Incubation Program Manager
Company description:
The National University of Singapore is the national research university of Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest higher education institution in Singapore
Job description:
About AIDF
The Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF) is a university-level institute at the National University of Singapore, jointly founded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the National Research Foundation, and NUS. AIDF serves as a thought leader, knowledge hub, and experimental site for digital financial technologies, with activities spanning research, talent development, and entrepreneurship.AIDF also supports incubation and venture-related initiatives to translate ideas, research, and talent into real-world innovation.
We are seeking a proactive and entrepreneurial Incubation Program Manager to lead and support the design, execution, and growth of AIDF's incubation and venture-building activities. The role will focus on managing founder and startup engagement, coordinating incubation programmes and ecosystem activities, supporting venture pipeline development, and helping translate promising ideas, research, and executive learning outcomes into commercially relevant ventures.
This role is well suited to someone who is comfortable operating across programme management, startup support, ecosystem partnership development, and internal stakeholder coordination. The successful candidate should be able to work with founders, mentors, researchers, faculty, investors, corporate partners, and public sector stakeholders in a dynamic and evolving innovation environment.
Key Responsibilities
Programme Management and Execution- Lead the planning and day-to-day execution of AIDF incubation, venture creation, and startup support programmes.
- Manage programme timelines, deliverables, budgets, logistics, reporting, and participant communications.
- Coordinate workshops, demo days, mentoring sessions, founder clinics, and ecosystem events.
- Continuously improve programme structure, founder experience, and operational processes.
- Support sourcing, screening, onboarding, and management of startup and founder cohorts.
- Work closely with founders to track progress, identify needs, and connect them to relevant mentors, experts, partners, and opportunities.
- Help structure practical support for early-stage ventures, including customer discovery, product validation, market access, fundraising readiness, and pilot opportunities.
- Build an engaged founder community around AIDF's incubation platform.
- Develop and maintain relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, corporate innovation teams, family offices, ecosystem enablers, and relevant public agencies.
- Support partnership discussions that can strengthen AIDF's incubation outcomes, including sponsorships, joint programmes, pilot opportunities, and mentor participation.
- Work with internal and external stakeholders to identify venture opportunities linked to emerging themes in AI, digital finance, and frontier technologies.
- Help identify opportunities to translate research, technical capabilities, and educational programmes into venture-building pathways.
- Support linkages between AIDF's incubation activities and its broader initiatives in executive education, applied research, and industry engagement.
- Assist in shaping entrepreneurship pathways for participants emerging from AIDF programmes, including venture-oriented capstones, startup coaching, and partner connections.
- Maintain accurate records of pipeline, founder engagement, mentor participation, outcomes, and programme KPIs.
- Prepare internal updates, management reports, presentation materials, and summary dashboards.
- Support grant reporting, stakeholder reporting, and institutional documentation where relevant.
- Ensure strong operational discipline and professional execution across all incubation activities.
- Bachelor's degree, with at least 3 years of relevant experience in startup incubation, accelerators, innovation programmes, venture building, ecosystem development, business development, or related fields.
- Strong programme management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams effectively.
- Good understanding of startup development, founder needs, and innovation ecosystem dynamics.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, and writing skills.
- Ability to work independently, solve problems, and bring structure to evolving initiatives.
- Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and action-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership and follow-through.
- Experience in fintech, AI, digital economy, or emerging technologies would be an advantage.
- Experience in a university innovation office, research institute, accelerator, venture studio, VC platform, or corporate innovation team would be a plus.
- Familiarity with Singapore and regional startup ecosystems, founder community building, pilot matchmaking, or grant-supported programmes would be beneficial.