Manager, Office of Admissions and Financial Assistance

Singapore Management University is a place where high-level professionalism blends together with a healthy informality. The 'family-like' atmosphere among the SMU community fosters a culture where employees work, plan, organise and play together - building a strong collegiality and morale within the university. Our commitment to attract and retain talent is ongoing. We offer attractive benefits and welfare, competitive compensation packages, and generous professional development opportunities - all to meet the work-life needs of our staff. No wonder, then, that SMU continues to be given numerous awards and recognition for its human resource excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Non-Tuition Financial Assistance Schemes: Oversee the end-to-end administration of non-tuition financial assistance schemes, including work-study grants, overseas exchange grants (outgoing and incoming), short-term programme grants, and experiential learning grants. Coordinate with academic schools, GEO, DKHM Career Centre, C4SR, and other partners to ensure accurate eligibility assessment, timely processing, coordinated approvals, and compliant disbursement of funds.
• Student Awards: Oversee the administration of academic and non-academic student awards, including University-level and externally funded awards. Coordinate system enrolment and processes for major University awards such as the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Ho Kwon Ping Circle Awards.
• Student Loan Programmes: Oversee MOE-regulated student loan schemes, including Tuition Fee Loans, Study Loans, Overseas Exchange Loans. Work closely with the Office of Finance and relevant University units to ensure accurate application processing, approvals, disbursements, and audit-ready records in compliance with MOE and University requirements.
• Budget Planning, Governance & Compliance: Support budget planning, utilisation monitoring, and expenditure projections for CSFA-administered schemes to ensure sustainable and effective use of financial assistance funds. Ensure operations comply with university policies, donor requirements, and MOE regulations, and identify and elevate operational risks, exceptions, and compliance gaps. Contribute to audit readiness and continuous process improvement to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and control.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Operational Continuity: Support outreach and communications to promote awareness and understanding of CSFA-administered financial assistance schemes. Ensure student-facing materials and frontline responses are accurate, consistent, and aligned with approved policies. Act as operational backup for CSFA-administered schemes and provide functional guidance to a contract staff member to ensure continuity of operations.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree holder with at least 5-7 years of relevant administrative or operational experience; prior experience in the education sector and/or customer service will be an advantage.
• Prior experience with a good understanding of financial assistance schemes, including financial aid, bursaries, and/or scholarships, will be an advantage.
• Experience in the conception and implementation of operational and process improvement initiatives is preferred.
• Strong time management and organisational skills, with the ability to plan, prioritise, and coordinate multiple tasks to meet deadlines in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, as well as presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently with sound judgement, as well as collaboratively within a team and across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Meticulous, detail-oriented, and well-organised, with a strong sense of accountability and ownership.
• Demonstrated leadership potential, with good critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to exercise judgement in handling complex or sensitive matters.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to use Power BI and Power Automate will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with Canva and basic graphics editing tools to support the design of emailers and outreach materials will be a plus.

Candidates who do not possess the stipulated qualifications but have relevant work experience may still apply. Remuneration and appointment terms shall commensurate with qualifications and experience. SMU reserves the right to modify the appointment terms where necessary.