Assistant Director, Research Coordination and Administration

What the role is?

The CDA is a new government agency that is being established by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to oversee Singapore’s communicable disease preparedness, prevention and control, surveillance, risk assessment and outbreak response.

As Assistant Director, Research Coordination and Administration, you will support the Directors in setting up the CDA Research Company as well as enable transition from NCID to the Research Company. You will spearhead the setup of research processes in the Company.

You will be working in a fast-paced and highly dynamic environment that will require you to manage multiple stakeholders and priorities concurrently.

What you will be working on

Job responsibilities

• Create a detailed roadmap for the setup of the CDA Research Company outlining timelines, milestones, resources, and budget requirements to enable a seamless transition.
• Track progress and highlight any obstacles to senior management.
• Coordinate with various internal (e.g., department heads, HR, finance, legal, IT) and external stakeholders (e.g., regulatory bodies, funding bodies, vendors) to align project goals while also addressing integration issues across different departments.
• Engage with HR, Finance, Legal, and IT teams regularly to align systems and workflows and resolve integration challenges.
• Work closely with the HR team to facilitate the successful transition of current staff and assist in the recruitment of new staff.
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure research grants and other funding are transferred, including preparing a comprehensive list of funds/grants for transfer, reconciling any discrepancies, and engaging external stakeholders if required.
• Work with the legal team to ensure successful transition of existing licences, research agreements, and service level agreements, and facilitate new agreements.
• Collaborate with IT teams for setting up the IT infrastructure, including the installation of software tools and network configurations, ensuring smooth data transfer to the CDA Research Company.
• Assist in the establishment of research processes, including governance and support functions.
• Maintain regular communication with senior leadership, researchers, and external partners regarding progress and key updates.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to team members throughout the setup process.
• Undertake ad hoc projects as assigned by supervisor as part of staff development.

What are we looking for?

Key Competencies Required:

• Thinking Clearly & Making Sound Judgements: Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to support sound policy recommendations; ability to grasp timelines, operating context, and ground realities.

• Learning & Putting Skills into Action: Possesses the drive and curiosity to learn and apply new skills, knowledge, and new ways of working.

• Improving & Innovating: Ability to seek continual improvements and to innovate while managing the risks involved.

• Working Effectively with Stakeholders: Ability to mobilise and rally partners and stakeholders towards a collective purpose.

Job Requirements:

• Minimally bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of project management experience, ideally in the research, academic, or scientific sectors.
• Proven experience in overseeing the setup of complex infrastructure or research facilities is highly desirable. Proficient in integration and operational planning/management.
• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal communication skills to co-create solutions.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to frame issues and translate data into operational plans.
• Proven ability to work effectively in teams, lead cross-functional teams, and drive initiatives.
• Meticulous with attention to detail, responsive, and excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.
• Independent, self-driven, and capable of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
• Successful candidate will be offered a 2-year contract initially.