Senior Manager, SMU-X (Partnerships & Programmes)

Singapore Management University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Management University (SMU) seeks a seasoned professional to drive SMU-X partnerships, curate industry projects, and manage cross‑functional programme delivery across courses and overseas initiatives.

You will lead collaboration with faculty, partners and university offices, maintain robust records, and ensure high-quality project outcomes while coordinating annual schedules and budgets. A collaborative, process‑driven mindset is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience in partnership development, industry engagement, programme management or stakeholder relations.
• Ability to identify and secure partnerships, understand organisational needs, scope feasible projects and negotiate commitments with external stakeholders and faculty.
• Strong programme and project management skills including budgets, schedules, delivery dependencies and risk management.
• Experience in higher education, innovation programmes or cross-sector collaboration is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Source and curate authentic industry and community projects for assigned courses.
• Manage the full partnership process: prospecting, project scoping, faculty and partner alignment, agreement coordination, onboarding, delivery follow-up and repeat collaboration.
• Coordinate course delivery with faculty, Schools and programme offices; manage schedules, project readiness, faculty appointments and contracts.
• Deliver overseas courses within the SMU-XO framework; coordinate overseas arrangements and risk management.
• Lead SMU-X Opportunity Awards selection, including schedules, liaison and follow-up with stakeholders.
• Maintain central partner and project database and support SMU-X's partnership priorities.
• Apply university policies and quality protocols to elevate decisions beyond delegated authority.
• Contribute project examples and partner content for communications and evaluation.

Skills

Partnership development

Industry engagement

Programme management

Project management

Stakeholder relations

Interpersonal skills

Facilitation

Influencing skills

Written and verbal communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Computing, Communications, Public Administration, Social Sciences or related discipline

Job description

About Us

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.

Job Description

• This position is for SMU-X.
• Source and curate authentic industry and community projects for the assigned courses. Understand partner needs and translate them into feasible student projects aligned with course learning objectives.
• Manage the full partnership process: prospecting, project scoping, faculty and partner alignment, agreement coordination, onboarding, delivery follow-up and repeat collaboration. Maintain productive relationships across private, public and community organisations.
• Coordinate assigned course delivery with faculty, Schools and programme offices. Manage schedules, project readiness, faculty appointment and contract processes where applicable, partner feedback and issue resolution.
• Deliver the overseas courses within the assigned portfolio under the SMU-XO framework. Coordinate faculty, partners and relevant university offices, plan overseas arrangements and elevate scheduling, risk and delivery issues through established protocols.
• Lead FutureMakers from programme design and preparation through delivery and follow-up. Coordinate challenge partners, trainers, mentors, judges and participants; manage the annual schedule, budget, programme arrangements and delivery issues. Work with other team members on publicity, transactions and evaluation. Plan the programme delivery peak alongside overseas commitments.
• Maintain the central partner and project database, including data standards, completeness checks and useful management reporting. Coordinate updates from all portfolio officers, who remain responsible for their own records, and support SMU-X's partnership priorities.
• Lead SMU-X Opportunity Awards (a study award for SMU-X Overseas courses) selection and coordination, including selection schedules, stakeholder liaison and follow-up. Work with internal stakeholders on applications, communications and administration.
• Apply university policies and agreed quality protocols and elevate decisions beyond delegated authority.
• Contribute project examples and partner content for communications and showcase activities. Supply evidence for impact and quality assurance processes and act on findings to improve project selection, partner experience and programme delivery.
• Deliver other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Computing, Communications, Public Administration, Social Sciences or a related discipline with at least 5 years of relevant experience in partnership development, industry engagement, programme management, experiential learning or stakeholder relations, including independent responsibility for complex project or programme delivery. Experience in higher education, innovation programmes or cross-sector collaboration is advantageous.
• Ability to identify and secure suitable partnerships, understand organisational needs, scope feasible projects and negotiate practical commitments with external stakeholders and faculty.
• Strong programme and project management skills, including planning, budgets, schedules, delivery dependencies, risk management and coordination of multiple concurrent courses and events.
• Ability to lead a programme from design through delivery and evaluation. Experience with youth development, design thinking, experiential learning or similar programmes is advantageous.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with industry partners, faculty, students, programme offices and university support functions.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills for proposals, project briefs, presentations, management reports and stakeholder updates.
• Competence in maintaining shared partnership databases and project records, checking data quality and using spreadsheets or reporting tools to track pipelines, engagement and delivery.
• Ability to coordinate overseas programme arrangements, anticipate seasonal workload peaks and apply university procedures, seeking specialist advice where required.
• Sound judgement, professionalism and integrity in handling agreements, confidential information, resource commitments and stakeholder expectations.
• Able to work independently, adapt to evolving requirements, resolve delivery issues and collaborate across school portfolios. Strong attention to detail, follow-through and commitment to student learning and partner experience.

Other Information

#LI-LK1

Candidates who do not possess the stipulated qualifications but have relevant work experience may still apply. Remuneration and appointment terms shall commensurate with qualifications and experience. SMU reserves the right to modify the appointment terms where necessary.