Hosted at Asian Communication Research Centre (ACRC), Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, the AI4D Asia Labs Coordination Hub (the Hub) seeks to promote AI for development (AI4D) in Asia’s low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by fostering inclusive, responsible AI innovations attuned to communal needs across diverse social, cultural, and linguistic contexts. Funded by the Canadian IDRC (International Development Research Centre), the Hub will coordinate a three-year, CAD 3 million programme that sub-grants the majority of funds to three AI4D Labs in LMICs, supports collaborative research and capacity-building, and advances gender equality, disability inclusion (GEDI), and ethical AI for development across Asia.

We are looking for a Principal Research Fellow to work closely with the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, Hub leadership, Lab directors, and IDRC collaborators to oversee the day-to-day management and coordination of the AI4D Asia Labs network. The role will focus on end-to-end project management, sub-grant administration, coordination of Hub–Lab activities, and the timely delivery of key outputs such as annual regional workshops, online seminars, cross-country projects, and the “State of AI4D in Asia” report. The Research Manager will be central to ensuring that the Hub’s activities are well-coordinated, ethically grounded, and aligned with NTU and funder requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of the AI4D Asia Labs Coordination Hub project, from inception to completion (2026–2029), ensuring timely delivery of milestones

• Coordinate day-to-day interactions between the Hub at NTU and the three AI4D Labs, in liaison with IDRC collaborators, supporting smooth communication, issue resolution, and collaborative agenda-setting

• Ensure compliance with NTU policies, ethical guidelines, and regulatory requirements

• Monitor project budgets, expenditures, and financial reporting

• Support grant applications, including budgeting, documentation, and submission processes

• Prepare progress reports to the funder, presentations, and updates for internal and external stakeholders

• Lead the Hub and Lab teams to plan and track annual cycles of activities, including regional workshops, cross-Lab projects, knowledge repository development, and evaluation exercises

• Coordinate and administer the sub-granting process to the three AI4D Labs, including documentation, timelines, and compliance with NTU and funder financial procedures

• Organise research meetings, workshops, and engagement activities

• Support strategic initiatives to strengthen the Hub’s research impact and visibility

Job Requirements:

• PhD degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., communication, development studies, public policy, information systems, data science, AI, or related fields); higher degrees are an advantage

• At least 8 years of experience in research management, academic administration, or programme coordination, preferably with exposure to regional or international projects

• Experience working with grant-funded projects, including budgeting, financial tracking, and reporting to donors or funding agencies

• Familiarity with research governance, ethics, and compliance frameworks

• Strong intercultural communication skills and ability to work with diverse partners across Asia, including LMICs and high-resource countries

• Capacity to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, with attention to detail and a proactive, solutions-oriented approach

• Knowledge of Asia’s AI and development landscape, or prior involvement in AI4D or ICT4D initiatives, will be considered favourably

Preferred Skills

• Experience managing complex, multi-country or multi-institutional projects, preferably in international development, digital innovation, or research-for-development settings

• Strong project management capabilities, including workplan design, risk management, and coordination across diverse teams and time zones

• Familiarity with issues of responsible AI, AI4D and ICT4D, and with gender equality, disability inclusion and broader social justice concerns in technology projects

• Comfortable working in an interdisciplinary environment that bridges AI technical research and social science perspectives on ethics, governance, and inclusion

• Strong writing skills for preparing reports, policy-facing documents, and communications materials for diverse audiences

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.