Program Director

Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science & Technology (CREST) Center; Bayan Lepas; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science & Technology (CREST) Center seeks a Program Director (contract position) to steer its E&E initiatives, aligning industry, academia, and government for impactful R&D commercialization and talent development.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, program governance, and stakeholder engagement across national and international forums to strengthen Malaysia’s E&E ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Strong PM skills with budget, timelines and program evaluations.
• Proven leadership, stakeholder engagement and collaborative team management.
• Knowledge of Electrical and Electronics (E&E) industry and R&D processes.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships across industry, academia, and government.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and strategic planning skills.
• Masters or PhD in EE preferred.
• Minimum 10 years in E&E industry, R&D program management or technology commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic program leadership for CREST’s E&E initiatives.
• Evaluate and manage R&D programs, with focus on IP generation, publications, commercialization.
• Engage stakeholders across industry, government, and academia.
• Oversee program governance, budgets, timelines, and KPIs.
• Develop incubation and ecosystem programs for SMEs and local companies.
• Represent CREST in national and international forums.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Team management

E&E industry knowledge

R&D processes

Partnership building

Communication

Strategic planning

Budget & governance

Education

Masters in Electrical & Electronics Engineering

PhD in Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Related disciplines

Job description

Established in 2012 by the industry for the industry, the objective of Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) was to address Malaysia’s Electrical and Electronics (E&E) needs to grow the Research, Development and Commercialization (R&D&C) ecosystem through market driven collaborative R&D and Talent Development. As of July 2023, CREST is officially an agency of Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), with mission to advance E&E ecosystem as one of the key core drivers in accelerating economic growth in Malaysia.

Role Description

The Program Director (contract position) is responsible for the strategic development, execution, and management of CREST’s E&E initiatives. This role focuses on driving collaborative innovation programs, and research and technology commercialization to strengthen Malaysia’s E&E ecosystem. The incumbent will serve as the key liaison between industry, academia and government to ensure impactful outcomes that align with CREST's priorities.

Areas of Responsibilities

1. Strategic Program Leadership

• Develop, implement, and oversee strategic E&E programs in alignment with CREST’s mission.
• Identify emerging technologies and research trends in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, power technologies, electronics systems and devices, embedded systems, material, etc.
• Formulate strategies to position CREST as a collaborative leader in E&E innovation and technology transfer.

2. Research and Innovation Management

• Evaluate and monitor R&D projects between universities and industry partners.
• Ensure programs deliver measurable outcomes in IP generation, publications, commercialization, and capacity building.
• Facilitate access to funding mechanisms and support proposal development for research grants.

3. Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and sustain partnerships with E&E industry players, government agencies, and academic institutions.
• Represent CREST in national and international forums, promoting Malaysia’s E&E ecosystem.
• Foster multi-stakeholder collaborations that drive talent development and technology adoption.

4. Program Governance & Operations

• Manage program budgets, timelines, and deliverables to ensure effective resource utilization.
• Prepare reports, performance indicators, and impact assessments for internal and external stakeholders.
• Implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress against KPIs.

5. Small Medium Enterprises (SME) and Local Companies Development

• Develop, implement, and oversee incubation programs for the development of start-up and spin-off companies.
• Support initiatives that enhance the capability and capacity of Malaysian local companies.
• Connect various resources to align and facilitate support for SMEs and local companies.

6. Talent and Ecosystem Development

• Support initiatives that enhance the E&E talent pipeline through industry–university collaboration and skills development.
• Mentor technical teams and researchers involved in E&E programs.
• Contribute to conferences/ dialogues on technology policy and workforce readiness.

Qualifications & Experience

• Strong project management skills, including experience managing budgets, timelines, and program performance evaluations.
• Proven experience in leadership roles, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative team management.
• Knowledge of and experience in the Electrical and Electronics (E&E) industry and R&D processes, including technology trends and innovation practices.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships across industry, academia, and government sectors.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and strategic planning skills.
• Masters or PHD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (preferred) or related disciplines.
• Minimum 10 years experience in E&E industry, R&D program management or technology commercialization.
• Prior experience in program management or technology-driven industries is an advantage.