At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead community initiatives, connect founders with investors, and foster relationships across the ecosystem.
- Company: Join Conception X, a pioneering organisation supporting ambitious researchers in launching deeptech companies.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience, network with industry leaders, and contribute to groundbreaking science ventures.
- Other info: Dynamic role based in London with travel opportunities across the UK and Europe.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of innovation, helping shape the future of science and technology.
- Qualifications: Strong interpersonal skills, community-building experience, and a passion for science and technology.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
About Us
Conception X discovers and backs Europe's most ambitious researchers, turning them into deeptech founders. Since 2018, the organisation has supported more than 700 PhDs, postdocs and early-career researchers from 92 universities to launch over 200 science companies that have raised £200+ million in investment and grants. Their £1 billion portfolio includes Rahko, Solve Intelligence, Humanloop and Infinitopes.
Responsibilities
- To succeed at this role, you must have a deep interest in and curiosity about science and technology, and have a genuine passion for people.
- Your interpersonal skills will be in the spotlight. You will demonstrate your ability to confidently lead and hold the attention of a diverse group: PhD founders, early-career researchers, investors, industry leaders.
- You will be the connective tissue of our ecosystem, building authentic relationships across our network, representing Conception X on campuses and at events, and leading outreach at universities and research institutions across the UK and Europe.
- Maturity and emotional intelligence are essential. You will navigate complex relationships across academia, venture, and industry, and will often be a trusted point of contact for founders at pivotal moments on their founder path.
- This role is based in London, and will require a willingness to travel.
The Role
- Community Building: Keep science founders from past cohorts active and involved, and bring them back as mentors, speakers, and advocates. Foster peer connections across cohorts, and deliver value back to alumni through meaningful introductions that support their onward journey.
- Facilitate introductions and match founders to the right investors, experts, and industry partners at the right time. Be proactive; spot opportunities early, and make connections happen quickly.
- Lead cohort community initiatives, including meetups, knowledge-sharing sessions, and wider ecosystem events.
- Work closely with the Programme Manager, who owns the programme calendar and delivery.
- Manage and moderate our online community channels, including Slack. Gather insights from interactions, and share these with the programme team to inform and improve the experience.
- Play a key role in Demo Day and showcase events, coordinating the community and stakeholder experience alongside the Programme Manager.
- Work closely with the Head of Portfolio on cohort and alumni engagement, ensuring founders and graduates remain connected, supported, and active within the community.
- Keep a working view of what our cohort teams and alumni are doing. Maintain community health metrics and CRM data, using both to shape engagement strategy, inform decisions, and report on community outcomes.
Talent Pipeline
- Ideally within a startup, innovation, or science and technology environment.
- Demonstrable experience building and sustaining a community, with evidence of engagement and retention outcomes.
- Experience planning and delivering outreach events or campaigns, including in-person visits to campuses, institutions, or conferences.
- An understanding of the university and research ecosystem; you don’t need to have come from academia, but must possess the credibility to navigate it and engage its people.
- Experience managing or activating a network of senior stakeholders, such as mentors, experts, investors, or industry partners.
- Willingness to travel seasonally across the UK and Europe for campus visits and events.
Community and Platform Lead employer: Conception X
At Conception X, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a friendly and transparent culture, perfect for those passionate about science and technology. Our London-based team enjoys flexible working hours, generous holiday allowances, and the unique opportunity to engage with a vibrant community of PhD founders and industry leaders, all while contributing to meaningful innovation in deeptech startups. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, we empower our staff to thrive in their roles and make impactful connections across academia and industry.
