The Netherlands Consulate General in San Francisco is looking for a Startup Liaison Officer. This job is fulltime (40 hours per week).

The Netherlands Consulate General in San Francisco supports Dutch companies in the US market, particularly focused on helping small-and-medium-sized Dutch enterprises, including startups, grow their business in the US West Coast. The CG provides market information, identifies opportunities and connects interested parties in the public and private sector.

The Netherlands Government celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to foster an inclusive environment within its organization. Individuals interested in advancing these diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Agnes Koppelman (Deputy Consul General), email: agnes.koppelman@minbuza.nl, or  Mr. Michael Dooijes (Startup Liaison Officer), e-mail: michael.dooijes@minbuza.nl

Application letters with resume, both in English, should be addressed to:

Consulate General of the Netherlands
Attn: Mrs. Agnes Koppelman
One Montgomery Street, Suite 3100
San Francisco, CA 94104
United States,

and be submitted via email to: SFN-HR@minbuza.nl.

Closing date for applications: 7 March 2025

Starting date: 15 May 2025

Indicative monthly gross salary: 11,699.00 (pay scale 10, step 0)

*This vacancy is open to internal (local employees and partners of officials posted to a Mission in the US)  and external candidates. If a local employee and a partner of an official posted to a Mission are equally qualified, the local employee shall be given priority. Furthermore, if a local employee and an external candidate are equally qualified , the local employee shall be given priority.

** As per US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), employers in the US are required to ensure that all employees have the legal right to work in the US. Under US State Department requirements, the embassy and our consulates may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or “A” visa holders. There is a max term for A2 visa holders of 5 years, the Netherlands Embassy / Consulate General cannot sponsor any work permits for family members.

General job description

 

The Startup Liaison Officer for the Netherlands in the US plays a pivotal role in strengthening the Netherlands’ startup ecosystem. Based in Silicon Valley, at the Netherlands Consulate-General in San Francisco, this position focuses on supporting Dutch startups and scale-ups as they navigate the U.S. market. You will leverage your extensive experience, networks and insights to help Dutch startups in succeeding in the U.S. Activities include helping top tier Dutch startups to raise funding, connecting a Dutch ecosystem player to relevant contacts in a U.S. ecosystem, and (shared leadership) responsibility for ScaleNL programming such as the ScaleNL Accelerators and the Academic Startup Program.

The role is based in San Francisco, but together with the Startup Liaison in NY (Consulate General in New York), you will serve as a liaison for all the entire Dutch economic network in the US: the Embassy in Washington D.C., Consulates-General in New York, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta, and the Netherlands Business Support Offices in Houston, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Together with the Startup Liaison Officer in NY you form part of a worldwide network of Startup Liaisons in London, Berlin, Paris and Singapore.

You build up a network in the community of local entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry partners to increase the success of Dutch startups in the U.S. You are a strategic thinker and bring a sound business judgement. You are able to push the needle and think about what is – and what could be.

Result areas and related duties

• Identify and engage with Dutch startup ecosystem players potentially interested in the U.S., to leverage opportunities, through personal and event networking, tech meetups, direct outreach, via ecosystem partners and industry research;
• Build connections with venture capitalists, local (Dutch) startup entrepreneurs,, academia, local government officials and industry experts in the key startup ecosystems in the U.S., mainly Silicon Valley;
• Build, collaborate and maintain relationships with NL’s key startup ecosystem players, such as Techleap, the ROM’s, local incubators and accelerators;
• Understand and stay current on the key U.S. startup ecosystems, industry trends and technology developments, and deliver insights and recommendations to Dutch entrepreneurs, investors and others interested in the U.S.;
• Provide strategic guidance, goal setting and inspiring the Netherlands diplomatic network in the U.S. on startup entrepreneurship. Responsible for US-wide activities and works together with startup colleagues at the other Dutch representations, primarily with the Startup Liaison NY;
• Actively contribute to the success of the Consulate General as a whole. The SLO is part of  the Economic Department (EA) headed by the Deputy Consul General and collaborates closely with the colleagues of the EA, the Innovation Attaché Network (IA) and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA)) – all as One Team;
• The Startup Liaison Office in the US works as a close collaboration between the SLO based in San Francisco and in New York. Both Liaison officers serve as one team, covering the US;
• Manage  the ScaleNL programming, activities, events and incoming/outgoing (high level/c-level) delegations, incl. responsibility for ScaleNL budget and reporting on progress and results;
• Team management of ScaleNL team;
• Acquisition new (corporate) partners, mentors, advisors for ScaleNL program;
• Recruitment and selection of top startup founders to the various ScaleNL programming;
• Advising the management team of the Consulate-General on policy making and policy implementation choices, taking into account of political, social and organizational feasibility and issues;
• Liaising with policy makers at ministries in the Netherlands and advising them on startup activities in the U.S.

