X!LEAD Innovation Programme

In our increasingly complex world, we need innovators who can make a meaningful impact. In X!LEAD you gain the skillset and experience to challenge boundaries and become a true innovator. Do you want to kickstart your career in innovation and contribute to a healthier, safer and more sustainable society? Are you not sure where you want to start your career, and would you like to experience working in both a start-up and corporate environment? Do you want to focus on personal growth, develop your strengths and discover how you can make a difference?

The X!LEAD innovation programme is a unique 1.5-year traineeship. During the programme, you will rotate on three strategic, innovative projects for six months at a fast-growing start-up and two corporates in different industries. Your personal development is at the centre of X!LEAD. We will further develop your skillset with our tailor-made development programme. Do you want to reach your full potential?

X!LEAD offers you the challenging environment needed to kickstart your career and grow into a true innovation leader.

In our programme you will:

discover your talents and learn how to create impact
become aware of different contexts and learn to act accordingly
gain insight into your energy givers and energy takers
experience what is needed to implement strategic innovation
learn from your fellow trainees and experience the X!LEAD journey together
build a network in the field of innovation

Upon successful completion of the programme, you are equipped with the necessary skillset and work experience to further your career and impact technological innovation. After concluding the programme, and based on your performance, all organisations within the X!LEAD partner network can offer you a job. For example, as Innovation Lead or Product Owner at the Strategy & Innovation department of Rabobank.

In these videos, ABN AMRO and Meatable share why they choose to join X!LEAD:

When you join the X!LEAD programme, you can expect:

Challenging strategic innovation projects in different industries at the intersection of business, strategy and technology
Work experience in both a start-up and corporate environment
An intensive tailor-made development programme aimed at developing you as a future innovation leader, organized in cooperation with the TU Delft, Roland Berger and the Rookieminds:
- Essential training on key tech developments such as robotics, AI and ethics in design
- Training to broaden your skillset necessary for disruptive innovation like storytelling, creative, and design thinking
- Courses on personal leadership to enlarge your impact
Personal coaching throughout the entire programme
An inspiring group of fellow X!LEAD trainees to learn together, share experiences and have fun with
After concluding the program you become part of the X!LEAD Community, providing you with an exclusive network of innovative thinkers

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In these videos, one of our trainees and one of our corporate partners share why they choose to join X!LEAD:

X!LEAD projects

As X!LEAD trainee, you rotate in a 1.5-year programme on strategic, innovative projects at both a fast-growing start-up and two corporates. The combination of working in both a start-up and corporate environment increases your agility and strengthens your skills required for disruptive innovation. The matching of the projects and companies takes place before the start of each phase (Let’s Start-Up, Level Up & New Horizon) through a thorough and carefully designed process, and is based on the preferences of all trainees and X!LEAD partners.

In these vlogs trainees take you on a tour to their start-up projects:

Watch Maaz's vlog

Watch Joep and Carla's vlog

In the current cohort, our trainees innovate on themes as energy transition, health, the future of work, and food transition. The trainees develop new initiatives, continue or expand research propositions, or optimize services through an X!LEAD project. Below you can find more examples of strategic innovation projects:

Starting new initiatives in an X!LEAD project:

Rabobank Carbon Bank accelerates sustainable food production that reduces and removes carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Our trainees create new business models by supporting or leading a pilot in carbon farming at Carbon Bank, such as agroforestry or by using satellite data to monitor emissions of agricultural clients.

ISISPACE Group is a small satellite scale-up that uses satellite solutions for a wide variety of missions, from training the next generation of students to testing out new technologies. Our trainees focused on emission data, which play a role in various processes at government and in the industry. Our trainees developed a satellite-as-a-service proposition for emission monitoring by analysing product-market combinations and preparing pitches.

Furthering research with an X!LEAD project:

DSM provides commercially attractive answers to challenges facing our world; how to feed everyone and keep them healthy and happy, tackle climate change, and enable a bio-based, restorative, circular economy. The challenge for our trainees is to develop cost-efficient and sustainable production for alternative proteins.

Meatable wants to satisfy the world’s appetite for meat without harming people, animals or the planet. Our trainee creates a new process from scratch for a simple microfluidic method based on the encapsulation and growth of cells. This method can protect the cells from shear stress inside the bioreactor.

Impacting internal optimization through an X!LEAD project:

ABN AMRO aims to adapt to our rapidly changing economic and social environment. In the light of sustainable IT, ABN AMRO wants to improve the way they build their IT landscape, so-called ‘Green IT’. Our trainee supports the project team on the creative and strategic change aspect while connecting different parties on sustainability and creating awareness.

Gradyent transforms heating networks in your district with a powerful Digital Twin. Our trainee creates insight into current heating networks by providing virtual simulations of physical heating networks. This digital twin allows for multiple simulation scenarios and analytics and therefore results in the most optimal settings for the network at any time and all the time.

Five reasons to join our unique programme:

Start your career wisely, kick start your career and grow into a future innovation leader by challenging yourself and gaining experience within complex strategic innovation projects
Immerse yourself in a unique experience, at both a start-up and corporate environment, which will provide you with valuable insights, enables you to discover what suits you best, and gives direction to your career in innovation
Get to know yourself even better, focus on personal growth, discover your talents and further develop your strengths and skillset through our personal approach and guidance through our tailor-made development programme
Enter the work-life with your group of trainees, learn from and with this inspiring group of peers and create a bond that lasts
Become part of our X!LEAD Community and reap the benefits for the upcoming years!

Our current trainees Barbara & Maaz about their experiences in the X!LEAD programme:

Within the X!LEAD programme, we are looking for top tech talent with an entrepreneurial mindset and essential soft skills.

Do you recognize yourself in the following?

An entrepreneurial mindset and not afraid to push boundaries
A natural curiosity, interested in innovation
Perseverance and can handle the pressure
Team player who understands the value of collaboration with a can-do mentality
A growth mindset and a positive attitude focused on solution-based thinking
Relevant experience that underpins the above
Willing to travel (in the Netherlands) because our partners are located in different places

Our next cohort of X!LEAD trainees starts again in March 2022. Do you want to know more about the job offer and apply?

What do we offer?

You will receive a 1.5-year contract from Brunel, and there will be an equal salary for all trainees:

You will gain experience at both a start-up and two corporates;
€2.050,- per month during the start-up period and € 2.800,- per month during the corporate period, based on a 40-hour working week;
Good terms of employment, such as a good pension, collective insurance and a Benefit Budget via Brunel;
39 days’ holiday during 1,5-year;
Travel allowances, f.e. a public transport card;
A laptop you can also use privately.

Requirements for application:

If you want to apply for the X!LEAD Programme, these are requirements you have to meet:

You are a (soon-to-be) graduate with a technical master’s degree from a Dutch university and have no more than two years of working experience;
You have a professional working knowledge of English; (professional working knowledge of Dutch is not required but can be an asset for specific partners);
You have legal eligibility to work in The Netherlands for the duration of the programme;
You are willing to travel (in The Netherlands) because our partners are located at different places.

Apply

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