Assistant Director, I&E Fellowship Programme

Nanyang Technological University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) seeks an Assistant Director to lead the I&E Fellowship Programme. The role develops high-potential researchers into deep-tech entrepreneurs, guiding them from validation to venture creation and market development.

The holder collaborates with NTU faculties, NTUitive, national programmes, investors and industry partners to build a strong pipeline of research-based startups. Shortlisted candidates only.

Qualifications

• Educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification (Master's or PhD) is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of innovation, entrepreneurship and research commercialisation in a university or research-intensive setting.
• Understanding of IP management, venture creation and deep-tech commercialization.
• Experience with startup formation, market validation, business model development and fundraising.
• Experience working with universities, research institutes or similar environments.

Responsibilities

• Programme management: design and develop annual plans, milestones, budgets, and processes across NTU units.
• Recruitment and development of entrepreneurial researchers through onboarding and development plans.
• Venture building and commercialization support from research to venture transition.
• Engage investors, industry and ecosystem partners; organise mentoring and events.
• Prepare participants for fundraising, investor readiness, and go-to-market activities.
• Monitor KPIs and report on programme impact and improvements.
• Coordinate across NGRIP and NTU units to ensure consistent delivery.

Skills

Programme management

Entrepreneurial mindset

Stakeholder engagement

Venture building

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, or related

Postgraduate qualification (Master's or PhD)

Job description

NTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) advances cohesive and collaborative relationships across various innovation drivers within the NTU community. It seeks to accelerate the University’s efforts in translating scientific discoveries, innovation and creative work into technological and social entrepreneurship activities that benefit industry and society. The Assistant Director (I&E Fellowship Programme) plays a key role in developing the next generation of deep-tech entrepreneurs by leading NTU’s I&E Fellowship Programme. The role is responsible for identifying, developing and supporting high-potential researchers, equipping them to become technology entrepreneurs and founders of deep-tech ventures. Through programme management, researcher development, venture building, commercialisation and ecosystem engagement, the role contributes to NTU's strategic objective of strengthening research translation and entrepreneurship by enabling researchers to transform innovative research outcomes into scalable startups and successful entrepreneurial career pathways. The job holder will work closely with researchers, faculty members, NTUitive, national programmes (such as the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme, NGRIP and Activate Global Fellows - Singapore), investors, industry partners, entrepreneurs and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders to build a high-quality pipeline of research-based ventures and support participants from technology validation through venture creation, fundraising and market development.

Responsibilities

• Programme Management Lead the design, implementation and continuous development of the programme. Develop annual plans, milestones, participant journeys, budgets and operating processes. Coordinate programme activities across NTU academic and innovation units and establish mechanisms to monitor participant progress and programme performance.
• Recruitment and Development of Entrepreneurial Researchers Lead identification, selection and onboarding of high-potential postgraduate researchers from NTU, Singapore and abroad. Work with faculty, schools and research centres, as well as other universities to identify candidates. Design and coordinate individual development plans covering entrepreneurship, commercialisation, leadership, business development and venture creation.
• Venture Building and Commercialisation Work closely with the Intellectual Property (IP) Management, Technology Development, Venture Building as well as I&E Ecosystem Development teams at NTU I&E / NTUitive to support researchers in assessing commercial potential, identifying customer needs, developing business models and validating market opportunities. Facilitate transition from research to venture, including team formation, IP and licensing discussions, technology validation, customer engagement and go-to-market planning.
• Investor, Industry and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Engagement Build and maintain relationships with venture capital funds, corporate partners, entrepreneurs, family offices, accelerators, government agencies and other ecosystem partners. Organise mentoring, investor and industry engagement and match participants with relevant external stakeholders.
• Fundraising and Venture Readiness Prepare participants for external fundraising and venture development. Coordinate investor-readiness activities, pitch development, financial and business-model preparation, due diligence preparation and investor engagement. Support founders in understanding financing options and investor expectations.
• Programme Performance, Impact and Continuous Improvement Establish and monitor KPIs covering participant progression, venture creation, IP commercialisation, investment, industry engagement and career outcomes. Prepare reports and recommendations for NTU management and stakeholders. Benchmark against leading university entrepreneurship and researcher-development programmes and implement improvements.
• Integration with NGRIP Coordinate the programme across NUS and NTU NGRIP contact persons, including recruitment, onboarding, researcher development, engagement with academic supervisors and NGRIP mentors, entrepreneurship activities, and connections to industry and investors. Ensure effective coordination, communication and consistent delivery with NGRIP.

Requirements

• Educational Qualification(s) Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, or a related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification (Master's or PhD) in a relevant field will be an advantage.
• Knowledge Required Strong knowledge of innovation, entrepreneurship and research commercialisation within a university or research-intensive environment.
• Good understanding of technology transfer, IP management, venture creation and the commercialisation of deep-tech innovations.
• Knowledge of startup formation and growth, including customer discovery, market validation, business model development, go-to-market planning and venture financing.
• Familiarity with entrepreneurial talent development programmes and approaches for supporting researchers and technologists in the transition from research to entrepreneurship.
• Understanding of startup funding ecosystems, investor expectations, fundraising processes and investment readiness requirements.
• Knowledge of stakeholder engagement and partnership development across academia, industry, investor networks and government innovation agencies.
• Knowledge of programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including the use of metrics to assess programme effectiveness and impact.
• Relevant Experience Minimum 5-7 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following areas: innovation and entrepreneurship programme management, technology transfer, research commercialisation, venture building, startup ecosystem development, entrepreneurial education, venture capital, startup investment, or related innovation-driven initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, managing and delivering complex innovation, entrepreneurship or commercialisation programmes, with a track record of achieving measurable outcomes and impact.
• Experience working with universities, research institutes, public research organisations, or other research-intensive environments, with a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities in translating research into commercial and societal outcomes.
• Proven experience supporting the development of early-stage ventures, including technology validation, customer discovery, market development, business model development, fundraising, venture creation, or startup growth.
• Experience engaging and collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including researchers, faculty members, entrepreneurs, investors, industry partners, government agencies and ecosystem organisations.
• Familiarity with deep-tech innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, including startup support programmes, incubators, accelerators, venture-building initiatives, or technology commercialisation platforms, will be an advantage.
• International exposure and an established network within the innovation, entrepreneurship, startup, investment or research commercialisation ecosystem are advantageous.
• Experience in securing, managing or facilitating access to funding, grants, investments, or other resources to support innovation, commercialisation and venture development activities will be viewed favourably.
• Skills & Competencies Strong strategic, entrepreneurial and commercial mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities and translate emerging research, technologies and innovations into viable venture and commercialisation pathways.
• Other Personal Attributes Self-motivated, resourceful and adaptable, with a strong sense of initiative and the ability to operate both strategically and hands‑on in driving programme outcomes.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London. NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district. Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources. For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg