Program Manager - iF Academy (all genders)

At Impossible Founders, we're building Germany's boldest DeepTech Startup Factory. Our mission: to turn disruptive technologies into real businesses that change the world. We partner with top researchers, fearless entrepreneurs, and leading institutions to launch ventures in fields such as AI, quantum technology, new materials, and GreenTech. If you're ready to build what others think is impossible, this is your place.

As our Program Manager Academy for Entrepreneurship Awareness & Education, you will inspire students and researchers to explore entrepreneurship and help them take their first steps towards becoming founders. You will design and deliver Academy formats that turn curiosity into entrepreneurial ambition, help participants develop their scientific ideas into early venture concepts, and build a strong pipeline into our incubation and acceleration programs.

Within the Impossible Founders Academy you will own our entrepreneurship-awareness and education formats from concept to delivery. You will target the right group of participants, coordinate internal and external stakeholders, facilitate workshops and events, and continuously improve our awareness programs based on participant feedback, measurable outcomes, and international best practices. As we grow, you will continuously deepen our expertise and expand our network in this area, with plenty of room to develop and take ownership.

Entrepreneurship Awareness & Education

• Own and grow our founder Academy awareness formats: design, plan, and run summer schools, hackathons, bootcamps, workshops, and new experimental formats that move teams from idea to traction.
• Develop Academy formats that plant the seed of an entrepreneurial mindset in high schools.
• Facilitate workshops and learning experiences that make entrepreneurship accessible, practical, and relevant to scientific audiences.
• Keep us ahead of the curve: benchmark our initiatives nationally and internationally, spot trends in entrepreneurship and science based spinoffs, and turn them into actionable improvements that will enable our startups to succeed.

Ecosystem & Partnerships

• Build an ecosystem: develop and maintain partnerships with startups, experts and universities to unlock pilots, workshops top-tier expertise for our startups.

Community, Events & Experience

• Create moments that founders remember — organize high-energy events, workshops, and networking formats that spark collaborations, deal flow, and honest peer learning.

Impact, Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Make impact visible and fundable — track progress, monitor outcomes, and translate results into crisp reports for management and funding bodies, showing what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next.

The role of Program Manager iF Academy calls for someone who loves to install an entrepreneurial mindset in students, PhDs and Postdocs. Someone who can reach the targeted group of people, develop workshops and formats that will lead them from their idea to being a founder and enabling founders to move forward. You understand what it takes to turn ideas into companies – through experience in startup or innovation programs, as an investor in DeepTech startups, or by working closely with founders. You navigate confidently between structure and flexibility and feel at home in scientific institutions and the startup ecosystem.
Because Impossible Founders is still in an early build-up phase, we’re looking for someone with a strong hands-on mentality. You like to take ownership, test formats, and iterate quickly based on feedback. You’re not afraid to get into the operational details and at the same time, you keep the overall founder journey in mind.

What matters most to us

• Experience in entrepreneurial education, awareness building, or the design and delivery of startup or innovation programs
• Experience developing and facilitating workshops, bootcamps, hackathons, or comparable learning formats
• Solid understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation management, or tech-driven business models
• Strong organizational skills and a structured, reliable way of working – you keep track of many moving parts
• Strong communication skills and knowledge of how to talk to different stakeholder groups. A plus would be an understanding of how marketing and communication play a role in adressing the targeted group of people.
• High ownership and a proactive mindset – you spot what’s needed and make it happen
• Genuine motivation to support founders and tech ideas, not just “run a program”
• Team-oriented, collaborative working style – you enjoy building things together rather than alone

Additionally, it would be a plus if you bring

• First experience as a founder, co-founder, or core team member in a startup
• Experience in working with public or private partners (e.g. universities, corporates, funding bodies)
• Familiarity with startup ecosystems
• Experience in moderating workshops, mentoring formats, or community-building activities

At Impossible Founders, the people behind the impossible are the most important catalyst. That's why we do everything we can to create a collaborative working environment:

• Responsibility & autonomy: You take on real responsibility from day one and have the freedom to actively shape your role and the company. Output counts, and you are given the freedom you need to do your job in the best possible way.
• Flexible & family-friendly working: We offer a high degree of flexibility through our hybrid work setup. Mondays are our shared office day, while on other days you can choose whether to work remotely or from the office — depending on what works best for your role, team, and personal circumstances.
• Meaningful mission & impact: You will work on projects that address real challenges in AI, climate tech, and beyond. You will achieve impact and visibility by working closely with founders, researchers, and leading partners.
• Collaborative culture & diversity: We cultivate a collaborative culture—practical, ego-free, and driven by shared responsibility. Our team is characterized by diversity and openness. The company language is English so that everyone feels welcome.

Attractive working conditions:

• 30 days of vacation
• Deutschlandticket
• International team and English as company language
• Central office in a prime location
• Choice of your own hardware