General Manager

Key Responsibilities

As General Manager, you will lead a team dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups, ensuring smooth operations while embodying the mission of StartLAB.BRUSSELS. Your main responsibilities include:

• Team management: Coaching and developing the team, fostering a collaborative and caring work environment, regularly evaluating performance and co-constructing personal development plans.

• Operational oversight: Ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day activities so that objectives and deadlines are consistently met.

• Strategic management: Co-developing strategic plans with stakeholders (Board, team, sponsors, coaches, trainers, young entrepreneurs, etc.), defining KPIs and ensuring regular follow-up to monitor the development and quality of activities.

• Awareness & ecosystem engagement: Actively participating in initiatives that promote youth entrepreneurship and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• External relations: Representing StartLAB at events, managing public relations, maintaining strong relationships with funders and collaborating with key partners.

• Reporting: Regularly preparing presentations and reports for the Board and stakeholders, highlighting progress, results and challenges.

• Financial management: Preparing budgets, ensuring accurate financial reporting, supervising accounting and payments, and guaranteeing financial transparency and compliance.

• Fundraising: Developing and implementing a sponsorship strategy; monitoring and responding to funding calls (Brussels Region, European programmes, etc.).

You:

• Have at least 5 years of experience as a manager or team leader.

• Ideally have experience in project management.

• Possess strong financial management skills and a solid understanding of financial reporting.

• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling you to work effectively with diverse public and private stakeholders.

• Are dynamic and proactive, taking initiative to foster innovation and growth within the team and among incubated start-ups.

• Are comfortable making decisions in uncertain or fast-changing environments.

• Are confident speaking in public, representing the incubator with professionalism and authority.

• Are passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation, and committed to supporting entrepreneurs.

• Manage your time effectively, ensuring a balanced workload while remaining responsive to the incubator's changing priorities.

• Have working proficiency in French, Dutch and English, with one of these languages as your mother tongue.

If you are ready to take on this exciting challenge and contribute to the evolution of StartLAB.BRUSSELS, please submit your CV and cover letter describing your relevant experience and the vision you would bring to StartLAB.BRUSSELS to Thomas.Crispeels@vub.be and Olivier.Witmeur@ulb.be by December 31, 2025.

StartLAB.BRUSSELS values diversity and strongly encourages applications from all backgrounds.