Join Skåne Startups. Build a community.

Skåne Startups is a grassroots organization built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Our mission is to build a connected, thriving, and diverse startup ecosystem in Southern Sweden.

Founded in 2015, the organization’s activities have changed over the past few years, yet the mission stayed clear. We are a group of startup enthusiasts and community builders with a shared vision of fostering an open and inclusive startup ecosystem.

Our international team serves entrepreneurs and their startups and connects capital and resources to innovations, products, and services that have the potential to redefine society.

We’re now looking for our next managing director to lead the team and help set the tone, and vision for the years ahead. The work is diverse and rewarding. The role provides opportunities for learning and growth and offers an immediate opportunity to have a tangible impact on the startup community.

What will you do?

As CEO, you are responsible for supporting the community of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and partners. Your focus is to drive the development of the organization in communication, partnership development, stakeholder management, events organization, and community building.

You will navigate the Skåne tech ecosystem and engage successfully with stakeholders across the startup ecosystem—including, but not limited to, startup founders, venture capital investors, corporate entities, nonprofits, and public sector actors alike. You will actively collaborate and contribute to local activities and initiatives.

What does a week look like?

No day will be the same as you get actively involved in shaping this community. In a typical week, you will:

• Sync with board members to develop the strategies and implement them via different projects

• Support the team members on their day-to-day work and ensure we meet our targets

• Meet with founders and understand their current progress and how we can support them, for example, introduce them to a relevant peer who can offer advice; connect them to a potential investor; share their recruitment ads on our social media channels; and more

• Meet with investors, understand their investment targets and focus areas, work with the team and prepare and provide deal flows to investors, for example, organize relevant investors events which add value for founders in the community

• Meet with community partners and stakeholders regularly and find opportunities to collaborate or co-develop short-term and long-term initiatives

• Work closely with marketing & communications (including managing social media and newsletters) to strengthen our brands locally and internationally

• Present Skåne Startups at events and engage with the community

Some weeks, your schedule will be filled with meetings with highly ambitious and talented people from different backgrounds and sectors. But you will also find some quiet time, during which you will work on other detailed-oriented work such as financing, budgeting, administration, and website management.

This is a role with large responsibilities. It requires you to work independently. You will be trusted to do what is right and your work is important in making this region better.

Who are we looking for?

You are a dedicated individual who embraces our mission to empower tech entrepreneurs. As a leader, you are determined to scale the impact of Skåne Startups.

We’d appreciate it if you have a proven track record of managing organizations and stakeholders. You have an in-depth understanding of the startup journey and how to support founders to accelerate venture development. A track record of successfully developing communication strategies and demonstrated ability to build thriving online networks and communities are also appreciated.

You have a good eye for talent and can attract the best candidates to the business and seek to develop their full potential. You are someone who leads by example and knows how to get the best results out of the people and resources available. You are excited about the opportunity to build, nurture and lead an international team.

The ideal candidate must have a strong background in the startup ecosystem, business, and management. You are a strong communicator, possess a keen eye for detail, are driven to deliver results, and are willing to get your hands dirty.

Key responsibilities:

We seek a driven individual to maintain and scale the impact of Skåne Startups. Activities include:

• Build strong brand awareness and develop a marketing and communications plan that makes Skåne an attractive tech and startup region

• Develop and maintain activities, events, and initiatives that add value for local entrepreneurs

• Build and maintain relationships with entrepreneurs, key stakeholders, international investors, local community support organizations,

• Work together with the team to execute plans, track key results, and lead the organization to reach targets

• Communicating with partners and board members, ensuring a high level of quality process and documentation

• Attracting, managing, and developing talents

Key requirements & skills:

• Strong competencies in community building, stakeholder engagement, partnership building, team building, growth marketing, business strategy, finance, and human resources

• A genuine passion for innovation, startup culture, and the venture capital space and a sincere motivation to promote entrepreneurship ecosystem development

• Community service-oriented and always looking for ways to help others succeed

• Take initiative and lead by example, facilitate collaboration and support the team in realizing results

• Digital skills in content management systems, customer management systems, and web management are desirable

• Excellent written and spoken English

What do we offer:

Joining a motivated team of professionals dedicated to supporting innovative high-growth entrepreneurs in Skåne.

• An energetic environment with a passionate team focused on making a social impact and helping entrepreneurs to succeed

• Opportunity to work with a group of board members who are lifelong entrepreneurs and investors

• A dynamic and fast pacing environment that values your proactive attitude and ideas

• Creative freedom to initiate, develop and implement projects that benefit the community

• Opportunity to network with industry experts, leaders, and other professionals

• Unlimited coffee, regular Fika, and a lovely office space in central Malmö

How to apply

Please submit your application via the link below.

Email: zhenni@skanestartups.com if you have more questions about the role.