Deputy Director, Business Operations Management

The Vice President Research (VPR) Office oversees research at NTU, with a commitment to research excellence and positive societal impact. The office devises and implements NTU's research strategy whilst addressing Singapore's national priorities. We also develop research-related policies and coordinate research-related operations at the university level. The incumbent plays a leading role in driving and implementing research strategies and initiatives, principal coordinator across multiple university departments and academic entities to develop the administrative instruments necessary to ensure the delivery of strategic research / initiative outcomes and lead the administrative functions of the VPR Office.

Responsibilities

• Drive key strategic initiatives together with Associate Vice Presidents of the VPR office and Centre Directors of University-level research centres.
• Oversee risk and governance of university-level research centres. Review research agreements involving overseas collaboration partners to establish if further risk assessment is required; and to see through risk assessment and the development of mitigation measures.
• Provide support to research strategies and initiatives including gathering, mapping, and analysing research expertise, proposals, meeting briefs / minutes, supporting research collaborations, coordinating review, and coordinating visits / workshops.
• Work synergistically with stakeholders to coordinate the formulation and development of policy and procedural papers in relation to the implementation of new initiatives and/or revision of existing policies/guidelines that guide research activity across NTU.
• Enable oversight of VPR Office on university-level research centres, establishing a coordinated and integrated process among the various departments such as Human Resource, Finance and IT in harmonizing the list of research institutes between regulation and systems.
• Facilitate the process of opening new university-level research centers and/or close research centre.
• Using analytics to review the performance of research centres and recommend improvements.
• Work closely with Finance to review budget submissions.
• Part of the working committee to review new space requests, renewals, and keep an oversight of newly big-funded projects requiring space.

Requirements

• A minimum of a Master's degree, preferably Ph.D. degree with R&D background in a field relevant to organization's focus area.
• Additional certifications in Leadership, Project Management, or related areas could be advantageous.
• At least 5-10 years of experience in a leadership or management role within research, academic, or similar setting, demonstrating a track record of strategic planning and successful project delivery.
• Proven experience in influencing and collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders and research teams.
• Ability to see the big picture, formulate strategies, and translate them into actionable plans.
• Exceptional ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both in writing (e.g., drafting whitepapers and guidelines, making slides) and verbally, across different levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to navigate complex challenges, making informed decisions under pressure. This includes a keen attention to detail, ensuring that all aspects of a problem are considered and addressed, which is critical for developing thorough and effective solutions, especially for sensitive issues.
• Capacity to quickly learn and adapt to new subject areas and changes in the national landscape.
• Excellent administrative skills and fully competent in MS Office applications and databases.