identify bottlenecks and design and prioritize interventions based on data, analyses, and (international) research and best practices. Additionally, the Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will drive the implementation and – anywhere from design to execution – will strategically involve experts and prominent figures from their network to create urgency and accelerate impact.

The role is a unique opportunity to work at the interface between tech, entrepreneurship, policy and, politics. The Director of Ecosystem Change & Data will be part of Techleap’s Leadership Team, guiding the organization through the upcoming transformation while furthering the Dutch start-up and scale-up ecosystem.

Candidate profile

• Over 12 years of relevant work experience
• Background in applying data to understand and address market problems
• Experience driving change in the public innovation policy context
• Experience in the (deep) tech start-up / scale-up secto
• Managerial experience
• Project leadership in complex stakeholder settings
• Strategic, tactical, and influencing skills

* Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.

Interested?

You can apply for this position by using the link below. Techleap is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.