Senior Funding and Partnership Expert (m/f/d)

General objective of function

Secure funding for Körber's R&D initiatives by identifying opportunities, designing proposals, and ensuring compliance. Build and manage a network of external partners for collaborative research. Act as the main liaison between internal and external stakeholders. Support cross-functional teams in meeting project funding requirements.

Your Role in our team

• Funding Identification and Acquisition
• Research and identify national and international funding opportunities (both public and private, like the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, European Union, foundations, …) to support Körber’s R&D initiatives and design and shape fundable R&D project proposals.
• Lead and coordinate the funding application process and its execution, including proposal writing, budget planning, and fulfillment of submission requirements.
• Network Development and Management
• Develop, expand, and leverage a robust network of external partners (universities in Germany, Europe, North America and Asia, research institutes like, e.g., Fraunhofer, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, …, catapult centers, startups, and industry players) to foster collaborative research opportunities.
• Represent Körber at relevant national and international conferences, workshops, and industry events to enhance Körber’s visibility as a technology company and to build new relationships.
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional internal teams (R&D, finance, legal, project management, IP, M&A) to ensure that project proposals meet technical, financial, and regulatory requirements
• Provide guidance and training to internal teams on funding application best practices, documentation requirements, and project management.

Your Profile

• Education:
• Master’s degree or PhD in engineering or science (or equivalent experience).
• Extensive background in identifying, applying for, and securing third-party public and private funding for engineering or scientific R&D projects with a proven track record of successfully acquiring and managing external funding.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, research institutes, catapult centers, startups, and industry collaborators as listed above.
• High level of motivation and creative drive to build a new competency within Körber from scratch.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple funding applications, ongoing funded projects and partners simultaneously as well as the ability to monitor and report on the status of active grants and partnerships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, particularly in designing fundable project proposals and navigating funding regulations.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and negotiation skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
• Profound German and English skills (ideally CEFR level “C2”).

Your benefits

• You benefit from group-wide and international collaboration.
• Our corporate culture is open and communicative.
• We support your professional development.
• We offer performance-based compensation.
• Our working hours are flexible and adjusted pragmatically to workload demands.
• Opportunities for remote work are available.
• At our Hamburg location, we contribute to public transport costs, and free parking spaces are available.

Do you see yourself in this profile? Then Körber is the right place for you. We look forward to getting to know you!