Assistant Director, Future Communications and Frontier Technology

sggovterp; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

IMDA seeks an Assistant Director / Deputy Director to lead national R&D strategies in Future Communications and Frontier Tech, guiding cross-domain research and research-to-business programs. You will shape collaboration with public agencies, industry, and academia, and drive major funding initiatives with clear theories of success.

You’ll present to platforms chaired by senior officials, build international partnerships, and mentor a team to foster curiosity, continuous improvement, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in CS/CE/Telecom or related field.
• At least 15 years of experience in relevant fields.
• Familiarity with the RIE ecosystem.
• Strategic thinker with collaborative attitude and team spirit.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong stakeholder management with local and international partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of national R&D strategies in Future Comms and Frontier Tech.
• Collaborate with public agencies, industry and academia on major RIE funding initiatives.
• Champion strategic proposals through high-level approval processes.
• Spearhead foresight and horizon scanning for global tech disruptions.
• Architect R&D programs to support trusted digital infrastructure and regulation.
• Drive international collaborations and position Singapore as a neutral tech hub.
• Represent Singapore at research forums and standards bodies.
• Establish thought leadership in blogs, social media and papers.
• Mentor and coach the team with a culture of curiosity and continuous development.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Team player

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Engagement skills

Education

Bachelor's in Computer Science

Job description

What the role is

IMDA is spearheading Singapore's drive to be a world leading Digital Economy. IMDA aims to empower our companies and workforce to harness the power of digital technologies to drive innovation and foster trust in an increasingly digital world.

We are looking for an Assistant Director / Deputy Director who will play a pivotal role as part of a team in leading our Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) efforts in Future Communications and Frontier Technologies, cross-domain research, and research to business development. The successful candidate is a highly motivated leader and team player who has experience in supporting research to business strategies, developing thought leadership activities for Singapore and orchestrating international partnerships through the RIE. He/she will have opportunities to collaborate with local and international research communities and international organisations, to drive technology thought leadership.

Join us in our journey and jointly architect Singapore's digital future.

What you will be working on

• Lead the development and execution of national R&D strategies in Future Comms, Frontier Tech, identifying critical capability gaps and formulating strategic interventions aligned to Singapore's national interests
• Work with public agencies, industry and academia to drive the conceptualisation and preparation of major RIE funding initiatives, developing comprehensive theories of success and strategic frameworks to guide research programmes
• Champion these strategic proposals through high-level RIE approval processes, including presentations to platforms chaired at Permanent Secretary and Ministerial levels, ensuring alignment with national priorities and securing stakeholder buy-in for transformative research investments
• Spearhead strategic technology fore-sighting and horizon scanning to anticipate global technological disruptions and geopolitical shifts. Architect R&D programmes in frontier tech that will support IMDA in: (i) establishing trusted, future-ready digital infrastructure, (ii) developing progressive regulations, and (iii) driving digital product and service innovation whilst enabling sector-wide transformation to reinforce Singapore's position as a Global Digital Hub
• Drive international collaborations with established key opinion leaders as well as promising/emerging researchers and research institutes. Position Singapore as a neutral hub where global tech representatives (industry, academia, govt) convene to establish new consensus on tech (e.g. global specifications and standards).
• Represent Singapore and/or IMDA at relevant research and technology forums and standards setting committees.
• Establish thought leadership in blogs, social media, and papers.
• Mentor and coach the team. Instil a culture of curiosity, compassion, continuous improvement and continuous development.

What we are looking for

Qualifications and Skills

• Holds at least Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering or a related field.
• At least 15 years of experience in relevant field(s).
• Familiarity with the RIE ecosystem.
• Strategic thinker with collaborative attitude and a strong team player.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, as well as strong presentation and engagement skills.
• Strong stakeholder management skills to work with both local and overseas partners and stakeholders. Ability to convene senior stakeholders in frank discussions and forge mutually beneficial paths forward.

#LI-FN1 Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Position will commensurate with experience.