Assistant Director, Office of Industry Engagement

Singapore Management University; Singapore; In loco; SGD 90.000 - 130.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Singapore Management University in Singapore seeks a dynamic professional to lead strategic partnerships and drive growth of SMU’s research collaborations across government, industry and community partners.

The role focuses on identifying opportunities, coordinating across faculties and SOCIs, and developing compelling value propositions to position SMU’s research strengths externally. Strong stakeholder management and a track record in strategic planning are essential.

Competenze

• Bachelor’s degree with 8–10 years of relevant work experience; postgraduate degree is an advantage.
• Experience in research partnerships or in a research-intensive or higher education environment is highly desirable.
• Proven track record in building partnerships or driving strategic collaborations in higher education or research.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape and its intersection with government, industry and community stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage confidently across all levels, cultures and backgrounds.

Mansioni

• Develop and implement strategies to grow SMU’s research partnerships across the people, public and private sectors, aligned with SMU’s priorities and objectives.
• Identify, assess and prioritise strategic external opportunities; develop and manage a pipeline of prospective partnerships and translate opportunities into actionable engagement and business development plans.
• Work with faculty, Schools, Centres and Institutes to understand research capabilities and identify areas of alignment with external needs.
• Work across SOCIs and existing partnership teams to align engagement efforts and enable cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Develop positioning strategies, partnership narratives and value propositions that articulate SMU’s strengths and demonstrate value to partners.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders including senior University leadership, faculty, institutes and industry, public sector and community partners.
• Develop outreach strategies to promote SMU’s faculty strengths to external audiences across events, campaigns and channels.
• Lead and support strategic engagement initiatives, roundtables, conferences and events that showcase SMU’s capabilities and partnerships.
• Contribute to strategic planning and performance management with metrics and dashboards for partnership pipelines and outcomes.
• Represent the office at internal and external meetings and support leadership in advancing SMU’s partnership agenda.

Conoscenze

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Formazione

Bachelor’s degree with 8–10 years of relevant work experience

Postgraduate degree advantageous

Descrizione del lavoro

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

• Strategic Partnership Development
  • Develop and implement strategies to grow SMU’s research partnerships across the people, public and private sectors, aligned with SMU’s research priorities, strengths and institutional objectives.
• Opportunity Identification and Pipeline Development
  • Identify, assess and prioritise strategic external opportunities; develop and manage a pipeline of prospective partnerships and translate opportunities into actionable engagement and business development plans.
• Research Partnership Development
  • Work with faculty, Schools, Centres and Institutes (SOCIs) to understand research capabilities and identify areas of alignment with external needs. Shape partnership opportunities and facilitate connections between faculty and relevant external partners.
• Internal Partnership Orchestration
  • Work across SOCIs and existing partnership teams to align engagement efforts, facilitate information sharing, minimise duplication and identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary and university-wide collaboration.
• Strategic Positioning and Proposition Development
  • Develop positioning strategies, partnership narratives and value propositions that articulate SMU’s research strengths and demonstrate clear value to prospective partners.
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior University leadership, faculty, research institutes and industry, public‑sector and community partners.
• Research Outreach and Positioning
  • Develop and execute outreach strategies to promote SMU’s faculty research strengths, expertise and priority research areas to external audiences. This includes developing research‑led content and campaigns across events, conferences, roundtables, SMU’s website, social media and other relevant communication channels, working with relevant internal teams to ensure consistent messaging and effective amplification of SMU’s research capabilities.
• Strategic Engagement Initiatives and Events
  • Lead and support strategic engagement initiatives, roundtables, dialogues, conferences and other events that showcase SMU’s research capabilities, strengthen institutional positioning, deepen relationships with external stakeholders and create pathways for research collaboration.
• Strategic Planning and Performance Management
  • Contribute to OIE’s strategic planning, workplans and reporting. Develop and monitor metrics, dashboards and insights to evaluate partnership pipelines, conversion, outcomes and value‑add to the University.
• Representation and Leadership Support
  • Represent OIE at internal and external meetings, industry engagements and strategic events, and support the Director in advancing SMU’s research partnership agenda and institutional priorities.
• Continuous Improvement and Market Intelligence
  • Monitor developments, trends and emerging opportunities across relevant sectors and translate market intelligence into recommendations for OIE’s partnership strategy and engagement priorities
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree with at least 8 to 10 years of relevant work experience required. Postgraduate degree would be an advantage.
• Prior experience in research partnerships or working within a research‑intensive or higher education environment is highly desirable.
• Dynamic professional with proven experience in building partnerships or driving strategic collaborations, preferably in higher education or research environment.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape and its intersection with government, industry and community stakeholders.
• A proven track record in strategic planning, with the ability to align initiatives with organisation’s goals.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage confidently across all levels, cultures and backgrounds.
• In‑depth knowledge of national, regional, and global trends shaping innovation and business growth.
• Familiarity with key dimensions of industry partnerships including intellectual property and technology transfer, government grants, grant and contract management, and philanthropic development.
• Outstanding written and communication skills, with the ability to synthesise complex ideas and deliver clear and compelling presentations.
• Strong problem‑solving, multi‑tasking and analytical abilities with the ability to manage ambiguity and drive outcomes.
• Resourceful, independent worker and a team player, with strong collaborative and influencing skills that enables collaboration with a wide range of partners of internal and external stakeholders.