Director, Global Strategic Partnerships

About NUS Enterprise

NUS Enterprise serves as the innovation and entrepreneurship hub within the National University of Singapore, committed to supporting pioneering ideas and ambitious talent to build impactful companies that reshape how we live, work, and play. The team is expanding its international footprint by building meaningful strategic partnerships worldwide, focusing on collaborations that create tangible benefits for ventures, researchers, students, and global programs.

Role Overview

The Director of Global Strategic Partnerships will spearhead international partnership initiatives for NUS Enterprise, primarily focusing on securing substantial external funding to enhance financial sustainability and lessen dependence on central funding. The role involves initiating and nurturing strategic collaborations globally, converting networks into committed financial support and practical opportunities spanning venture creation, startup growth, ecosystem and educational development, and the transfer of technology.

This senior-level position demands a highly autonomous operator adept at navigating multiple markets, sectors, and institutional landscapes. Instead of merely representing the organization, the Director will strategically define global engagement focus areas and guide partnership development to maximize outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to originate and finalize external funding partnerships aimed at bolstering financial independence and sustainability.
• Build and maintain relationships with large-scale funders including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, foundations, corporations, philanthropic donors, and grant organizations.
• Design funding structures, sponsorship models, and multi-year commitments with compliance and stewardship in mind.
• Develop and execute a global strategic partnership plan aligned with priorities in venture building, scaling startups, ecosystem enhancement, global platforms, and entrepreneurship education.
• Identify key markets and partner segments to prioritize strategic engagement.
• Generate a focused partnership pipeline based on strategic value and tangible outcomes.
• Engage with senior leaders of global partners to cultivate trust and shape mutually beneficial collaborations.
• Translate strategic relationships into operational collaborations such as market access, pilot projects, program partnerships, landing-pad access, sponsor agreements, and thematic initiatives.
• Facilitate connections for startups and venture teams with global partners, including investors, mentors, corporations, and pilot opportunities.
• Lead or contribute to thematic initiatives in priority technology and impact domains like AI, robotics, drones, climate, sustainability, and STEM.
• Represent NUS Enterprise in international forums and ecosystem conversations to enhance its global profile.
• Deliver regular strategic reports on funding, partnership pipeline, conversion metrics, and value creation to senior management.

Qualifications and Experience

• Over 15 years of experience in domains such as strategic partnerships, fundraising, ecosystem and venture development, corporate innovation, or technology commercialization with proven success in securing significant external funding.
• Established global networks spanning innovation ecosystems, academia, corporate sectors, investors, and public agencies.
• Proven ability to build senior-level trust and guide relationships from engagement to concrete collaboration, including converting funders to committed supporters.
• Strong commercial acumen to assess and prioritize valuable strategic relationships.
• Capability to work independently across diverse cultures, stakeholders, and markets.
• Excellent communication and synthesis skills to translate complex opportunities into partnership proposals and clear decision documents.
• Comfortable working autonomously in dynamic and rapidly evolving ecosystems.
• Domain credibility in areas such as emerging or deep technologies, sustainability, AI, robotics, entrepreneurship, or social impact.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

• Advanced degrees or recognized expertise in STEM, business, policy, innovation, or related interdisciplinary fields.
• Experience with universities, accelerators, venture studios, or public innovation platforms.
• Familiarity with strategic funding models, corporate client programs, and market access initiatives in key geographic regions including Australia, UK, US, Japan, Southeast Asia.
• Public facing roles or thought leadership in innovation and entrepreneurship sectors are a plus.

Performance Expectations

• Maintain a qualified pipeline of no less than 25 strategic partnership opportunities annually aligned with organizational priorities.
• Secure 3-5 anchor partnerships per year that yield significant non-financial value like market access or pilot projects.
• Convert 8-10 qualified partnerships into tangible collaborations yearly.
• Achieve a primary funding target of SGD 20 million in external funding annually from diverse sources.
• Support 15 high-impact introductions for ventures, with at least 5 progressing to meaningful follow-ups.
• Deepen access pathways in at least 3 priority markets each year.
• Lead or co-lead at least 2 strategic thematic initiatives per calendar year.
• Ensure 80% of partnership opportunities have designated internal owners with clear action steps within 30 days.
• Participate in or support 4 notable global ecosystem events annually to elevate NUS Enterprise’s visibility.

Additional Details

This is a two-year contract position based at the Kent Ridge Campus. Candidates should be prepared for a role with high autonomy, strategic scope, and significant impact on the institution's global engagement and financial sustainability. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.