KIC InnoEnergy Project Manager

Competence Profile

KIC InnoEnergy SE

© Copyright KIC InnoEnergy

The copyright in this work is vested in KIC InnoEnergy and the information contained herein is confidential. This work, in whole or in part, must not be reproduced or disclosed to others or used for purposes other than that for which it is without KIC InnoEnergy prior written permission, or any part hereof is furnished by virtue of a contract with a third party, expressly authorized under that contract.

Documentation control

Version / Change description / Author
Date / Revised by
Date / Approved by
Date
1.0 / First version / Frank Diedrich
29.11.2013 / EB
16.12.2013 / Diego Pavia
16.1.2014
2.0 / Mission and role paragraph re-written to draw more attention to the business and contracting aspects. / Andre Haverkort
19-08-2014
2.1 / Textual changes based on feedback from Working Group PMO / Andre Haverkort
19-09-2014

Changes since last version

  • Framework updated based on branding document
  • Mission and role paragraph re-written
  • Reporting section simplified
  • Other small changes to emphasize the senior leadership skills

Distribution control

Owner:PMO, André Haverkort

Approved by: KIC SE CEO, Diego Pavia

Signature:

Distribution:EB, INDU, PMO’s, innovation project managers

File reference

CIP16-1 Annex 7 – Role of KIC Innovation Project Manager

Contents

Framework

Mission, role & responsibilities

Key Qualifications

Code of conduct / values

Nomination and Reporting

Working environment

Support from KIC InnoEnergy

Key milestones and interactions of the Project manager role

Framework

KIC InnoEnergy is a European company dedicated to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and education in the sustainable energy field by bringing together academics, business and research institutes.Our goal is to make a positive impact on sustainable energy in Europe. We do this by creating future game changers with a different mind-set, and bringing innovative products, services and successful companies to life.

With our headquarters in the Netherlands, we develop our activities across a network of offices located in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Sweden. More than 150 partners contribute to KIC InnoEnergy’s activities, forming a first class and dynamic network that is always open to new entrants. Our 27 shareholders are committed to a 7 year industrial plan in which they pledge to mobilise €700 million of resources during the period 2011-2015 alone.

KIC InnoEnergy is financially supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and, while a profit-oriented company, has a “not for dividend” financial strategy, reinvesting all its profits back into the organisation’s activities.

Mission, role & responsibilities

One of the activities of KIC InnoEnergy is to invest in project consortia that will get innovative products and services out of the lab and successfully launch them on the European and global markets. The mission of the project manager is to lead theseinnovation projects towards it’s agreed objectives within operating boundaries and constraints given by the project partners and KIC InnoEnergy.

A KIC InnoEnergy innovation project contains all the relevant innovation aspects as there are:

Market, Customer, Society, Technology, IP, Operations, Business plan, Finance and Project plan.

The project manager is responsible for:

•Definition of an integral project plan, agreed by all project partners.

•Managing the project in accordance to the plan resulting in delivery of the defined results, within budget and schedule targets.

•Reporting periodically the progress and status to the partners in theproject steering board and preparing corrective and preventive actions to mitigate risks that endanger the objectives of the project.

•Complying with the planning and reporting procedures as required by EIT and agreed with KIC InnoEnergy.

Key qualifications

  • Academic degree, preferably in a discipline combining technical and business matters
  • Knowledge of project management methods
  • Knowledgeable with concepts of business strategy and business development, familiar with concepts such as business case and return on investment
  • Basic technical and market knowledge for the topics covered by the project
  • Very fluent in English;knowledge of additional European languages is a plus
  • Strong leadership and communication skills proven in multinational, multidisciplinary teams
  • More than 5 years of experience as project manager, preferably with experience in industry projects
  • More than 3 years of Industrial experience, at least on a cooperation level
  • Preferably experience with EU grants and public funding for research and technology projects (i.e.FP7)

Code of conduct/ values

  • Output oriented
  • Dedicated
  • Team spirit and ability to engage others
  • Trustable
  • Proactive
  • Team spirit
  • Foster right working climate

Nomination and reporting

The KIC project manager is identified, selected and appointed by the project consortium. The CEO of the local KIC office might be a consultant to the project consortium in this process.

The KIC project manager reports on the project execution to the project steering board (PSB) that might decide that the reporting line is to the chairman of the PSB.

The KIC Project Manager reports to the CEO of the local KIC officeon the business case for KIC InnoEnergy, including reports on the feasibility study, project execution and project closure,all being important drivers to the business case for KIC InnoEnergy. He further reports on the KIC InnoEnergy KPIs and any other contractual topics of importance.

The PSB or its chairman gives guidance to the KIC project manager with respect to the project objectives, the business case for KIC InnoEnergy, the project‘s business case and the feasibility study.

The CEO of the local KIC office gives guidance to the KIC project manager on the business case for KIC InnoEnergy, on the KIC InnoEnergy KPIs and on contractual topics. He further gives recommendations on the business case and on the feasibility study.

Working environment

  • Project partners
  • Project team
  • Other project stakeholders
  • KIC InnoEnergy functional departments (controlling, legal, …)
  • KIC InnoEnergy CEO of the local KIC office
  • Other project managers

Support from KIC InnoEnergy

  • Documentation of the main KIC InnoEnergy processes (
  • KIC InnoEnergy Guideline ‘Governance of Innovation Projects’ (available from CEO of the local KIC office)
  • Information and communication tools such as a collaborative environment for project documentation management (provided by the KIC InnoEnergy ICT group)
  • KIC InnoEnergy has installed a Project Management Office (PMO) for guidance and support of project stakeholders with the objective to establish excellence in projects.

Key milestones and interactions of the project manager role

Milestones with specific importance for the KIC project manager are:

  • Signature of the project agreement contract, including exhibits 1.1 (project plan), 1.2 (intellectual property) and 1.3 (project budget)
  • Monthly project progress review & assessment with the project team & other stakeholders
  • Quarterlyreview meetings with KIC InnoEnergy (in January, April, July and October)
  • Revised financial forecasts twice a year (in January and July)
  • Establishment of the project’s contribution to the KIC InnoEnergy annual business plan (in August and September)
  • Annual performance and cost reporting as the project’s contribution to the KIC report on the grant agreement (From January until March)

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