Senior Research Officer II (Institute for Human Development & Potential A*STAR)

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR IHDP seeks a highly motivated Project Manager to lead end-to-end planning, coordination and delivery of research initiatives. You will contribute to governance in the PMO and drive process improvements for project management practices, reporting and quality across IHDP.

Responsibilities include managing multi-stakeholder projects from initiation to completion, tracking budgets, risks and schedules, and delivering governance dashboards for leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of project management experience in R&D or related research projects.
• Proven track record of planning, risk management, status reporting and budget tracking.
• Experience engaging multiple stakeholders across internal teams and external partners.
• PMP (or equivalent) certification is an advantage.
• Knowledge of biomedical ethics regulations is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project planning, coordination and delivery of research initiatives.
• Support governance and PMO processes to improve project management practices, quality, and reporting.
• Manage multi-stakeholder projects from initiation to completion, including risk, scope, schedule and budget.
• Establish communication plans, schedules and clear milestones with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare and present project progress reports to PIs and leadership for decision-making.
• Maintain project lifecycle management procedures and dashboards for governance reporting.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budget tracking

Risk management

Reporting

Communication

Planning

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor or Master’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or a related discipline

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.