Senior Assistant Manager, Research Strategy Support

The Early Mental Potential & Wellbeing Research (EMPOWER) Centre is a new University-Level Research Centre whose mission is to maximise every child’s mental and emotional capital by uplifting neurodevelopmental trajectories during early sensitive periods through interdisciplinary discovery science and translational technologies. The Centre will have 3 major activities and thrusts:

Core Discovery Research, Empowering Science : Basic neuroscience research and AI computational models to understand individual neurocognitive potential, developmental trajectories, risk and resilience factors Clinic & Pedagogy, Empowering Practitioners : Precision assessment and intervention to optimise parent-child social and mental health within clinical, education and community settings Real-World Technologies, Empowering Families : Scalable real-world technologies for parent-led interventions to support children’s mental and cognitive wellbeing at home

We are seeking a Research Strategy Manager who will support the EMPOWER Centre Director, A/Prof Victoria Leong, in establishing effective administrative and operational processes for the Centre’s core functions. Accordingly, the primary roles of the Research Strategy Manager will be to assist the Centre Director to formulate and execute operational and research strategies, oversee existing and set up new research programmes, and actively drive forward new large-scale research grant application efforts.

• The postholder will have administrative responsibility for major research grants, each typically exceeding SGD$4 mil in value and involving multiple PIs across different NTU Schools, as well as external collaborators (including international partners).

• Take lead and establish effective administrative support to Directors in proposal writing, submission, progress and final reporting, proper closure of research projects and budget preparation.

• Collaborate and liaise closely with relevant departments, research staff and administrators’  to ensure compliance with national, university, school and funding agency guidelines regarding the utilisation of research grants.

• Plan/oversee internal administrative process in research account management, grant usage, grant reporting to ensure smooth usage of project funds, managing research accounts from award to expiry, validate expenditure for compliance with applicable funding agencies terms and conditions and University policies.

• Collaborate and liaise closely with Legal and Secretariat Office (LSO), funding agencies and Project PIs in the setup and updating of Research Collaboration Agreements (RCAs) as well as in the implementation and enforcement of NTU’s research integrity policy.

• The incumbent will act as a trusted advisor to plan/oversee manpower recruitment and talent retention, supervise budget planning and resource management. And also be responsible for tracking research performance against University and funder KPIs (including regular reporting to funding agencies) and research governance matters, ensuring compliance with University ethics and data management policies.

• The postholder will also liaise with external liaison with key stakeholders, including Ministries, Agencies, research organisations and funders to promote the Centre’s work and societal impact

Requirements

Educational Qualification(s)

• At least a good Bachelor’s Degree

Knowledge Required

• Formal training or demonstrated knowledge of financial management or accounting, ideally within NTU

• Formal training or demonstrated knowledge of human resource management

• Formal training or demonstrated knowledge of business administration (desired)

Relevant Experience

• Experience with research administration, ideally management of large research grants in the Singapore context

• At least 8 years of experience supporting administrative operations for a Centre, School or Business

• At least 3 years of experience in a senior/supervisory role with line management responsibilities for other staff (desired)

• Experience working with international collaborators or partners in a research or commercial context (desired)

• Experience with legal administrative processes (e.g. research collaboration agreements, MOUs) (desired)

Skills & Competencies

• Well-organised and efficient, with good time management skills

• Good communication and interpersonal skills, strong team player

• Strategic planning, budget forecasting and financial management skills

• Able to perform risk assessment, management and contingency planning

• Self-motivated and able to motivate others

Other Personal Attributes

• Interest in neuroscience or psychology research, and working with children

Hiring Institution: NTU