Open Innovation Associate (Open Innovation)

Location: Valencia, Spain; frequent travel required for global client engagements.

Company

Plug and Play is a global open innovation platform connecting corporations and governments with startups to drive strategic innovation and deployment.

What you will do

• Develop and implement open innovation strategies for corporate and government challenges.
• Optimize innovation processes using corporate innovation, venture clienting, venture building, and open innovation practices.
• Design and facilitate ideation sessions, strategy workshops, and open innovation roadmaps.
• Collaborate with executives, corporate teams, startups, and external partners to deliver measurable impact.
• Research emerging trends, market insights, and disruptive technologies, translating findings into actionable recommendations.
• Identify growth opportunities and contribute to innovation proposals and business development.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience in open innovation, innovation consulting, corporate innovation, product development, digital transformation, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience facilitating ideation sessions, design sprints, or co-creation workshops with senior stakeholders.
• Practical experience applying Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile methodologies to real projects.
• Strong research, analytical, communication, storytelling, and executive presentation skills.
• Fluency in English and readiness to travel frequently for global client engagements.
• University degree; a Master's degree and an analytical or technical background are advantageous.

Nice to have

• Experience working with startups as solution providers, including scouting, assessment, or venture clienting.
• Public-sector or government innovation experience, including procurement, national innovation programmes, or EU funding instruments.
• Working fluency with AI tools for research, synthesis, and production.
• Additional languages, particularly Spanish, German, French, or Arabic.

Culture & Benefits

• Work across startups, corporations, and governments in a global open innovation environment.
• Collaborate with organizations across EMEA, Asia, and the Americas.
• Clear development path in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial team.
• Flat hierarchies, short decision paths, and a collaborative working culture.