Innovation Manager - R&D Programs & Business Development

Description

IKH Group is a fast-growing Greek technology group operating across defense systems, robotics, and enterprise software. Through iKnowHealth and Aperion Robotics, we participate in competitive European and national R&D programs— including Horizon Europe, ESPA, EDF, and bilateral research partnerships — and we build proprietary R&D solutions in parallel.

We are looking for an Innovation Manager who will act as the strategic hub between our R&D vision and its execution. You will lead a team of Project Managers overseeing active research programs, drive the identification and submission of new funding proposals, and build the ecosystem of academic, industrial, and institutional partners that fuels our innovation pipeline.

If you are passionate about R&D strategy, enjoy turning funding opportunities into real-world impact, and thrive on building partnerships across the innovation ecosystem, we would love to meet you.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and mentor a team of Project Managers responsible for the day-to-day delivery of active research programs (Horizon Europe, ESPA).
• Ensure all programs are delivered on time, on budget, and in full compliance with funder requirements (technical reports, audits, milestones).
• Maintain a consolidated view of the R&D portfolio: resource allocation, deliverable calendar, financial burn-rate per project.
• Resolve cross-project dependencies and escalate risks to the CTO/CEO with clear mitigation plans.
• Lead the end-to-end submission process for competitive Horizon Europe proposals — from call identification and consortium assembly to technical contributions
• Coordinate Greek national funding applications, liaising with GSRT/EYDE and other national bodies.
• Write and edit high-quality technical content; ensure alignment between scientific/technical narrative and evaluation criteria. Manage internal review cycles.
• Maintain a rolling 12-month proposal pipeline; track calls (eg Horizon Europe). evaluate fit, and decide go/no-go per opportunity.
• Monitor proposal success rates, capture lessons learned, and continuously improve the submission process.
• Identify, approach, and formalise partnerships with Greek and European key actors.
• Support ecosystem building by representing IKH Group at conferences, brokerage events, and innovation forums (ICT Proposers Days, euRobotics etc.).
• Develop commercial opportunities from R&D outputs: technology transfer, spin-off products, and licensing.
• Co-define the annual R&D roadmap, aligning with group strategic priorities across Robotics, AI and software trends
• Monitor technology trends (AI/ML, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, digital twins) and translate them into actionable funding and product opportunities.
• Lead internal knowledge-sharing sessions on emerging R&D themes.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in R&D project management or innovation management, ideally in a technology company or research organisation.
• Proven track record of successfully submitted and funded Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe proposals (as author or co-author of technical sections).
• Solid understanding of at least one of our core domains: robotics/autonomous systems, or enterprise software.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary project teams; comfortable in a PM leadership or coordination role.
• Strong technical writing skills in English; ability to translate engineering concepts into compelling, evaluator-friendly narrative.
• Familiarity with EC funding rules (Grant Agreement, DOW, financial reporting), audits, and consortium governance.
• BSc/MSc in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related STEM field.
• Professional-level English (written and spoken); Greek fluency is a strong plus.

Nice to Have:

• Background in business development, technology licensing, or tech transfer.
• Familiarity with proposal tools: EC Funding & Tenders Portal, SEDIA, eForms.
• Network within the European R&D ecosystem.
• Experience with IP management and exploitation planning.

Benefits

• Attractive salary package based on experience.
• Hybrid working model. #LI-Hybrid
• Career development and growth opportunities within a fast-growing technology group.
• Continuous training and professional development.
• Modern offices in Athens.
• Collaborative, dynamic and innovation-driven working environment.