Assistant Director, Student Development & Transition

Nanyang Technological University Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

NTU Singapore seeks an Assistant Director, Student Development to provide leadership across Transition, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student Development, and Governance for student organisations. The role chairs portfolio leads, aligns priorities and ensures coherent student development across the lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will guide strategic directions, oversee TOP, manage diverse teams, and foster collaboration with schools, NTUSU, GSA, and external partners to advance wellbeing,

Qualifications

• Degree in any discipline.
• 10–12 years of relevant experience with at least 3 years in a supervisory role.
• Experience in the tertiary education sector is advantageous.
• Deep understanding of student development practices and co‑curricular programme design.
• Proven track record in stakeholder management with excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for the Transition portfolio and oversee programme delivery.
• Advise and staff committees and synthesize issues across Schools and student bodies.
• Provide executive oversight of the Transition and Orientation Programme (TOP).
• Lead the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student Development portfolios and oversee School Constituent Clubs, NTU Students' Union and Graduate Students' Association.
• Oversee Policy and Governance for all Student Organisations, including policy changes and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

People management

Communication

Education

Degree in any discipline

Job description

The Student Affairs Office (SAO) plays a key role in fostering the holistic development of students, co-creating a vibrant, meaningful and enriching student life experience through student-led activities, leadership development, transition and integration efforts, residential programmes, and community engagement.

The Assistant Director, Student Development provides overall leadership and integration across the following portfolios: Transition, Undergraduate Student Development, Postgraduate Student Development, and Governance. The role leads the portfolio leads and their teams, sets collective priorities and operating direction, and is accountable for coherence of student development outcomes across the student lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Lead for Transition Experience (Undergraduate and Postgraduate)

• Set the strategic direction and desired outcomes for the university-level Transition portfolio, and hold the portfolio lead accountable for translating the year-long Transition framework into plans and delivery aligned with the University's student development priorities.
• Advise and staff the Vice Provost and Director in leading the University Orientation Coordinating Committee, synthesising issues across Schools, residential halls and student bodies, recommending institution-level priorities and trade-offs, and ensuring portfolio leads follow through on committee decisions.
• Provide executive oversight of the Transition and Orientation Programme (TOP), setting outcomes, governance parameters and cross-University priorities. Hold the Transition portfolio lead accountable for operational delivery and intervene on material cross-unit issues, risks and decisions that require Assistant Director-level resolution.
  
  

Lead for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student Development

• Student Development Programmes:
• Strategise and drive, in partnership with Associate Deans and Associate Chairs and through the portfolio lead, student development programmes to advance undergraduate and postgraduate student development, engagement, well-being and overall satisfaction, while promoting Inter-School collaboration and UG-PG collaboration within Schools.
• Strategic Oversight of the School Constituent Clubs and Scholar Clubs:
• Provide oversight, through the portfolio lead, for Schools Constituent Clubs, both undergraduate and postgraduate, and NTU Honours College in developing student leaders through experiential participation in student club activities.
• Strategic Oversight of the NTU Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association:
• Provide senior oversight for portfolio lead's advisory relationship with NTUSU and GSA in aligning their activities and policies with NTU’s broader mission. Act as a bridge between NTUSU/GSA, university administration, and external partners, fostering strong relationships and ensuring constructive dialogue and actionable outcomes on topics such as academic options, campus facilities, and student welfare.
  
  

Lead for Policy and Governance for all Student Organisations

• Lead the team in charge of the formulation, review, and operationalisation of Policy and Governance for all Student Organisations across constituition, activities, finance, safety to ensure coherence and consistent implementation.
• Determine the stakeholder and escalation approach for significant policy changes; lead engagement where issues have University-wide implications or require alignment among senior academic and administrative stakeholders.
• Serve as the policy subject matter expert consultant to stakeholders.
  
  

Requirements

• Degree in any discipline
• At least 10–12 years of relevant working experience involving considerable interaction with students or youth, with a minimum of 3 years in a supervisory role. Experience in the tertiary education sector is advantageous.
• Deep understanding of student development practices and co-curricular programme design, with a strong grasp of pedagogical skills and direct experience in designing and facilitating learning experiences.
• Proven track record in stakeholder management, with excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills across organisational hierarchy.
• A strong passion for nurturing and developing students, combined with demonstrated ability to lead multiple portfolio leads and teams, establish clear accountabilities, coach managers, manage performance and capability, and align resources and priorities across interdependent workstreams.
  
  

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.


Hiring Institution: NTU