Assistant Director (2-year contract), IIE

Singapore Management University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Management University seeks a strategic leader for the Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship to drive the Kernel Fund from concept to execution. You will orchestrate governance, due diligence, and portfolio oversight while building partnerships with investors and university stakeholders.

The role demands 8–12 years of senior experience in innovation, venture building, or technology transfer, with strong stakeholder management and financial stewardship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline as listed (Business/Finance/Entrepreneurship/Innovation).
• Postgraduate qualification such as an MBA or Master’s in venture capital, tech commercialization, or entrepreneurship is advantageous.
• Proven ability to launch and operationalize programmes, funds, or platforms from concept to implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Kernel Fund strategy, launch, and governance aligned with SMU priorities and national objectives.
• Translate Kernel Fund into an actionable operating platform with clear objectives and success metrics.
• Develop the Kernel Fund roadmap across workstreams like networking, venture-builder pathways, and talent initiatives.
• Design funding SOPs, due diligence, and portfolio governance; ensure alignment with MOE requirements.
• Build and manage Kernel Fund pipeline through structured networking and co-founder matching.
• Establish partnerships with investors, venture builders, and ecosystem players to strengthen funding opportunities.
• Oversee portfolio management, milestone tracking, and post-award support for Spin-off and ScaleBIG pathways.
• Maintain budget stewardship, reporting, controls, and compliance for Kernel Fund.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Engineering, Technology, Law, Public Policy or related discipline

MBA or Master’s degree or equivalent professional training in venture capital, technology commercialization, innovation management, IP, or entrepreneurship

Job description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Singapore Management University is a place where high-level professionalism blends together with a healthy informality. The 'family-like' atmosphere among the SMU community fosters a culture where employees work, plan, organise and play together – building a strong collegiality and morale within the university.

