Business Developer SmellWise - NL-Lab

Give wings to a new cultural venture in scent

Curious organiser with an entrepreneurial spirit wanted

Do you have a sharp nose for new ideas, and the drive to turn them into reality? Are you energised by culture, creativity and experimentation at the intersection of science, heritage and storytelling?

We are looking for a creative go-getter to help launch and grow a bold new venture in scent education, olfactory heritage and sensory storytelling. You will work alongside a distinctive team of entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and scientists who are setting out to rethink how we experience culture through the sense of smell.

This role starts as a one day per week appointment (for two years) as Business Developer, with the clear ambition that both the role and the venture will grow together.

About the venture

We are a passionate, interdisciplinary team of scientists, fragrance experts and heritage professionals. Together, we are building a new consultancy dedicated to scent storytelling and the cultural meaning of smell.

Cultural heritage today is about more than what we see. Museums, cultural institutions and creative organisations are increasingly exploring multisensory experiences — and scent can play a powerful, surprising role. But how do you do this meaningfully? Which stories are worth telling? And how can smell become purposeful, ethical and impactful rather than gimmicky?

We develop innovative research methods and creative tools that make the cultural, historical and emotional power of scent tangible for broad audiences.

Our ambition is twofold:

• To advise the cultural sector on the thoughtful integration of sensory experiences
• To experiment boldly with new formats, services and initiatives in olfactory and sensorial storytelling

Your role

You will play a central role in building this company from the ground up. The position is intentionally broad, combining strategy, creativity and hands-on execution.

You will:

• Help shape and refine the business plan
• Support business development, building networks and target audiences, identifying opportunities and translating client needs into compelling projects
• Act as project manager, helping create structure and momentum within a young organisation
• Bring creative input into the development of new products, services and formats
• Connect cultural institutions, researchers and scent designers to co-create new olfactory narratives
• Lead communications, including website content, social media, client communication, press relations and events
• Support light administrative tasks (quotes, invoices, minutes and basic financial tracking)

As the venture grows, your role can grow with it, in scope, responsibility and time commitment.

Who we are looking for

You are curious, entrepreneurial and unafraid of unexplored paths. You enjoy giving ideas their first push, and helping them become real.

We imagine you:

• Have an affinity with scent, sensory research, culture or heritage
• Thrive in early-stage environments, where not everything is defined yet
• Spot unexpected connections and enjoy opening new doors
• Are comfortable working independently and taking initiative

You bring:

• A completed Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (for example in heritage studies, (art) history, design or a related field)
• Experience with project-based and/or business-oriented work
• An excellent command of Dutch and English

Your strengths:

• Creative and imaginative
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Able to set priorities and work independently
• Strong organisational skills
• Comfortable juggling ideas, people and projects

Your workplace

You will join an inspiring, collegial and motivated team, working on innovative research with real societal relevance. There is ample room for initiative, creativity and personal development, and a genuine opportunity to help shape a potentially fast-growing cultural enterprise from the inside.

About Meertens

The Meertens Institute, together with the International Institute of Social History and the Huygens ING, is part of the KNAW Humanities Cluster. This is a partnership in which research in the humanities (history, ethnology, literature, linguistics) is carried out using advanced methods, in which computer science plays an important role.

The Meertens Institute is a national institute for research and documentation of the Dutch language and culture, and language and culture in the Netherlands. It consists of the research groups Ethnology and Variational Linguistics, both of which hold leading positions in international research on everyday language and culture.

Terms of employment

• Temporary appointment: 2 years
• Start: August 15 2026

Salary (full-time equivalent): €3,057–€3,546 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 7.0–7.5, Dutch Universities/KNAW CAO).

• 8% holiday allowance
• 8.3% year-end bonus
• Travel allowance
• Internet and home working allowance
• Pension accrual with ABP

The KNAW offers an excellent and flexible package of secondary benefits, tailored to different life stages and career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

A Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) may be required. Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.