Assistant Senior Manager/Senior Manager (Strategic Relations and Industry Partnerships)

Interested applicants are invited to apply directly at the NUS Career Portal. Please note your application will only be processed if you apply via NUS Career Portal.

NUS Career Portal link: https://careers.nus.edu.sg/job/Research-Engineer-%28MCCS%29/34947-en_GB/

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

About NUS Business School

Founded in the same year that Singapore gained independence, NUS Business School stands today among the world’s leading business schools. It is distinctive for offering the best of global business knowledge with deep Asian insights, preparing students to lead Asian businesses to international success and to help global businesses succeed in Asia.

For more than 50 years, NUS Business School has offered a rigorous, relevant and rewarding business education to outstanding students from across the world. That would not have been possible without a group of dedicated professionals who are passionate about building a positive environment to grow and groom future business leaders. And we are looking to add to our BIZ family!

To learn more about the NUS Business School, please visit https://bschool.nus.edu.sg/

Job Description

The incumbent will lead the development and management of strategic relationships for NUS Business School, identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships and translating them into tangible outcomes. He/she will work closely with senior corporate/institutional stakeholders and internal departments to connect industry needs with the School's academic, research and executive education capabilities.

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Relations, he/she will serve as a key relationship lead within the team, ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach to external engagement in support of the School's strategic priorities.

1. Relationship Development and Management

• Lead the development and stewardship of key relationships
• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with senior corporate executives, business leaders and key decision-makers.
• Prepare and implement plans that identify corporate priorities, engagement opportunities, relationship objectives and potential areas for collaboration.
• Maintain regular engagement with key accounts to understand evolving business needs and identify opportunities for deeper and longer-term partnerships.
• Coordinate senior-level meetings, corporate visits, delegations and other strategic engagement activities.

2. Partnership Development and Opportunity Conversion

• Identify, develop and progress opportunities for corporate partnerships aligned with the Business School's strategic priorities.
• Connect corporate needs and opportunities with relevant capabilities across the School, including academic departments, programme offices, research centres, executive education and career services.
• Develop partnership proposals and engagement plans in collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders.
• Drive opportunities through the partnership pipeline, from initial engagement and needs identification to proposal development, internal alignment and agreed next steps.
• Support the negotiation and development of partnership arrangements, working with the appropriate School and University stakeholders.
• Monitor progress and ensure that agreed actions are followed through to achieve intended outcomes.

3. Cross-School Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Work collaboratively with internal departments to identify opportunities for joint corporate engagement and cross-School collaboration.
• Facilitate connections between corporate partners and relevant faculty, programme leaders and specialist units.
• Build internal stakeholder alignment to ensure that corporate engagement is coordinated and presented through a consistent institutional approach.
• Clarify roles, responsibilities and handover arrangements with departments responsible for programme, research and other specialist delivery.
• Encourage a One School approach to corporate relationships.

4. Industry Intelligence and Relationship Development

• Monitor industry developments, corporate priorities and emerging business needs to identify potential partnership opportunities.
• Conduct targeted research on prospective partners, including their business priorities, leadership, regional presence and potential areas of collaboration.
• Prepare corporate profiles, account briefs, meeting papers and partnership opportunity assessments to support senior-level engagement.
• Develop and maintain a network of relevant industry contacts and identify opportunities to expand the School's corporate relationships.
• Provide insights and recommendations to inform the School's corporate engagement priorities.

5. Partnership Execution, Monitoring and Reporting

• Maintain oversight of assigned relationships and partnership opportunities, ensuring timely follow-up and progress against agreed objectives.
• Track account engagement, opportunity pipelines, partnership developments and measurable outcomes.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of corporate interactions, account plans and follow-up actions in the School's designated CRM or tracking systems.
• Prepare regular updates and reports on account progress, partnership opportunities, risks and outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve corporate engagement processes and the effectiveness of partnership management.

6. Corporate Engagement Activities and Team Collaboration

• Lead or coordinate selected corporate engagement initiatives, roundtables, business forums, industry dialogues and strategic events.
• Work with the Executive and other team members on meeting arrangements, event coordination, stakeholder communications and follow-up.
• Provide functional guidance and support to the Corporate Account Manager and Executive to ensure coordinated account coverage and effective execution of team priorities.
• Undertake other strategic partnership and corporate engagement responsibilities as assigned by the Head of Strategic Relations.

Qualifications

• A recognised Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Economics, International Relations, Public Policy, Education or a relevant discipline. A postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.
• Typically, 6–10 years of relevant experience in strategic account management, business development, corporate or institutional partnerships, government relations, international engagement or equivalent roles.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, develop and manage strategic relationships, particularly with senior stakeholders, and translate these relationships into tangible collaboration opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, communication, presentation, negotiation and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage senior executives and institutional leaders.
• Proven ability to develop account plans, identify partnership opportunities, manage pipelines and follow through on initiatives to achieve measurable outcomes.
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Demonstrated project management capabilities, including managing multiple priorities, coordinating cross-functional initiatives and ensuring effective execution.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment, navigating ambiguity and taking initiative to develop new opportunities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel. Familiarity with CRM systems, data analytics and AI-enabled productivity tools would be advantageous.
• Meticulous, resourceful, self-driven and able to balance strategic relationship development with the necessary operational and administrative responsibilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required. Proficiency in additional languages may be an advantage where relevant to communicating with stakeholders across the assigned markets.
• Willingness and ability to undertake regular work-related travel to support business operations.

(Appointment job grade will commensurate with the selected candidate's experience)