Our commitment to attract and retain talent is ongoing. We offer attractive benefits and welfare, competitive compensation packages, and generous professional development opportunities – all to meet the work-life needs of our staff. No wonder, then, that SMU continues to be given numerous awards and recognition for its human resource excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• This position is forInstitute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE).
• Strategic Leadership & Fund Implementation
  • Lead the strategic development, launch and implementation of the Kernel Fund, ensuring that its mandate, operating model and outcomes are aligned with SMU’s innovation and entrepreneurship priorities and national RIE2030 objectives.
  • Translate the Kernel Fund concept into a practical and scalable operating platform, including clear objectives, eligibility criteria, award/deployment models, stage gates, governance arrangements, stakeholder roles, reporting cadence and success metrics.
  • Develop and maintain the Kernel Fund implementation roadmap across the key workstreams: faculty-industry networking, venture-builder pathways, StartBIG validation pathways, Talent initiatives and portfolio progression into Scale Business Innovations Generator (ScaleBIG) or other follow-on platforms.
  • Work with senior management to clarify strategic choices for Kernel Fund deployment, including individual mentor-equity models, institutional venture-builder models and external VC/fund collaboration models.
• Fund Governance, SOPs & Investment/Grant Processes
  • Design, document and implement the Kernel Fund governance framework, including dual-key approval processes, panel composition, decision rights, milestone-based reviews, conflict-of-interest management, delegated authorities and escalation protocols.
  • Work with KTC and relevant internal stakeholders to develop funding award SOPs for both Pathway 1 (venture builders and industry panel) and Pathway 2 (StartBIG training and validation), ensuring alignment with MOE gap funding and other applicable funding requirements.
  • Establish due diligence processes for projects, mentors, venture builders and external fund partners, including assessment of commercial potential, technology readiness, founder/team strength, market validation, regulatory risks, partner capability and funding fit.
  • Develop standard documentation and process templates such as application forms, evaluation rubrics, panel papers, milestone agreements, portfolio dashboards, collaboration agreements and post-award monitoring templates.
  • Support the development of principles for licensing, assignment, royalty/equity arrangements, inventor/founder cap tables and milestone-based equity vesting in consultation with KTC, SMU Ventures, Legal and Finance.
• Venture Pipeline, Co-founder Matching & Talent API
  • Build and manage a strong Kernel Fund pipeline by coordinating faculty-industry networking sessions, co-founder matching activities and targeted engagement of faculty, students, alumni, start-up founders, mentors, angel investors and industry partners.
  • Coordinate with Partnership & Community (PACT), Knowledge Transfer & Commercialization (KTC), IIE, Talent Development Group (TDG), Office of Alumni Relations (OAR), SMU schools and student/alumni entrepreneurship platforms to organise at least two structured networking or sourcing cycles per year, subject to management approval and resource availability.
  • Develop the Talent initiatives concept into an operational pool of founders, co-founders, mentors, advisors, student innovation strategists, alumni innovation strategists and proto-CxO talent who can support Kernel Fund projects and venture-builder pathways.
  • Work with undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes to identify and deploy student/alumni talent into commercialisation projects, including possible integration with MBA, Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEI), MITB, SMU-X Lifelong Learning (SMU-XL), SMU-X and other innovation-related modules or bootcamps.
  • Ensure that promising teams from StartBIG, Passion Adventure Kickstart (PAK) Challenge, faculty research projects and industry problem statements are guided toward the appropriate Kernel Fund pathway and prepared for funding, venture-building or spin-off formation.
• Venture Builder, Investor & Ecosystem Partnerships
  • Identify, evaluate, onboard and manage individual and institutional venture builders, including angel-investor-supported mentors, operators, co-development partners and external VC/fund partners.
  • Develop clear partnership models for (1) individual venture builders and (2) institutional venture builders, including expectations on capital contribution, team formation, mentor/operator commitment, milestone delivery, equity participation and post-award support.
  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with investors, venture capital firms, family offices, corporates, government agencies, accelerators, venture studios, trade associations and university innovation networks to strengthen the Kernel Fund pipeline and follow-on funding opportunities.
  • Coordinate with KTC and industry partners on projects involving licensing, research collaboration or technology translation, ensuring that commercialisation pathways are coherent and founder-friendly while protecting SMU’s interests.
• Portfolio Management & Venture Support
  • Lead the active management of Kernel Fund-supported projects and ventures, setting milestones and tracking progress across technology development, market validation, customer traction, team formation, licensing, fundraising, governance and spin-off readiness.
  • Establish a portfolio management dashboard and reporting rhythm to monitor project health, funding utilisation, milestone achievement, risk issues, follow-on funding needs and outcomes such as spin-offs, licensing deals, capital raised, jobs created and revenue traction.
  • Identify capability gaps across the portfolio and coordinate targeted support such as mentors, advisors, market discovery resources, pitch preparation, investor introductions, business model refinement, financial modelling and go-to-market support.
  • Facilitate smooth handover or progression of Kernel Fund ventures into ScaleBIG, external accelerators, venture-builder platforms, investor networks or other growth pathways once spin-off formation or commercial traction is achieved.
• Financial Stewardship, Compliance & Reporting
  • Plan, manage and monitor Kernel Fund budgets, award commitments, operating expenditure and funding resources within approved parameters, ensuring prudent financial stewardship and compliance with SMU policies, donor terms and applicable public-funding requirements.
  • Prepare management papers, funding recommendations, panel materials, performance dashboards and KPI reports for IIE leadership, fund governance bodies, donors, grant agencies and other stakeholders as required.
  • Implement sound controls for award disbursement, milestone verification, procurement, vendor/partner engagement, documentation retention, risk tracking and audit readiness.
  • Track and report Kernel Fund outcomes against agreed institutional and national KPIs, including MOE/RIE-related commercialisation indicators where applicable.
• Communications, Positioning & Continuous Improvement
  • Position the Kernel Fund as a credible SMU venture-building and commercialisation platform through clear internal communications, stakeholder briefings, founder-facing materials and ecosystem engagement.
  • Develop playbooks, process guides and briefing materials that enable consistent understanding and adoption of Kernel Fund pathways across SMU and partner organisations.
  • Conduct post-cycle reviews and use data, stakeholder feedback and portfolio outcomes to refine the fund model, governance processes, partner mix and talent deployment approach over time.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Engineering, Technology, Law, Public Policy or a related discipline.
• A relevant postgraduate qualification, such as an MBA or Master’s degree, and/or professional training in venture capital, technology commercialisation, innovation management, intellectual property, fund management or entrepreneurship is advantageous.
• Proven ability to launch and operationalize new programmes, funds, venture-building platforms or innovation initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Strong understanding of the start-up and technology commercialization lifecycle, including market validation, IP licensing, spin-off formation, cap table considerations, fundraising and venture scaling.
• Experience in grant, investment or fund processes, including due diligence, selection criteria, panel management, milestone-based funding, portfolio governance and performance reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence faculty, founders, students, alumni, investors, venture builders, corporates, donors and public-sector stakeholders.
• Sound financial stewardship, governance and compliance orientation, including comfort with donor-funded or publicly funded programmes.
• Strong analytical and judgement skills, with the ability to assess early-stage commercialization opportunities under uncertainty and make balanced recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare management papers, panel decks, SOPs, partnership proposals and stakeholder briefings.
• Good understanding of Singapore’s innovation and enterprise ecosystem, university technology transfer and RIE2030-related priorities is advantageous.
• Typically, 8 to 12 years of relevant experience for Assistant Director level, or 6 to 10 years for Senior Manager level, innovation and entrepreneurship, venture building, technology transfer, investment, grants, accelerator/incubator management, corporate innovation or ecosystem development.
• Prior experience in a university, research commercialization office, venture studio, accelerator, VC/family office, government agency, start-up or corporate innovation environment would be advantageous.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment is essential.