Associate Director

Purpose of the Post

Imperial is ranked 2nd in the QS World University Rankings and the top university in the UK and Europe. Our research is defined by its internationalism, impact and innovation. Two-thirds of Imperial research involves an international collaborator, spanning more than 130 countries, making us one of the UK's most international universities. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework rated Imperial 1st for research outputs, 1st for research environment, and 1st overall in REF2021. Our highly entrepreneurial culture, encompassing hundreds of spinouts and industrial partnerships, contributed to Reuters ranking Imperial as Europe's second most innovative university.

Imperial Global Singapore (IGS) is Imperial's formal legal entity in Singapore, established to deliver research, innovation and partnership activity in collaboration with universities, industry, government, and third-sector partners from across Singapore and the wider region.

Hosted at the Singapore National Research Foundations Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) and located at the National University of Singapore University Town Campus, Imperial Global Singapore supports a portfolio of major research projects and strategic collaborations, and is a key part of the Imperial Global network of science and technology hubs, which includes USA, Ghana and India. The CREATE campus hosts interdisciplinary research centres from top global universities including other key Imperial strategic partners CNRS, MIT, and TU Munich.

The Associate Director, Imperial Global Singapore is the senior professional services role with responsibility for strategic planning and oversight of the professional services and operations infrastructure that underpins the organisation's research and partnership activity. The role ensures that HR, finance, operations, facilities, project support, governance, and business processes are aligned to organisational priorities and programme needs.

The Associate Director works as part of the Imperial Global Singapore leadership team (with the Academic Director), programme leaders, Imperial colleagues in London and external partners in Singapore to ensure the strategic development and operational effectiveness of the research and innovation centre in Singapore.

The post holder has operational responsibility for all day-to-day professional services functions, including research grant pre- and post-award activities, human resources, financial and risk management, corporate governance, and maintaining partnerships with key funders and collaborating institutions.

This role will include engaging with stakeholders across Singapore and the wider region, including universities, funders, industry, government, third-sector organisations, and alumni in support of Imperial's strategic objectives.

The position is based full-time in Singapore, at the offices of Imperial Global Singapore.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership and Service Delivery

• Lead the operations of Imperial Global Singapore, ensuring effective, efficient, and compliant delivery across all professional services and business support functions.
• Ensure that administration, office management, project support, finance, HR, communications, facilities, and related services are well coordinated and effectively delivered.
• Lead the operational support for Imperial Global Singapore's research and programme portfolio, ensuring that research programmes and projects are supported by effective pre-award and post-award administration, project coordination, reporting, and operational planning.
• Be accountable for the planning and management of office, laboratory, and operational facilities required to support organisational activity.
• Work closely with colleagues across Imperial, including academic, research, international, finance, HR, legal, advancement, and communications teams.

Strategic Leadership and Organisational Planning

• Serve as a senior member of the Imperial Global Singapore leadership team, sharing responsibility for strategic direction, organisational effectiveness, and long-term development of the hub.
• Work closely with the Academic Director and other senior colleagues in Singapore and London to ensure effective coordination across academic, operational, and institutional priorities.
• Contribute to development of the regional communications strategy in collaboration with communications colleagues in Singapore and London
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders relevant to Imperial Global Singapore's operations, programmes, and partnerships.
• Work with the academic director and principal investigators to host visiting delegations to Imperial Global Singapore, including partners from academia, government and industry.
• Lead day-to-day engagement with the National Research Foundation, including the Executive Director, Academic Research and key Programme Directors of CREATE.
• Support engagement with other funders, universities, research organisations, industry collaborators, government, third-sector organisations, alumni, and other strategic stakeholders in Singapore and the wider region.
• Represent Imperial Global Singapore in operational, organisational, and partnership-related matters as appropriate.

Financial, Governance and Risk Management

• Lead financial planning and management for Imperial Global Singapore in partnership with relevant finance colleagues and senior stakeholders.
• Ensure robust financial controls, reporting arrangements, and compliance processes are in place.
• Be accountable for procurement, vendor relationships, operational contracts, and other business support services.
• Be accountable for governance and compliance arrangements across Imperial Global Singapore, ensuring alignment with relevant legal, financial, institutional, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure appropriate frameworks are in place for risk management, internal controls, delegated authority, approvals, and reporting.
• Monitor operational, organisational, financial, and reputational risks and ensure appropriate mitigating actions are implemented.
• Lead the management of contracts, agreements, and institutional obligations relevant to the Singapore entity.

People, Workforce, and Organisational Development

• Lead the professional services and operational staff function within Imperial Global Singapore, including recruitment, staff development and performance management.
• Be accountable for the compliance in areas including HR, procurement, finance, data protection, health and safety, and organisational policy.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented culture.

Person Specification

Requirements

Candidates/post holders will be expected to demonstrate the following:

Essential (E)/ Desirable (D)

Education

Educated to degree level and/or professional qualification (E)

Experience

Leadership experience in operations, professional services, or organisational function in an academic or small business environment, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively demanding work roles (E)

Experience in the Higher Education sector or in a similar or related role(s) or relevant experience in another sector (D)

Experience in strategic planning and operational delivery (E)

Experience of managing relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders, partners, and collaborators. (E)

Experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and resource management. (E)

Experience of supporting research, programme, project, or grant-funded activity in an academic, scientific, or related environment. (E)

Knowledge

Knowledge of operational and organisational management (E)

Knowledge of finance, HR, procurement, compliance, and governance processes (E)

Knowledge of grant funding mechanisms in the Higher Education sector (E)

Knowledge of the Singaporean and wider South East Asia research and innovation ecosystem. (D)

Skills & Abilities

Proven strong leadership skills and ability to introduce new organisational methods (E)

Outstanding organisational skills and demonstrable ability to plan strategically. (E)

Ability to identify and set priorities (both own and other staff) and work to deadlines. (E)

Ability to generate innovative ideas and adept at finding solutions to improve and further both policy and processes (E)

Proven analytical and problem-solving capability (E)

Proven people management skills, including team building, coaching, motivation, and managing performance (E)

Proven communication and interpersonal skills with staff at all levels (E)

Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills (E)

Excellent written and verbal skills, including the ability to develop and implement strategy and policy documents (E)

Ability to create, develop and maintain an appropriately skilled, managed and resourced professional and technical team (E)

Ability to transfer skills and knowledge to colleagues effectively (E)

Further Information

Please note that job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate Imperial:

. Respect

. Collaboration

. Excellence

. Integrity

. Innovation

Employees are also required to comply with all Imperial and Imperial Global Singapore policies and regulations.

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender reassignment, sex, or sexual orientation. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.