Job Description
Job Title:  Lead Research Officer I, IMCB
Requisition ID:  2323
Posting Start Date:  11/05/2026

Job Description

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR is seeking a highly motivated PMO Manager to lead day-to-day PMO governance and continuously improve our Project Life Cycle Management (PLCM) processes.  In this role, you will drive project management process optimisation and adoption of the A*STAR Project System to strengthen project delivery discipline, productivity and reporting across the Research Institute.

Key Responsibilities

  • Serve as the key liaison between IMCB leadership, PMO and A*STAR HQ on PMO governance, PLCM policy and the A*STAR Project System.
  • Prepare, analyse and present monthly financial and portfolio data to support management review and decision-making.
  • Provide system training, user guidance and best-practice coaching to improve capability and compliance.
  • Run PMO clinics and serve as first-line support for project queries and PLCM workflow execution.
  • Manage billing operations, including invoice preparation, tracking and reconciliation.
  • Track and analyse project resource utilisation, producing insights for capacity and portfolio planning.
  • Partner the PMO Lead to develop portfolio dashboards, executive decks, communications and programme documentation.
  • Lead project/ programme audits and reviews, coordinating with project managers, principal investigators, scientists and HQ stakeholders.
  • Compile and maintain project management dashboards and governance reporting for leadership forums.
  • Review, simplify and update PLCM guidelines to strengthen governance, standardisation and continuous improvement.
  • Identify and implement automation opportunities to streamline PLCM workflows and reduce manual effort.
  • Plan and manage end-to-end R&D projects and product delivery, from initiation through closure.
  • Ensure project delivery against scope, quality, schedule and budget, with proactive risk and issue management.
  • Drive resolution of cross-functional challenges across quality, procurement, finance and legal to remove delivery blockers.
  • Lead change control and delivery interventions to keep projects on track and outcomes realised.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Science, Engineering or a related discipline.
  • Minimum 5 years of project management experience; prior experience in PMO governance is preferred.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage, influence and align cross-functional stakeholders across internal teams and external partners.
  • Strong change agility and a continuous-improvement mindset, with proven ability to embed new ways of working and governance standards.
  • Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise, lead through ambiguity and solve problems with structure and pragmatism.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills, with ability to produce executive-ready materials and facilitate working sessions.
  • High attention to detail and data quality, with confidence working in project governance reporting.
  • Sound business acumen with a delivery focus and able to balance governance rigour with practicality to meet deadlines and stakeholder needs.
  • PMP (or equivalent) certification is an advantage.

The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive. A*STAR may include additional selection criteria based on its prevailing recruitment policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.