Program Associate

WHO WE ARE:
Plug and Play Tech Center is one of the most active VCs in the world and the ultimate innovation platform, bringing together the best startups and the world’s largest corporations to create meaningful connections that bring innovation to anyone, anywhere. We are on a mission to bring the benefits of Silicon Valley to the rest of the world.

Based in the most liveable city in the world, at Plug and Play Vienna, we focus on fostering innovation in two verticals - Travel and Aviation, as well as Smart Cities.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
We’re a diverse team with backgrounds in innovation, finance, and entrepreneurship, and we’re growing rapidly to deliver on our mission. We’re seeking a **Program** Associate** who is an operational powerhouse, a reliable team player, and can manage multiple projects at the same time.

As an Events and Community Associate, you will be in charge of nurturing our innovation ecosystem, with a focus on hosting events and networking sessions for executives from corporations and startups, leading B2B marketing communications, and connecting with other innovation organizations to build Plug and Play’s footprint especially in Vienna, whole Austria, and also the CEE region.

This position is a multi-faceted role and offers an unparalleled opportunity for both personal and professional growth in a supportive and prosperous environment. If you are interested in technology and would like to learn more about the startup and corporate innovation world, this is the position for you.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
**Event Management**
- Own the initiation, planning, and execution of virtual and in-person events, including preparing content, promotion, invites, and logistics needed for a successful event;
- Manage event budget and operational activities, including vendors, catering, rentals, venue dressings, etc.;
- Coordinate with the Global Marketing team to align the branding for events, swags, and marketing materials;
- Coordinate activities to discover, brief, and promote relevant experts, mentors, and startups for speaking engagements;
- Gather and analyze the feedback and performance of events for constant improvement;
- Organize brainstorming sessions to think creatively about making our events remarkable for our partners and community.

**Community Facing**
- Act as the primary point of contact for program and community engagement internally at Plug and Play and across the wider innovation ecosystem in EMEA;
- Build a strategy to grow and sustain a thriving and active innovation ecosystem with mentors, strategic partners, and media partners;
- Nurture relationships and facilitate check-ins with strategic partners, creating opportunities that generate maximum value for the community and startups;
- Manage a community engagement calendar with regular activities for portfolio and program startups, as well as all aspiring entrepreneurs in the region;
- Evaluate program strengths and bring in your ideas to increase ecosystem engagement;
- Support the overall Corporate Innovation Program operations and support colleagues or external stakeholders.

**Marketing & Communications**
- Design digital content marketing plans for newsletters, social media, landing pages, press, etc. to promote our events, team, corporate partners, startups, and local innovation community in Vienna and globally;
- Work closely with the Global Marketing team to develop digital marketing collaterals and content distribution to be in line with the overall marketing strategy;
- Be in touch with Plug and Play global teams, startups, corporations, and other stakeholders to gather relevant information and share opportunities with the local ecosystem;
- Promote the success stories of active partners and the involved startups;
- Prepare monthly newsletters to cover Travel and Smart Cities verticals and position Plug and Play as an innovation expert by sharing industry trends, portfolio updates, and program startup and corporate news.

**Corporate Innovation **_or _**Venture Capital** **Support**
- Organize the biggest events of our 1-year long Program starting with Selection Day and ending with EXPO Day
- Consider the diverse and high-level stakeholder audience in designing an elevated and unforgettable event experience
- Communicate transparently with and support our Program startups during the whole Program and manage expectations well between the startups and our ecosystem
- Act as a sparring partner to our ventures team and support with investment due diligence, dealflow and portfolio management

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor or Master Degree in Event/Project Management, Marketing Communications, Business or related field;
- Language knowledge - C1/C2 English, C1 German;
- Experience organizing in-person and virtual events;
- Passion for entrepreneurship, venture capital, event management, and digital communications;
- Self-starter who can work with mínimal supervision;
- Detail-oriented, highly or