Asst Director DSO (IMH)

Position: Assistant Director (Innovation)

Department: Data Science Office

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Job Description:

The Assistant Director (Innovation) leads the IMH Innovation Office and is accountable for shaping, governing and delivering a portfolio of high-impact innovation initiatives aligned with IMH, NHG and MOH transformation priorities. The role translates strategic priorities and frontline challenges into scalable solutions, provides disciplined project and portfolio management, strengthens partnerships and innovation capabilities, and tracks measurable benefits across clinical, operational and corporate domains. The job holder also builds an organisation-wide culture that supports experimentation, responsible adoption and sustained change.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Innovation Strategy and Portfolio Management

• Lead the IMH Innovation Office and develop an enterprise innovation roadmap that supports IMH’s strategic priorities and future care and hospital transformation needs.
• Establish a balanced innovation portfolio comprising large-scale strategic initiatives that reshape care and hospital operations, as well as smaller productivity enablers that broaden participation and compound benefits across IMH.
• Work with clinicians, operations, quality, corporate functions and technology partners to identify and frame high-value problems, define desired outcomes and build a prioritised pipeline of opportunities.
• Translate organisational priorities into actionable innovation programmes and projects supported by appropriate digital solutions, analytics, AI, automation, robotics and process redesign.
• Advise senior management and governance committees on portfolio choices, investment priorities, trade-offs, risks, readiness and expected organisational impact.
• Scan emerging trends and benchmark relevant healthcare and cross-industry practices to inform IMH’s innovation direction and adoption choices.

 2. Project Management

• Lead end-to-end project management for innovation initiatives from discovery, concept development and business case preparation through pilot, implementation, evaluation, scale-up and transition to business-as-usual owners.
• Define project charters, scope, objectives, deliverables, milestones, workplans, resources, budgets, procurement needs, dependencies, risks, issues and success measures with clear ownership and governance.
• Apply fit-for-purpose delivery approaches, including agile, design thinking, lean improvement, staged pilots and structured change management, according to project complexity and risk.
• Lead project working groups, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and partners, and maintain timely decision logs, project documentation, status reporting and escalation pathways.
• Monitor delivery against approved scope, schedule, budget, quality and outcomes; intervene early where projects are off track and recommend corrective action or reprioritisation.
• Plan for operational readiness, user adoption, training, support, handover, sustainability and scale so successful pilots translate into durable organisational value.
• Build consistent project management standards, templates and tools for the Innovation Office and strengthen project management capability among project leads and innovators.

 3. Innovation Governance & Evaluation

• Lead the secretariat and agenda development for governance platforms such as the Innovation & Digitalisation Steering Committee (IDSC), ensuring decisions and actions are properly documented and followed through.
• Design and maintain transparent processes for idea intake, assessment, prioritisation, funding recommendations, stage-gate review, monitoring, closure and post-implementation evaluation.
• Maintain an accurate portfolio view of project status, milestones, financial commitments, risks, dependencies, benefits and decisions for management oversight.
• Ensure innovation initiatives observe applicable IMH, NHG and MOH requirements, including governance relating to data, privacy, cybersecurity, clinical safety, AI, procurement, finance and risk.
• Develop benefits realisation plans with baseline measures, target outcomes and accountable benefit owners, track productivity, quality, experience, workforce, financial and strategic outcomes as relevant.

 4. Innovation Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

• Build strategic partnerships with NHG, MOH, Synapxe, CHI, healthcare institutions, academia, industry and other ecosystem partners to accelerate access to expertise, technology and co-development opportunities.
• Lead partner engagement from opportunity scoping and due diligence through collaboration design, agreement, delivery oversight and evaluation.
• Identify suitable grants, challenge calls, test-bedding platforms and co-funding opportunities, and coordinate strong submissions aligned with IMH priorities.
• Represent IMH in relevant NHG-level and external workgroups, programmes and showcases, while protecting IMH’s interests and ensuring commitments are deliverable.

5. Innovation Culture, Digital Literacy & Capability Building

• Lead the development of a vibrant and inclusive innovation culture that encourages staff to identify problems, test ideas, share learning and adopt effective solutions.
• Lead the design and delivery of innovation and digital literacy workshops, communities of practice, toolkits, playbooks and learning resources.
• Mentor digital innovators, project leads, data analysts and student interns, providing strategic guidance, delivery discipline and access to relevant networks and expertise.
• Lead the development of recognition, communication and showcase mechanisms that make innovation outcomes visible, celebrate contributors and support replication across departments.
• Leverage NHG and CHI platforms and work with internal stakeholders to expand staff participation in innovation and workforce transformation programmes.
• Capture and disseminate lessons from successful and unsuccessful initiatives to strengthen institutional knowledge and future delivery.

Requirements:

Competency

• Demonstrated experience in project and programme management across the full delivery lifecycle, including business case development, planning, budgeting, risk management, implementation, evaluation and benefits realisation.
• Experience managing innovation portfolios, governance forums, pilots, partnerships and scale-up decisions in a complex organisation; healthcare experience will be an advantage.
• Strategic and analytical thinking — ability to interpret complex operational data, oversee predictive modelling, and translate insights into strategic recommendations for senior management.
• Change management — experience leading organisational or care transformation initiatives, including stakeholder engagement and managing resistance to change.
• Stakeholder management — ability to engage, influence, and align diverse stakeholders across clinical, operational, and corporate functions at a senior level.
• Financial acumen — familiarity with budget management, resource optimisation, and financial sustainability considerations in a healthcare setting.
• Leadership and people development — demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire teams, consistent with the learning culture and supervisory responsibilities described.

 Educational and Professional Requirements

• Degree in Healthcare, Science, Engineering and Business with at least 10 years of related professional experience, including those in supervisory roles

About IMH:

The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in Singapore, established in 1928, is a premier 2,000-bed psychiatric hospital nestled in Buangkok Green Medical Park, providing comprehensive mental health services across 50 inpatient wards and 7 outpatient clinics, while also playing a pivotal role in training the next generation of mental health professionals through the NHG-AHPL Residency Programme and collaborations with local academic institutions.