Business Developer Energy-Positive Build Environment

Want to make your mark on our time? Become a Business Developer Energy Positive Built Environment at TNO in Delft!

About this position

The urgency is clear: the energy transition is driving rapid growth in electric applications within buildings such as heat pumps, electric mobility, and local solar generation. At the same time, the electricity grid is increasingly reaching its limits, resulting in grid congestion. That’s why flexibility solutions are essential: by intelligently controlling when energy is used or generated, peak loads can be avoided without sacrificing comfort. TNO develops the knowledge and innovations needed to make buildings and neighborhoods more sustainable, better, faster, healthier, more affordable and nature inclusive.

What will be your role?

In this role, you will work on developing and bringing market innovations that enable homes, utility buildings, and neighborhoods to become energy positive, with a special focus on flexibility solutions that help prevent grid congestion.

Your work focuses on four promising TNO propositions:

• Smart control of heat pumps based on thermal forecasting and Model Predictive Control to reduce simultaneous demand peaks while maintaining comfort.
• Energy profile forecasting for congestion free homes, utility buildings, and neighborhoods: a design model that accurately predicts electricity demand during the planning phase.
• Dynamic flexibility forecasting for utility buildings and collective systems: a model that predicts available flexibility and helps avoid penalties or unnecessary investments.
• Development of technologies for all electric public real estate, such as schools and hospitals.

In your role you will:

• Identify market needs, opportunities, early adopters, and new partnerships.
• Support researchers with market exploration and help refine propositions.
• Assess, together with TNO Ventures, which solutions are suitable for spin offs or licensing models.
• Build collaborations with companies, governments and other research institutions.
• Develop project proposals and form consortia for innovation programs.
• Conduct client meetings, manage contract negotiations, and maintain relationships across the broader ecosystem.
• Represent TNO at conferences, trade fairs, and relevant professional networks.

What we expect from you

You are energized by working at the intersection of innovation (technical and social), societal impact and entrepreneurship. You connect interests, assess market potential and guide strategic decision making with clarity.

You also bring:

• A master’s degree in (technical) business administration, architecture, energy engineering, or a comparable field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in the energy transition, the built environment, innovation and/or business development.
• Affinity with energy flexibility, building installations, heat pumps or digital design models is a strong plus.
• Experience with spin off creation, IP valorisation or licensing models is a clear advantage.
• Excellent communication skills in both Dutch and English, a collaborative mindset, and experience in developing strategic market positions at senior level.

What you'll get in return

Challenging and varied work with a real impact. And plenty of opportunities as, at TNO, you are in charge of shaping your career. In addition, you will be given every opportunity to develop yourself.

TNO offers optional employee benefits, enabling you to tailor your benefits package to match your personal situation. You may also expect:

• An extremely professional, innovative working environment where colleagues are leading experts in their field.
• The opportunity to attend courses, workshops and conferences, and to receive training and coaching based on your needs.
• 33 days annual leave plus a flexible holiday that can be used on a cultural, religious, or otherwise important day of your choosing (on a full-time basis).
• Flexible working hours, the possibility to work parttime (32 or 36 hours) and the possibility of working from home.
• A good pension scheme.

TNO as an employer

Our people are at the heart of TNO. Their curiosity, expertise and entrepreneurial mindset make it possible to deliver high-impact research and innovations that contribute to society’s sustainable wellbeing and prosperity.

Your talent and ambition have every opportunity to flourish at TNO. You work with experts (both within and beyond TNO), have access to advanced technology and the freedom to explore, experiment and innovate. Our strength lies in independence, reliability and collaboration. By working with businesses and government, and by connecting different perspectives, we strengthen our innovative capability and create responsible, meaningful results.

At TNO, we believe this is our time to help society, government and business move forward faster. Together with driven colleagues, you turn knowledge into concrete innovations or ventures that truly make a difference by combining the power of science and entrepreneurship. And in doing so, you make your mark on our time.