Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy & Planning

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR invites a seasoned Deputy Director, Scientific IT to lead delivery of IT services and technology initiatives across a portfolio of research entities and national platforms. You will interface with Research Entities, IT partners and ITSS teams to align investments with priorities and requirements.

You will oversee governance, service performance, risk management and budgeting while developing IT partners and ensuring accountability and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of IT leadership experience including technology delivery, operations, service management or stakeholder management.
• Experience in research/scientific or complex operational environments is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead stakeholder engagement across Research Entities and National Platforms to understand priorities and tech needs.
• Drive implementation of ITSS initiatives within the portfolio and align with business objectives.
• Oversee delivery and performance of Scientific IT services, projects, and technology solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Decision-making

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in IT/CS/Engineering

Job description

Role Purpose

The Deputy Director, Scientific IT is responsible for leading the delivery of Scientific IT services and technology initiatives for an assigned portfolio of Research Entities, National Platforms, or strategic programmes.

The role serves as the key management interface between Research Entities, IT Partners, and ITSS functional teams, ensuring technology investments, services, and initiatives are aligned with organisational priorities and research requirements.

The Deputy Director provides leadership and oversight to IT Partners, and is accountable for portfolio outcomes, stakeholder management, service performance, governance compliance, and resource prioritisation within the assigned portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead stakeholder engagement across assigned Research Entities and National Platforms to understand business priorities, risks, and technology needs.
• Drive the implementation of organisational and ITSS initiatives within the assigned portfolio and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Oversee the delivery and performance of Scientific IT services, projects, and technology solutions to achieve agreed outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across ITSS teams, Research Entities, and vendors to manage dependencies, resolve issues, and support successful delivery.
• Prioritise technology demand, resources, and investments across the portfolio, balancing business value, risk, and organisational priorities.
• Ensure compliance with IT governance, cybersecurity, risk management, and A*STAR policies, standards, and guidelines.
• Lead and develop IT Partners, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
• Contribute to portfolio planning, resource allocation, and budget management to support the achievement of organisational objectives.
• Provide portfolio reporting, risk assessments, and recommendations to support management planning, governance, and decision-making.

Job Requirements

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant IT experience, including leadership responsibility for technology delivery, operations, service management, or stakeholder management.
• Experience supporting research, scientific, academic, healthcare, engineering, or other complex operational environments would be advantageous.

Technical and Business Knowledge

• Good understanding of enterprise IT infrastructure, applications, cloud services, cybersecurity, data management, and emerging technologies.
• Knowledge of IT governance, service management, portfolio management, project delivery, and risk management practices.
• Familiarity with research computing environments, scientific applications, laboratory IT, or research data management would be advantageous.

Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Strong leadership, people development, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Ability to establish effective stakeholder relationships and influence outcomes across different organisational levels.
• Strong communication, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Customer-focused, collaborative, and outcome-oriented.