Responsibilities

This position is for Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE).
Strategic Leadership & Programme Development

Lead the strategic development, implementation and continuous enhancement of Scale Business Innovations Generator (ScaleBIG) and the Passion
Adventure
Kickstart (PAK) and Kernel Funds, aligned with the objectives of national Research, Innovation & Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) Plan, that is, to build a high-performing portfolio of innovation-driven start-ups and promote venture success outcomes.
Launch and build ScaleBIG as a new 1-to-Infinity growth accelerator for high-growth, post-revenue ventures, defining its cohort model, selection criteria, curriculum, international market-entry pathways and IIE investment option, and taking it from concept to inaugural cohort.
Establish the PAK Fund and Kernel Fund as affiliated investment funds, defining their mandates, investment criteria, deployment models, donor arrangements and governance, and integrating them with SMU's campus innovation challenges so that winners are fast-tracked into ScaleBIG.
Develop and execute venture development strategies that support founders across the full startup lifecycle, from ideation and validation through to commercialisation, fundraising, market expansion and scale-up, providing coordinated access to funding, corporate partnerships, talent, mentors and strategic networks.
Develop and implement governance frameworks, operational policies and programme processes to ensure operational excellence, accountability, effective risk management and continuous improvement across the incubation, acceleration and venture development activities of these initiatives.
Provide leadership and mentorship to a team of at least three direct reports, fostering their professional growth through knowledge sharing and skills development, collaborate effectively with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.

Startup Portfolio Management

Lead the active management of the venture portfolio arising from these initiatives, including ScaleBIG ventures and fund-backed start-ups, by establishing performance milestones, monitoring venture progress across product development, customer traction, revenue, fundraising, team strength, market readiness, governance, regulatory compliance and strategic risks, identifying intervention opportunities and implementing targeted support strategies to improve start-up survival, growth and commercial success.
Establish a structured portfolio management framework and monitor portfolio-level performance metrics aligned with RIE2030 objectives, including aggregate enterprise value, revenue growth, commercial traction, capital raised, scale-up success and wider impact such as jobs created and economic value added, leveraging data analytics and evidence-based insights to evaluate programme effectiveness, inform management reporting and drive continuous improvement.
Build portfolio-level insights to identify common capability gaps, commercialization barriers, funding needs and partnership opportunities across the portfolio, and translate these into targeted programme interventions.

Founder Development & Venture Pipeline

Develop and execute founder sourcing strategies to identify, attract and select high-potential entrepreneurs and start-ups from SMU and the broader innovation ecosystem, strengthening the quality and diversity of the pipeline for these initiatives.
Upgrade and leverage SMU's campus innovation challenges, including the PAK Challenge and its affiliated fund, as a talent magnet and pipeline into ScaleBIG, creating a seamless pathway from competition to commercialization.
Provide hands-on venture growth advisory to founders on go-to-market and sales strategy, early customer acquisition, pricing, pipeline development, product-market fit, business model and revenue strategy, partnership models and operational readiness, helping ventures secure pilot customers, early adopters and distribution channels.
Support ventures on fundraising readiness (investor targeting, pitch refinement, valuation positioning and due diligence) and on follow-on growth pathways, including international market expansion, corporate partnerships, licensing opportunities and potential exit strategies.
Create structured learning journeys that attract experienced SME founders, operators and industry executives into the SMU venture ecosystem, deepening the talent base around these initiatives.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders across SMU to strengthen entrepreneurship pathways, mobilize institutional resources and foster an integrated innovation ecosystem that supports venture creation, interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurial talent development.

Mentor, Investor & Ecosystem Partnerships

Curate, develop and manage a high-quality mentor, Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) and advisor network, ensuring effective matching, engagement and accountability to accelerate founders commercial, operational and fundraising outcomes.
Cultivate and strengthen strategic partnerships with government agencies, corporates, investors, venture capital firms, family offices, universities, trade associations and international innovation networks to create opportunities for start-up commercialization, proof-of-concept projects, investment, talent development and international expansion, actively leveraging SMU's global gateway network for ScaleBIG ventures.
Coordinate with the StartBIG team and leverage SMU's flagship entrepreneurship platforms, including the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) and Protg Ventures, to build ScaleBIG's pipeline and strengthen partnerships across the wider innovation ecosystem.
Finalize and manage donor and funding partner arrangements for the PAK Fund and Kernel Fund, ensuring the funds are operationalized and sustained.
Develop and curate a portfolio of high-impact ecosystem initiatives, strategic partnerships and community engagement platforms that strengthen SMU's reputation as a preferred destination for founders, investors, corporates and innovation partners.

Brand, Positioning & Thought Leadership

Position ScaleBIG, the PAK and Kernel Funds and SMU IIE as a leading university venture platform through strategic branding, thought leadership and ecosystem engagement at the national, regional and international levels.

Financial Stewardship & Governance

Lead the planning, management and governance of programme and fund budgets and funding resources, including the deployment of the PAK Fund and Kernel Fund and any IIE investment into ScaleBIG ventures, ensuring prudent financial stewardship, compliance with grant and donor requirements and effective utilization of resources to maximize venture outcomes.

Other duties as assigned.

About The Initiatives

StartBIG is SMU's pre-revenue venture incubation programme that supports founders in validating ideas and reaching product-market fit. ScaleBIG is SMU's growth accelerator for revenue-generating ventures, providing mentorship, market access and scaling support. PAK Fund is an investment fund that provides seed capital to promising SMU student and alumni founders. Kernel Fund is a research commercialisation and venture-building fund that supports the translation of SMU research and intellectual property into commercially viable ventures, licences and spin-offs.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree, preferably in business, finance, engineering, technology or a related field. A relevant postgraduate qualification (for example an MBA) or professional training in venture capital, entrepreneurship or investment is an advantage.
Proven track record of launching and building funds, accelerators or venture programmes from the ground up, including designing fund structures, investment criteria, governance and operating processes and taking them to full operation.
Direct experience running, advising or investing in high-growth ventures, with a strong grasp of the startup lifecycle from validation through fundraising, commercialization, scale-up and international expansion.
Demonstrated ability to design and manage an investment or grant fund, including deployment, due diligence and portfolio governance.
Strong portfolio management capability, including framework design, milestone setting, performance metrics and data-driven decision-making.
Established networks across investors, venture capital firms, family offices, corporates, government agencies and the wider innovation ecosystem, with the ability to secure and manage donor and funding partners.
Experience designing or running entrepreneurship competitions or campus innovation challenges is an advantage.
Sound financial stewardship and grant or donor governance experience, including compliance with public funding requirements.
Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, ideally within a university, public sector or institutional setting.
Familiarity with RIE2030 and Singapore's innovation and enterprise landscape.

Other Information

Candidates who do not possess the stipulated qualifications but have relevant work experience may still apply. Remuneration and appointment terms shall commensurate with qualifications and experience. SMU reserves the right to modify the appointment terms where necessary.

Assistant Director (16-month contract), IIE