Unit Head, Human Resource and Finance, Office for Research

Job Description

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION (NIE)

The National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore, is Singapore's national teacher education institute, and we are proud to be an integral part of the nation's education service. We play a key role in the preparation of teachers and in the provision of teacher professional and school leadership development programmes. We are committed to our vision of being An Institute of Distinction: Leading the Future of Education, and our mission to Inspire Learning, Transform Teaching and Advance Research.

NIE invites suitable applications for the position of Unit Head, Human Resource and Finance (HRF), Office for Research. As the Unit Head of HRF, you will lead a team overseeing human resource, finance, administrative and research support processes. You will play a lead role in research support operations in HR and finance and governance across the Office, working closely with institutional stakeholders to ensure compliance and effective support. This is a contract post till 31 Mar 2028.

Responsibilities

• Lead the OfR Human Resource and Finance team in all operations and processes.

• Provide supervision to team members and manage performance.

• Ensure strong internal controls and compliance with HR and financial policies and institutional guidelines.

• Oversee all HR related processes including faculty matters (appointment, reappointment, appraisal, and promotion).

• Manage research staff appointment, reappointment and temporary staffing processes.

• Review alignment in processes across research staff hiring for Education Research Funding Programme (ERFP) and Non-ERFP grants.

• Support in administrative staff related matters where required.

• Provide HR advisory and ensure accurate and timely reporting to management on HR-related research support matters.

• Liaise with NIE HRD and programme offices on faculty and research staff matters.

• Oversee faculty mentoring matters, including ERS/SERS/PERS-related processes, and coordinate with Research Centres to support implementation and follow-up.

• Oversee all financial operations related to research funding, 5th tranche funding and OfR funding.

• Work with the team to ensure smooth day-to-day operations in procurement, budgeting, claims processing, and financial reporting.

• Ensure compliance with institutional financial and procurement policies.

• Provide financial consultations to Principal Investigators (PIs) and stakeholders.

• Provide accurate and timely reporting to management on 5th tranche funding.

• Support in 6th tranche proposal budget planning.

• Oversee and provide input on budget estimates, cashflow projections, and funder reporting.

• Serve as Delegation of Authority for research and non-research related expenditure where required.

• Liaise with NIE Finance and MOE to maintain strong operational and funding relationships.

• Work with Research Centres (RC) on HR and Finance shared services that cut across.

• Keep SOPs, NTU ServiceNow articles, and financial guidelines updated.

• Monitor and report KPIs for the ERFP and assist in data compilation for tranche reporting and other institutional reporting.

• Drive process improvement initiatives in HR and financial workflows and systems, leveraging AI where appropriate.

• Support change management efforts and organizational alignment across OfR and Research Centres, particularly where shared-service processes intersect.

• Support in OfR level events and any other duties, as assigned by the reporting officer.

Requirements

• A University Degree.

• At least 5 to 8 years of Administrative/HR/financial/procurement experience required.

• Meticulous with good analytical skills.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, writing and organization skills.

• A strong team lead who is highly motivated and also able to collaborate within and across teams.

• Able to problem solve and work within tight deadlines.

• Integrity and discretion when handling confidential information.

• Proficient in Excel and MS Word.

Application

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Other Information

NIE staff can take chartered buses at their own expense from or near their homes to the NIE campus. This is subject to availability of seats.