About Crystalloids
Founded in 2006, Crystalloids is a Premier Google Cloud Partner specialized in building data-driven, cloud-native solutions. Our talented team of software and data specialists empowers leading organizations such as Rituals, Swiss Sense, FD Mediagroep, and Body & Fit to grow and innovate using the power of cloud technology. At Crystalloids, we believe that successful digital transformation depends equally on people, processes, and technology, and we always deliver with that holistic view in mind.
We’re looking for a Head of Innovation who can lead our strategic innovation efforts, foster standardization, and shape the future of how we work and what we offer.
What You’ll Do
As Head of Innovation, you will drive innovation and standardisation across the organization, acting at the intersection of technology, sales, and delivery. You'll lead cross-functional initiatives that scale impact, reduce complexity, and maintain our competitive edge as a cloud-native solutions partner.
Main responsibilities and tasks
Strategic Leadership
- Define and evolve the innovation and standardisation strategy in line with company goals.
- Build and maintain an innovation roadmap to guide long-term differentiation.
- Advise the Management Team on emerging trends and opportunities.
- Lead initiatives that improve delivery scalability and reduce operational complexity.
Innovation Management & Delivery
- Build frameworks for ideation, experimentation, and validation.
- Facilitate idea generation across departments and shepherd MVPs into operational success.
- Contribute technically to innovation projects, especially using Google Cloud technologies.
- Productize repeatable solutions and manage the full product lifecycle.
- Champion internal education and mentor tech leads on innovation best practices.
Commercial Enablement
- Partner with Sales and Marketing on presales, pitch development, and customer storytelling.
- Align with Google Partner Engineers and represent Crystalloids at events and meetups.
- Translate technical advances into clear customer value and market offerings.
Experience and qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Informatics, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Cloud Expertise: Proven hands-on experience with the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) ecosystem; strong understanding of cloud-native solution patterns and modern data architectures.
Product Management Experience: Over 7 years of experience in product management, solution architecture, or leading technical initiatives related to cloud and data platforms.
Consulting Background: Proven experience in a consulting environment or within a partner ecosystem, delivering tailored solutions to meet diverse client needs.
Technical Proficiency: Deep familiarity with tools such as BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Cloud Composer / Apache Airflow, dbt, Dataform, and Terraform (infrastructure as code). Experience using version control systems (e.g., Git) and managing scalable cloud environments.
Programming Languages: Solid coding background in Java and/or Python, with advanced knowledge of SQL. Competency in scripting (e.g., Shell scripting) and automation for cloud operations.
Methodologies & Dev Practices: Demonstrated experience with Agile development (Scrum), Test-Driven Development (TDD), and CI/CD pipelines. Strong foundation in object-oriented design, modeling using UML, and modern software engineering practices.
Soft Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Skilled at collaborating across cross-functional teams and disciplines. Ability to document complex solutions and workflows clearly and effectively.
Certifications: One or more Google Cloud Professional Certifications (e.g., Developer, Data Engineer, Architect) are highly preferred. Additional certifications such as Product Owner or relevant Agile/PM credentials are a plus.
Other Requirements:
- Reside in the Netherlands
- Possess fluency in English (written and spoken); Dutch language skills are a plus.
What we offer
- Work in an international environment with a vibrant social support network
- Competitive salary with an interesting bonus and pension scheme
- Excellent work/life balance and up to 28 days of annual leave
- Work primarily from our vibrant Rotterdam office, with opportunities to visit clients' offices, fostering collaboration and engagement in dynamic professional environments
- A laptop and first-class travel arrangements by public transport
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth through various technical courses.
