Reference

Brightlands interviewer map

Use this right before the interview to remember who is likely optimizing for what.

Interviewer Official role Likely agenda in your interview Best topics to ask Avoid leading with
Patric Machiels Startup Development Manager at Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus Commercialisation judgment, spin-off logic, partner routes, what makes the role useful in practice Opportunity quality, startup versus licensing path, bottlenecks in valorisation, first-year leverage, current engineering opportunity areas Generic culture questions, early compensation questions, vague “what does a normal day look like?” prompts
Esther Adam Human Resources Advisor at Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus Team fit, contract path, working style, onboarding, practical package details, language expectations Success criteria, evaluation path after year one, collaboration style, Dutch expectations over time, flexible parts of the package Deep technical-commercial theory, patent detail, overly aggressive salary anchoring too early

Question stems that travel well

Ask Patric

  • Where does this role create the most leverage in year one?
  • What usually stops promising inventions from progressing?
  • When do you prefer startup creation over licensing or collaboration?

Ask Esther

  • How is success assessed in the first year?
  • How does the one-year contract typically move toward permanence?
  • Which parts of the package are most flexible once there is mutual fit?