Responsable Relation

Vates is a French software company specializing in virtualization, offering a credible alternative to proprietary solutions on the market. Our Vates VMS solution enables companies to manage their IT infrastructures in a simple, efficient, and controlled way.

Your Responsibilities

Institutional Partnerships Development: Identify, initiate, and maintain partnerships with higher education institutions (universities, business and engineering schools, technical institutes, vocational high schools) and research laboratories, both in France and internationally, in coordination with the Head of Public Affairs.

Educational Programs & Resources: Work with the Head of Internal Training to adapt Vates content (certifications, documentation, training materials) to the specific needs of academic programs. Contribute to the creation of educational materials (lab sessions, case studies, course modules) around XCP-gX and Xen Orchestra. Support teachers and trainers in integrating the Vates stack into their curricula.

Education Business Development: In collaboration with the Revenue team, design and deploy offerings tailored to the education sector: academic licenses, lab programs, internal infrastructure (hypervisors, storage, etc.). Identify opportunities to deploy the Vates stack within institutional IT infrastructures.

Tech Alliances & Academic Co-Marketing: In collaboration with the Alliances Manager, develop technological or co-marketing partnerships with universities and research centers (chairs, joint labs, publications). Represent Vates at academic events and bodies (conferences, trade shows, academic committees).

Community & Evangelism: In coordination with the Community Manager / DevRel, leverage the education network as a growth driver for the Vates open-source community. Build and manage a network of academic ambassadors (students, professors, researchers).

Innovation & Funding: In collaboration with the Innovation Funding Manager, identify and build collaborative project proposals with universities and research labs (ANR, Horizon Europe, CIFRE, regional calls for projects, etc.). Ensure relational and administrative follow-up of these projects with academic partners. Design and manage Vates’ internship, apprenticeship, and CIFRE PhD programs: identify target institutions, define topics with technical teams, coordinate with HR for candidate onboarding and follow-up.

Engagement & Visibility: Organize student competitions and hackathons focused on open source, aimed at generating concrete contributions to XCP-gX / Xen Orchestra. Participate in academic interventions (conferences, guest lectures, roundtables) to present Vates and its solutions.

Talent Pipeline & Academic HR Relations: Support HR and technical teams in building and managing a talent pipeline (internships, apprenticeships, CIFRE PhDs, entry-level roles) in collaboration with project teams. Structure partnerships with academic programs and institutions that are key talent sources. Implement identification and pre-recruitment initiatives (projects, hackathons, academic interventions).

Why join us

At VATES, you will find a flexible work environment, a supportive and approachable team, and a role that makes a real impact on a daily basis.

Location

Our offices are based in Grenoble or Paris, but we operate on a fully remote model to provide greater flexibility and daily work comfort. You are free to work 100% remotely or come on-site occasionally, depending on your preferences.

Benefits

• Meal vouchers
• Health insurance coverage funded at 50% by the company
• Benefits provided by the Works Council (employee discounts, cinema tickets, etc.)
• Employee savings plan (PEE)
• Profit-sharing scheme
• Annual bonus
• 100% remote work

As part of our diversity and inclusion policy, this position is open to all candidates, regardless of gender.

Profile required

Help shape the future of tech education by building strategic partnerships with universities and developing the next generation of talent in open source and digital infrastructure.

Master’s degree (Engineering school, University, or Business school with a strong interest in technology). 3 to 7 years of experience in a similar role: institutional relations, partnership development, or education program management in a tech or open-source environment.

Key Skills

• Strong knowledge of the French (and ideally European) education landscape: key stakeho