Starting from: October 1, 2026 or upon agreement
Contract duration: 24 months with expectation of extension
Workload: Full-time, 40 hours/week
Location: 22F, Building A, Far East International Plaza, 319 Xianxia Road, Shanghai, China
Swissnex in China is seeking an experienced Senior Program Manager to join our academic engagement and innovation programs team. The role is suited to an experienced professional who wants to take ownership of programs, lead the teams and people delivering them, to drive measurable outcomes in the education, research and innovation landscape connecting Switzerland and China.
The Senior Program Manager will work with Swiss universities, researchers, startups and companies to better understand China’s rapidly evolving ecosystem, identify relevant trends and opportunities, and support a wide range of exchanges and collaborations between Switzerland and China.
The position is hands-on and dynamic. It includes supporting Swissnex strategic programs, innovation scouting, startup camps, academic and innovation sabbaticals, delegation visits and other mandates. The Senior Program Manager will contribute to both program delivery and research, working closely with Swiss stakeholders and Chinese partners.
We are looking for someone with a strong background in China’s evolving academia and innovation landscape and ideally with some understanding of current trends in areas such as health, medtech, biotech, green technologies, robotics and automation.
Program Execution & Management:
- Lead assigned Swissnex programs across innovation and academic engagement, including startup camps, startup cohorts, innovation scouting, immersion programs, delegation visits, and thematic projects.
- Take end-to-end ownership of assigned projects, from concept development and planning through implementation, evaluation and reporting, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, timelines, budgets, and impact indicators.
- Lead the preparation and delivery of activities, tailored delegation visits, and exchanges between Swiss and Chinese partners, ensuring a high level of quality and stakeholder satisfaction.
- Coordinate internal teams, external partners, and service providers, ensuring clear roles, effective communication, and timely delivery of project activities and milestones.
Research, Ecosystem Mapping & Partner Identification:
- Build and maintain relationships with partners in academia, industry, government, and startups, serving as the primary contact for all program-related communications with internal and external stakeholders.
- Proof read and review high-value research in China on emerging trends, relevant sectors and innovation developments, translating insights into concrete opportunities and useful outputs for Swiss stakeholders.
- Identify and map suitable companies, startups, universities, research institutes, and other partners in China.
- Support Swiss stakeholders in areas such as health and medtech, biotech, green technologies, robotics and automation.
Communication & Outreach:
- Organize events, workshops and delegation visits, including agenda development, speaker identification and logistics.
- Work closely with Swiss and Chinese stakeholders and represent Swissnex in meetings and external events.
- Collaborate with other internal project teams and support the communications team when needed.
