Board Member in Board Committee (voluntary position)

Gentrepreneur is Ghent’s centre of expertise for entrepreneurial students, researchers, and youth. We support entrepreneurship from the earliest stages and build bridges between young entrepreneurs, the Ghent ecosystem, and higher education institutions. Gentrepreneur is a collaboration between educational institutions and operates without its own legal entity.

To further strengthen our strategic impact, we are looking for a Board Member to join the Board Committee.

Your Role

The Gentrepreneur Board Committee consists of 9 members: 6 representatives from educational institutions and 3 independent board members. The Chair is selected from among the independent board members. This job opening is for one of the independent board member positions.

As a Board Member, you will be part of the Board Committee and take responsibility at a strategic level. You will contribute to shaping the direction, impact, and governance of Gentrepreneur, always within the specific context in which the organisation operates.

More specifically, this means:

• helping to shape and safeguard the vision, mission, and strategic priorities;
• acting as a constructive sparring partner for the manager and team;
• overseeing good governance, continuity, and societal relevance;
• leveraging your experience and network for the benefit of Gentrepreneur and the Ghent entrepreneurial ecosystem;
• making decisions with respect for the collaboration among all affiliated educational institutions;
• taking into account that Gentrepreneur does not have a separate legal identity and that decisions must always be made within this framework;
• serving as an ambassador for Gentrepreneur.

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Practical Information

• Board meetings take place primarily in person, during office hours, in Ghent;
• commitment to an average of 4 meetings per year (4 half-day meetings), including preparation (approximately 1 hour);
• participation in several Gentrepreneur events and working group meetings.

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Your Profile

We are preferably looking for someone who:

• has experience as a young entrepreneur (you started your own business as a student, researcher, or youth);
• has a strong connection to the Ghent entrepreneurial or innovation ecosystem;
• has demonstrable board experience (e.g. board membership, advisory board role);
• understands stakeholder management and institutional contexts;
• can contribute strategically, critically, and constructively;
• has an affinity with young entrepreneurship, youth, and/or higher education;
• is willing to take on the role of Chair if necessary;
• is not affiliated with a higher education institution or one of our partners.

Diversity in background and experience is explicitly valued.

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What We Offer

• An unpaid board mandate with clear societal impact;
• the opportunity to help shape young entrepreneurship in Ghent;
• an engaged and complementary Board Committee;
• intellectual fulfillment, visibility, and strong connections within the ecosystem.

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Interested?

Please email us your motivation and a brief overview of your relevant experience. We look forward to meet and discuss mutual expectations.

Do you have any questions about the job opening? Please contact Jolien Coenraets, Manager of Gentrepreneur at 0475 30 71 54 or jolien.coenraets@gentrepreneur.be.

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Deadline

Monday, June 15 at midnight.

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