Strategy & Business Development Manager
EFFECT Photonics is on the verge of its commercial breakthrough. The technology works, the customers are lined up, and the ambition is set. The Strategy & Business Development Manager will bridge the gap between world-class R&D and a global market that can’t wait.
About EFFECT Photonics
Light moves faster than electricity. It also carries more data, consumes less energy, and scales more efficiently. EFFECT Photonics has been building on that promise since 2010, with one clear ambition: to connect an ever-changing world through solutions that are sustainable, affordable, and scalable.
Today, EFFECT is an independent fabless company with offices in the Netherlands and Asia, on the verge of launching its first product, a significant milestone. Its technology serves some of the most demanding environments in modern infrastructure: AI data centers, 5G networks, and high-capacity fiber optic systems. The growth outlook is strong, with hyperscalers, pluggable module vendors, and telecom OEMs across the US and Asia waiting for what EFFECT can deliver.
At the High Tech Campus Eindhoven – the smartest square kilometer in the Netherlands – nearly fifty engineers and scientists from more than fifteen countries work together as a tight-knit team, driven by a shared belief that light is the future of data transmission. The culture is open and non-hierarchical, with plenty of room for initiative and growth. For anyone who wants to help build an organization on the verge of breaking through, this is the place and this is the moment.
Requirements*
- Over 4 years of experience in strategy consulting
- Technical degree (e.g. applied physics, electrical engineering, or semiconductor technology)
- Proven ability to translate complex technology into commercial narratives
- Strategic and analytical mindset
- Comfortable engaging with PhD-level R&D teams on technical content
- Willingness to travel internationally (mainly to the US)
Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.
We need a strong communicator with a technical background who has spent several years in strategy consulting and is now ready to own it. A team player with a can-do mentality who thrives on complexity and moves fast when it counts.
Strategy & Business Development Manager
EFFECT Photonics is transitioning from a research-driven organization into a commercial one. The first product is ready. The pipeline is real. What the company now needs is someone who can hold both worlds together: the physics and the market, the roadmap and the revenue plan.
The Strategy & Business Development Manager owns the product, business, and commercial strategy, with the US market as the primary focus. That means translating R&D milestones written in the language of indium phosphide and photonic integration into plans that resonate with investors, partners, and customers. It also means defining the right KPIs, from pricing and volume commitments to product roadmap and market positioning, and holding the organization accountable to them.
The role reports directly to Guido Bekkers VP Sales and Product Line Management and carries high visibility towards the CEO, the leadership team, and the supervisory board. It is a permanent in-house strategy function with a clear path to the leadership team, designed for someone who wants to own the work rather than advise on it. The CEO’s expectations are straightforward: he values an independent thinker who challenges the status quo, connects external market intelligence to internal decisions, and can build a compelling board narrative as readily as a product roadmap.
EFFECT Photonics is on the verge of its commercial breakthrough, and the Head of Strategy will be at the center of that story, from the first product launch to a potential acquisition. For someone ready to trade the consultant’s seat for a front-row role in one of the fastest-growing, most ambitious deep-tech companies located in the smartest square kilometer in the Netherlands, the timing is right.
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