Job Description

Head, Experimentation, Adult Learning Collaboratory

(2-year contract, renewable)

Description

The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), an autonomous institute of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, is at the forefront of building capabilities and continuing professional development for an effective, innovative and responsive adult learning ecosystem in support of the objectives of SkillsFuture.

IAL is leading the Adult Learning Collaboratory (ALC), the first such collaboratory in the world for adult learning. The ALC brings stakeholders in the adult learning ecosystem together to jointly innovate and co-produce solutions in an experimental environment. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to adult learning institutions, adult educators, enterprises, technologists, researchers and policymakers.

The role of the Head, Experimentation is to strategize and drive experimental research in authentic settings using innovative methods. The appointee will oversee the design, implementation and evaluation of experimental research and together with stakeholder communities, generate collaboratory output that enhances adult learning. The appointee will work in close collaboration with Head, Ecosystem.

In this position, the appointee will report to Director, Research Division, and work with a team of specialists to jointly engage stakeholders in experimenting and solutioning on thematic projects of vital importance to the adult learning ecosystem.

The responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Strategize, set directions for, and spearhead experimental research in the ALC.
• Design, plan and oversee experiments in authentic settings to test and develop solutioning possibilities, including working principles, framework and tools, and create translation products and blueprints for community adoption and practice. Test the scalability of solutions and engage with relevant stakeholders for adoption and scaling.
• Develop the collaboratory community by identifying, engaging with and cultivating relationships with co-creators from the scientific, institutional, policy and practitioner communities, as well as potential end users.
• Co-lead thematic collaboratory activities that may include scoping, experimentation, prototyping, solutioning and validation, whilst working with a diverse group of stakeholders
• Create impact and disseminate results by engaging with relevant communities of practice such as adult learning educators, training providers, unions, enterprises, professional bodies, and policymakers, and the wider public through op-eds, research papers, policy and practitioner notes, academic journal articles, books and chapters
• Oversee the budget, production of outputs, and reporting

• Minimally a postgraduate research degree in the social sciences, preferably in Education/ Psychology/Sociology/ Business Management/ Human Capital Development / Political Science / Economics/ Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• At least 8 years of research and/or leadership experience in the relevant research field
• A commitment to building a high-trust, high-efficacy ecosystem of co-innovation and experimentation in authentic settings and in innovative ways
• Strategic thinking and influencing skills, and strong learning agility
• Sound experimental research and analytical skills to support research-grounded and data-driven experimentation and innovation
• Strong writing, communication, administrative and project management skills
• The successful appointee will based in IAL campus located at Lifelong Learning Institute at Paya Lebar

Singapore University of Social Sciences