Strategic Partnerships Officer

Application deadline: 21 July 2026 at 17:00 (Barcelona time) 

 

Who are we? 

 

EIT Urban Mobility is an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union and Europe's largest network for transport innovation in cities. 

 

Our mission is to accelerate change towards a sustainable model of urban mobility and liveable urban spaces. We connect public and private actors and provide them with access to markets, talent, finance and knowledge. 

 

Using cities as living labs, our industry, research and university partners will demonstrate how new technologies can work to solve real problems in real cities by transporting people, goods and waste in smarter ways.   

 

Be part of a team where:  

 

The EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI) aims to increase the innovation and entrepreneurship capacity of European universities. It does so by supporting higher education institutions to:

• Foster institutional change to expand their entrepreneurial capacity.
• Strengthen partnerships with other sides of the knowledge triangle (e.g. businesses, regional authorities, research organisations, governmental bodies, NGOs and other societal partners).
• Contribute to developing innovations and businesses, including supporting students to found and scale up start-ups.
• Enhance the quality of innovation and entrepreneurial education, notably by developing training for academic and non-academic staff as well as students.
• Share knowledge and good practices.

Through 112 funded projects and 130M€ in EIT funding mobilized so far, the Initiative has trained 130,000 university students and staff and supported 2,100 start-ups. These numbers are expected to grow substantially by 2028. 

 

Key responsibilities 

 

EIT Urban Mobility work with and support projects funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative. It is responsible for developing and nurturing the initiative’s community, which includes students and staff trained, and start-up founders. Since 2026, EIT Urban Mobility is also responsible for supporting the exploration, development and implementation of synergies between EIT HEI projects and the EIT ecosystem. Under this task, it will be especially focused on supporting the establishment of long-term strategic cooperation between the European Universities alliances involved in the latest projects funded by the Initiative, and the different EIT KICs implementing the Initiative.

 

The Strategic Partnerships Officer will play a pivotal role in (1) leading a strategy to support the implementation of collaboration opportunities between EIT HEI projects and the EIT KICs, (2) supporting the expansion and engagement of the EIT Higher Education Initiative community and (3) working alongside funded projects allocated to EIT Urban Mobility.

 

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Design and implement a high-level strategy to build bridges between EIT HEI projects and EIT KICs 

• Identify and map relevant synergies between EIT HEI projects and EIT KICs.
• Develop a strategic framework, in collaboration with all EIT KICs, to support the operationalization and implementation of these synergies.
• Design and implement, in collaboration with all EIT KICs, a set of tailored support actions, activities, events and workshops to support further collaborations between EIT HEI projects and the EIT KICs.
• Track, document and report on the resulting collaborations, and design relevant indicators to analyse the impact of this collaboration on both EIT KICs and HEI projects.
• Supporting the development of strategic partnerships and activities that reinforce the role of Higher Education Institutions as key actors within the EIT ecosystem.
• Identifying and facilitating opportunities for deeper integration of EIT HEI Initiative outcomes into KIC activities, contributing to the long-term sustainability and impact of the programme.

 

2. Support the management of the EIT HEI community

• Contribute to the implementation of activities that strengthen collaboration and engagement between the EIT KICs and the EIT HEI Community, helping ensure that both ecosystems can effectively access, promote, and benefit from each other's programmes, networks, expertise and opportunities.
• Support the delivery of a structured pipeline connecting organizations involved in EIT HEI funded projects and start-ups emerging from EIT HEI projects with relevant EIT KICs, assisting with the identification of opportunities, referrals and follow-up activities.
• Support in any other areas related to the expansion and engagement of the Community.

 

3. EIT HEI funded project support 

• Periodic monitoring of EIT HEI projects ensuring that they deliver according to plan (KPIs, deliverables, milestones, etc.), including spotting risks of underperformance and working with line manager to secure mitigation.
• Liaising with operations teams to offer quality support to funded projects, notably the legal, the project management office (PMO), and finance teams within EIT Urban Mobility.
• Drafting and preparing material, documents and/or presentations for project partners, company-wide meetings, or team strategic discussions.

 

The Strategic Partnerships Officer may be required to provide support in other tasks if/when required.

 

This position will report to the HEI Manager, and work closely with other members of EIT Urban Mobility staff.

 

Frequent travelling in Europe may be required at certain times of the year.

 

What you will bring along the way:   

 

Must-haves 

 

• A degree or relevant training in Public Relations, EU Affairs, Political Science, Project Management or any other related field.
• Minimum 5-7 years of relevant work experience related to the tasks and duties described above.
• Previous experience working with or in Higher Education Institutions or similar organizations.
• Knowledge of the European funding sphere and/or experience working on international, multi-stakeholder environments with a strong project management and project implementation focus.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English (C1).
• Strong digital skills.
• Experience with community building, stakeholder engagement and able to understand and communicate with different audiences.
• Excellent organisation skills, respect of timelines and deadlines, and attention to detail.

 

Nice-to-haves 

 

• Previous experience working with or in European University Alliances, or similar multi-stakeholder organizations.
• Previous experience working with EU funded mechanisms and programs such as Horizon Europe, including the EIT and its KICs.
• Experience working with and/or advising on EU policies, including in the education sphere.
• Previous experience working with and/or supporting public-private partnerships.
• Any additional EU language.

 

What's in it for you: 

 

• Work in an international environment with a company culture focused on empowerment, thriving and continuous growth. 
• Join a creative and diverse team of highly driven individuals that take out-of-the-box thinking to another level. 
• A yearly training catalogue to support your career development. 
• Strike the right work-life balance: on top of the flexible hours and remote working options and facilities, you will be granted 27 days of paid time-off to rest and re-energize. 
• Work-from-home IT setup (laptop, phone, screen, headsets). 

 

Kindly note that this is a permanent and full-time position. Preferred location is Brussels, Belgium, with a possibility to be based in Barcelona (EIT Urban Mobility´s Headquarters). Other locations may exceptionally be considered.

The salary range (65K€-70K€) is based on a role located in Belgium. If the position is filled in Spain, the salary range will be adjusted accordingly.

 

No relocation expenses are granted. 

 

Application Process: 

 

General Conditions: 

 

By the closing date of this call candidates must: 

 

• be a national of an EU Member State or have a working permit valid to work in Belgium; 
• enjoy their full rights as citizens; 

 

If you are interested this position, please complete and submit your application before the deadline on our online application platform: BambooHR. 

 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT 

At EIT Urban Mobility, we value and celebrate diversity in every aspect of life and believe that everyone deserves an equal chance to succeed. 

 

Here we value your talents, skills and experiences, and do not discriminate on any basis –whether it be disabilities or other special needs, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, age, language, political affiliation, property, marital status or any other irrelevant factor. 

 

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment where everyone can feel comfortable and thrive. 

 

DATA PROTECTION DISCLAIMER 

 

Your personal data will be processed with utmost care by the EIT KIC URBAN MOBILITY, S.L. or its subsidiaries. 

 

The said processing will allow us to manage the recruitment of the offered positions, and more specifically: 

 

• to enable you to submit your CV to apply for specific jobs; 
• to match your details with the job vacancies and to eventually contact you; 
• to retain your details and notify you about future job opportunities similar to the specific role for which you have contacted us; 
• to answer your enquiries. 

 

[1] Only qualifications issued by an EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU Member State authorities will be accepted.