Senior Research Officer II, IHDP

A*STAR RESEARCH ENTITIES; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP) is seeking a highly motivated Project Manager to lead end-to-end project planning, coordination and successful delivery of research initiatives. You will contribute towards governance matters in the PMO and drive improvements in project management practices, ensuring multi-stakeholder projects stay on track.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of project management experience in R&D or related fields, excellent communication skills, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related discipline.
• At least 5 years of project management experience in R&D or research projects.
• Proven track record in planning, risk management, status reporting, and budget tracking.
• Experience engaging multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• PMP certification is an advantage.
• Familiarity with translational research programmes is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning and delivery of R&D projects from initiation to completion.
• Coordinate with scientific teams and stakeholders to define deliverables and milestones.
• Monitor risks, issues, scope, schedule and budget; prepare progress reports.
• Maintain project dashboards and governance reporting for leadership decisions.
• Support governance matters in the PMO and drive process improvements.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budget tracking

Risk management

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related

Tools

PMO tools

Job description

The A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) focuses on research to improve and impact the health and well-being of Singaporeans across the life course. IHDP conducts research on developmental cohorts as well as related studies in metabolic health, mental health, environmental nutrition, metabolism, allergy and neurocognition and environmental influences on human development.

Job Description

The A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP) is seeking a highly motivated Project Manager to lead end-to-end project planning, coordination and successful delivery of research initiatives. The successful candidate will also contribute towards governance matters in the Project Management Office (PMO) and continuous improvement of project management processes. Other responsibilities and duties include managing multi-stakeholder projects from project initiation to completion, and driving project management process and tools optimisation to strengthen project management practices, quality and reporting across IHDP.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the full life cycle of R&D projects, from project initiation to completion. This includes working with the scientific team to ensure successful delivery of project scope and deliverables while proactively managing project risk, issues, quality, scope, schedule, and budget.

• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to establish communication plans, plan project schedules and establish clear project deliverables and milestones.

• Track project tasks, milestones, monitor project risks, resource and budget utilisation to ensure the smooth execution of the research project.
• Prepare, analyse and present project progress reports to support PI and stakeholders review and decision-making.
• Manage project change control and delivery interventions to keep projects on track and achieve project outcomes.

• Manage engagement channels to raise awareness of project management practices and compliance.

• Compile and maintain project management dashboards and governance reporting for leadership decision making. Manage project billings and budget projections.

• Establish project lifecycle management procedures and best practices to ensure project teams maintain discipline needed to successfully complete their projects.
• Any ad-hoc duties as assigned by reporting officer.

Requirements

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 5 years of project management experience in a related field (R&D, research projects), with a good level of understanding of translational research programmes.
• Proven track record of successful project execution and demonstrated capabilities in planning, risk management, status reporting, budget tracking, stakeholder management, and resource management.
• Prior experience in engaging multiple stakeholders across internal teams and external partners.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with ability to navigate operational challenges.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail with the ability to prioritise project deliverables and prepare progress reports for reporting.
• Effective communicator with good interpersonal skills and a proactive team player.

• Good business acumen, driven to deliver project requirements and balance practicality to meet project deadlines and stakeholder needs.

• PMP (or equivalent) certification is an advantage.
• Knowledge of local research landscape and biomedical ethics regulations is an advantage.