Manager (Planning and Operations)

A*STAR Research Entities (A*STAR); Singapore; On-site; SGD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A research institute in Singapore is seeking an Assistant Manager/Manager to join their Resource Management team. The role involves financial management, specifically budgeting and planning. The successful candidate will handle manpower expenditure projections, work closely with directors and HR, and ensure accurate reporting. Ideal applicants will have strong Excel skills, attention to detail, and preferably 1-2 years of experience in budget management. The position offers an opportunity to contribute to impactful research initiatives.

Qualifications

• 1 to 2 years of experience in resource or budget management preferred.
• Careful and meticulous with great attention to detail.
• Nimble with numbers and able to connect related manpower events.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate EOM projections and utilization reports.
• Maintain Institute’s EOM tracker to support manpower planning.
• Support budget exercises based on input from stakeholders.
• Update staff allocation in SAP in line with budget terms.
• Provide approved EOM rates to Principal Investigators for grant proposals.
• Work with HR and Finance to manage queries on Fund Requisitions.
• Attend to auditors’ queries regarding EOM figures.

Skills

Strong Excel skills (including pivot table)

Good interpersonal and communication skills

Attention to detail

Ability to multitask

Education

Diploma with Merit or Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accountancy/Business Administration

Tools

SAP/ERP system

Job description

Overview

The assistant manager/ manager is part of a wider Resource Management team focusing on financial management, including budgeting, and planning within the A*STAR Skin Research Labs. He/ she is the go-to person for Expenditure on Manpower (EOM) matters within the Research Institute (RI) including EOM budgeting, projection and fractionation. He/ she will work closely with RI management to deliver management reports required by various stakeholders within the RI and across A*STAR. Regular system input, spreadsheet updates and communication with stakeholders within the RI will make up part of the daily tasks of the RP.

The successful candidate is expected to work closely with the Directors, Principal Investigators and HR and Finance partners in the management of manpower resources to facilitate research performance in the RI.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide accurate Core/ Non-core Expenditure on Manpower (EOM) projections & utilisation reports and analysis of FTE headcount on a monthly, quarterly and ad-hoc basis


• Maintain Institute’s EOM tracker and Gantt chart to support institute’s manpower planning


• Support Annual and Mid-Year Budget exercises by developing the budget considerations based on inputs from ED and DCS to ensure alignment with allocated funding


• Update staff allocation in SAP after checking that they are in line with the budget and headcount terms specified in the grant Letter of Award (LOA) and EOM fractionation guidelines


• Provide approved EOM rates (from HR partner) to PIs for grant proposals and ensure that manpower costs for grants are projected in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the grant.


• Be on top of grant updates and variations and adjust staff allocation in consultation with Principal Investigators (PIs) if necessary.


• Work closely with HR and Finance partners to prepare, submit and address queries (from grantor, project OIC etc.) on Fund Requisitions.


• Review and verify iGrants system access rights and roles monthly to upkeep the system access rights based on staff movement


• Verify Manpower Requisition Forms raised by hiring manager to ensure budget and headcount availability based on the identified fund source.


• Perform fractionation of additional wages e.g. bonuses to ensure right-charging of bonus to the correct fund source.


• Rectify payroll errors (due to budget insufficiency).


• Maintain Visiting Scientists (VS), Joint Appointment (JA) and secondment agreements and manage honorarium payouts/ EOM recovery.


• Attend to auditors’ queries e.g. reconciliation of EOM figures, providing Staff SAP identifiers and supporting documents as requested


• Perform other administrative duties as and when assigned.

Requirements

• Diploma with Merit or Bachelor’s degree in Finance/ Accountancy/ Business Administration


• Preferably 1 to 2 years of experience in resource or budget management; training will be provided if no experience


• Strong Excel skills (including pivot table) are required


• Knowledge of SAP/ERP system preferred


• Careful and meticulous with great attention to detail


• Nimble with numbers


• Fantastic memory with excellent ability in connecting related manpower events


• Good interpersonal and communication skills and able to work independently and in a team.


• Able to multitask and connect the dots when obtaining information from various stakeholder