Vacant job

Welcome to a mission where you make a real difference – both today and in the long term!

IUC Öst is in a phase of building and expansion. The company was started less than a year ago, which means we are still developing working methods, offerings, and project formats – you will be part of shaping how this will look in the future.

In industrial development, we are currently three colleagues who, together with the CEO, work operationally with assignments out in the companies.

Your tasks As an industrial developer, you will work closely with small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in the region and support them in their development journeys. The assignment involves understanding the companies' current situation, identifying potential, and together with management creating direction in their continued development work.

In the role, you will:

• Map industrial activities through dialogue, business visits, and analysis

• Identify opportunities related to, for example, competitiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and skills

• Work closely with company management in change and development work related to production

• Translate needs into concrete actions – sometimes through IUC Öst's own offerings, sometimes by involving other regional or national actors

• Coach companies in their development projects

• Administer and register completed company visits, apply for project funding for performed actions

• Represent IUC Öst in regional and national collaborations and networks

The work often takes place independently or together with a colleague in close collaboration with the companies, but you also have a broad network of partners locally, regionally, and nationally to rely on. In many assignments, you act as a cohesive link between the companies' needs and the support available in the innovation and promotion system (for example, Almi, Science Parks, or other regional support actors).

A central part of the role is to be able to see things that are not always obvious to the companies themselves – for example, inefficiencies, bottlenecks, skills needs, or development potential in processes, technology, and organization – and contribute with structure, perspective, and guidance in their continued work.

Your profile To succeed in the role, you have experience from the manufacturing industry, preferably in a leading or operationally close development role where you have worked with challenges typical of an industrial environment.

We believe you have:

• Experience in improvement work within, for example, LEAN, production, quality, or business development

• Good understanding of industrial processes and how organization, technology, and working methods interact

• The ability to quickly build trust and establish long-term relationships

• A coaching approach – where you can both listen and challenge in a respectful manner

• Confidence in working independently and creating structure in a developing organization

• A desire to build offerings for customers while we build a brand and the internal team

The work involves ongoing contact with a large number of companies and a continuous focus on establishing new relationships. Therefore, you need to thrive in a role where much of your time is spent on dialogue, meetings, and outreach work; you are attracted to being out in the operations and working closely with management and employees in their change work. To thrive long-term in the role, you should therefore draw energy from working with people and constantly building new contacts. You are a curious and relationship-building person driven by seeing companies and individuals develop. The role also involves leading networks, seminars, or workshops in certain contexts – which requires you to be comfortable taking the stage while also having the ability to uplift and involve others.

You have a genuine interest in strengthening the industry in Östergötland and want to contribute your experience where it is most useful.

Swedish and English in speech and writing are a requirement.

About the company IUC, or Industrial Development Centers, is a national actor aimed at supporting Sweden's industrial companies in their development. The IUC network consists of over 20 regional actors working to promote sustainability and competitiveness through various programs and services. IUC is a national network with over 2300 owners and members. IUC has a clear mission: to develop Sweden's small and medium-sized industrial companies.

Since 2015, Skill has been an important partner for the IUC network. After a mapping conducted in 2024, it was determined that an IUC company should be created and designed to support manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in Östergötland. IUC Öst was launched in 2025 as a subsidiary of Skill. The business will focus on two main areas: industrial development and skills supply.

We create a competent, attractive, and competitive industry in Östergötland!

Application If you have questions about the position, please contact Lena Johansson at 070-852 32 36 or [email protected]

We apply rolling selection, so do not hesitate to submit your application if you feel this could be your next step.

Warm welcome with your application!