Related duties

• Policy plans are effectively translated into implementation plans, and implementation is monitored and evaluated.
• Meetings/incoming and outgoing missions/products/promotions are arranged in accordance with relevant time-, quality- and budget-based agreements.
• Enquiries are handled and coordinated effectively and in good time.
• Products/trade missions/promotions/services/initiatives are tailored to the local context, and the right conditions are created to ensure effective implementation.
• Relevant signals from the political sphere, society and the policy implementation arena are followed up, problems are addressed, and necessary adjustments are made.
• Decisions are taken in accordance with the applicable internal and external frameworks/rules/agreements.
• Inside and outside the organization, the startup liaison officer has positioned themselves as an expert on their own policy issues and as is seen as a valued partner.
• Collaborating and synchronizing activities across borders with the global Startup Liaison network in London, Berlin, Paris and Singapore.
• The startup liaison officer is capable of building, maintaining and utilizing a relevant network within both the business and government communities.
• Systems/records are kept in good order.

Work environment

The Consulate General (CG) in San Francisco is a medium-sized diplomatic post with 4 seconded diplomats and 21 local employees and is active in the fields of economic and technological cooperation, innovation, climate policy, the promotion of Dutch culture & art, public diplomacy and consular advocacy. The working language at the office is English and the office is situated in downtown San Francisco.

The Consulate General in San Francisco is part of the network of Dutch missions in the US, that consists of the Embassy in Washington D.C. and 5 CGs (Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco). CG San Francisco serves a jurisdiction that covers the thirteen western states (including Alaska and Hawaii), an area of ​​approximately 116 x the Netherlands. The center of gravity of the work is in the state of California.

Economic and technological cooperation and trade and investment, the promotion of Dutch culture and public diplomatic activities are shaped in the Economic Cluster of the CG, consisting of Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), Economic Department (EA), the Innovation Attaché Network (IA) and the Netherlands Business Support Offices (NBSO) based in Los Angeles and Phoenix. The 8 honorary consuls within the jurisdiction of the CG fulfill an important supporting role in the performance of tasks.

The startup liaison officer is part of the Consulate’s Economic Cluster headed by the Deputy Consul General. The Officer will work closely together with other (startup) Economic Officers at our different locations in the US (CG’s + NBSO’s), and more specifically with the Startup Liaison in NY as One Team, the Honorary Consuls within our region and reports to the deputy Consul General in San Francisco.

Job requirements

Knowledge and experience requirements:

• Master’s degree or equivalent practical experience in business or engineering.
• At least 8 years work experience in a startup ecosystem in NL or the US (e.g. tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, partner or MD at an incubator or accelerator, strategy management consultant).
• Direct operator experience (e.g., leading or scale a company) is highly valued and considered a strong advantage.
• Fluency in English (both spoken and written), knowledge of Dutch is a pre.
• Strong written capabilities and excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to conduct presentations for large and diverse audiences. Excellent stage presence.
• Thorough knowledge of and an established and broad network in NL and/or Silicon Valley startup ecosystems (preferably in both).
• Demonstrated skills in networking, relationship management, community building and dealing with external parties, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to operate with a high level of independence and autonomy, within a multi-leveled organization.
• Results-oriented and proactive, at the same time looking for synergies and collaboration across teams.
• Is able to represent the Netherlands in the US with autonomy and seniority, for example during startup conferences, interactions with media and other events.
• Knows how to balance between entrepreneurship and the realities of working for a government. Can be a good partner for entrepreneurs and VC’s, but is also able to advice and interact on the political and high officials level.
• Strong project management skills, including demonstrated ability to think end-to-end, manage multiple project simultaneously.

Specific competences

• Customer-oriented
• Relationship management
• Planning & organization skills
• Result-oriented
• Networking skills
• Creativity
• Analytical skills
• Strategic thinker
• Organizational sensitivity

General description

This position requires that you will be able to work with substantial autonomy and work collaboratively with other team members across disciplines. You also must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with demanding stakeholders, high standards and at times heavy workload.

The CG is looking for a creative and result oriented person with a strong pro-active attitude. We expect you to ta a pro-active role in advancing the objectives of the Netherlands in the startup field (you’re a self-starter), but you are also a team player and you value a positive team spirit. The position also requires the demonstrated ability to solve business problems quickly and creatively; pivoting is your second nature.

You are hands-on and with a positive attitude and know how to get people on board. You understand entrepreneurs and know how to speak their language and you have a good understanding of the role of the government. You are a networker and easy in connecting people. You are comfortable communicating with a range of counterparts, ranging from CEO’s of large companies, managing Partners of Venture Capital Funds to young starting entrepreneurs, fresh out of academia. You have strong analytical skills and a good sense for spotting opportunities and translating them into concrete actions. You are willing to work occasional evenings and weekends; travel is expected and encouraged.

Knowledge of the Dutch language is desirable, but not a condition.

Additional comments

The Netherlands Government celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive work environment within its organization. Individuals interested in advancing these diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply.