Senior Scientific Manager (NIRBA, Singapore)

The National Initiative for RNA Biology and its Applications (NIRBA) is a pioneering national program dedicated to advancing RNA biology research. Established with support from the National Research Foundation (NRF) under the Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, we unite experts across multiple disciplines to address critical challenges in RNA science and its applications.

The Senior Scientific Manager (NIRBA Research Portfolio) provides scientific management and programme/ portfolio oversight for NIRBA-funded research. The role ensures that the research portfolio is strategically aligned, scientifically rigorous, and delivering high-impact outcomes.


Duties & Responsibilities

• Portfolio Strategy: Manage and shape NIRBA’s research portfolio in alignment with strategic priorities and emerging scientific opportunities.
• Scientific Management: Provide expert guidance on research design, milestones, and deliverables across Clusters and Satellite Labs/ Programmes.
• Research Quality & Impact: Promote excellence, reproducibility, innovation, and translational potential within the research portfolio.
• Reporting & Evaluation: Contribute to scientific reporting for Executive Director, CGT-SC, and other institutional stakeholders
• Collaboration & Integration: Foster cross-project collaboration, data sharing, and alignment with national and international research initiatives.
• Scientific Risk Management: Identify scientific risks and recommend mitigation or course-correction strategies.

• Program Management: Monitor progress of Cluster projects, Satellite teams, track performance against KPIs, and support timely delivery of outcomes.
• Funding & Review Processes: Support fund allocations to Clusters and Satellite Labs, competitive grant calls, peer review processes, appropriate fund utilization & outcomes.
• Investigator Engagement: Act as a key scientific liaison with principal investigators and research teams, providing guidance and problem-solving support.

Requirements

• PhD in molecular biology, RNA biology, genetics, biochemistry, genomics, or a closely related field
• Postdoctoral experience strongly preferred
• Supervisory experience
• Experience in grant/ programme management, e.g. budgeting, variation/ virement, progress reporting etc is strongly preferred, ideally from multi-institutional programmatic type grants
• Experience in research management e.g. IRB, MTA, IACUC, GMAC submissions and/ or data governance frameworks etc is preferred
• Excellent writing and reporting ability
• Excellent communication and presentation skills