Program Associate / Manager – Physical & Industrial AI

About the role

Plug and Play’s new Physical & Industrial AI Center of Excellence in Linz is looking for a Program Associate/Manager to run its annual program. You will coordinate events, manage startup relationships, support business development, and help build the Linz office from the ground up.

Key responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end startup journey in the Physical & Industrial AI program, including intake, mentorship, progress tracking and final reporting.
• Plan, organize and execute in‑person, hybrid and virtual events, workshops, and networking sessions, handling logistics, speaker briefings and promotion.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to produce newsletters, flyers and social media updates for program milestones.
• Help shape the new Linz office, forge relationships with universities, incubators, investors and corporate partners, and promote the ecosystem.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in event management, project management, business, entrepreneurship or a related field.
• Exceptional organizational, communication and project‑management abilities; able to juggle multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong people skills, proactive and independent work style, and a positive, motivated attitude.
• Experience planning both in‑person and virtual events.
• Passion for technology, startups and innovation; familiarity with AI trends is a plus.
• German native speaker or C1 level and excellent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to relocate to Linz and hold a full‑time work permit for Austria.

What we offer

• Access to Plug and Play’s global innovation network and leading startups, investors and corporations.
• Opportunity to work at the forefront of AI‑driven industrial innovation.
• Dynamic, international and diverse team environment.
• Direct involvement in building a new office and shaping the local ecosystem.
• Location within the LIT Open Innovation Centre at Johannes Kepler University.