Head, Arts and Creative Experience, Office of Student Life

Singapore Management University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Management University invites a seasoned leader to steward the Office of Student Life, overseeing the Arts Cluster and campus-wide events. You will shape experiential learning and collaborate with schools, clubs, and external partners to elevate SMU's artistic footprint.

The role requires a track record of managing complex programs, budgets, and multi-stakeholder initiatives, with a focus on talent development and strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Arts Management or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in arts management or related areas.
• Proven leadership in managing teams, budgets, and multi-stakeholder projects.
• Strong conceptualisation, stakeholder management, and project execution skills.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic directions into meaningful out-of-classroom learning opportunities and oversee implementation and assessment.
• Provide portfolio-level oversight of the Arts Cluster, including student clubs, training, events, and festival participation.
• Lead strategies to nurture student artistic talent and leadership; guide managers and foster ownership.
• Spearhead major institutional events from concept to production planning and risk management.
• Lead annual budget planning, financial monitoring, and manpower deployment across clusters.
• Provide management oversight to build a high-performing, collaborative culture and drive staff development.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with artists, cultural organisations, agencies, and partners; supervise external coaches/trainers.
• Collaborate with university leadership, schools, and student groups to position portfolios as distinctive contributors to SMU's brand.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Creative concept

Communication

Adaptability

Education

Arts Management

Events Management

Communications

Media Management

Job description

About Us

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.

Job Description

• Translation of Graduate Learning Outcomes into Out-of-Classroom Learning: Translate strategic directions and priorities of SMU and the Office of the Dean of Students into meaningful out-of-classroom learning opportunities, overseeing the implementation, monitoring, and outcome assessment of co-curricular programmes.
• Strategic Oversight and Delivery of the Arts Portfolio: Provide portfolio-level oversight of the Arts Cluster—encompassing student arts clubs, training frameworks, annual work plans, performances, exhibitions, and local/international festival participations.
• Student Talent and Leadership Development: Lead strategies to nurture student artistic talent and leadership, guiding managers in cultivating student executive committees, fostering ownership and accountability, and providing robust experiential platforms.
• Planning and Execution of University-Wide Events & Creative Initiatives: Spearhead major institutional events (such as SMU Arts Fest, SMU Patron's Day, and the Academic Year Opening Ceremony) from creative conceptualization and narrative design to production planning and risk management.
• Budget, Manpower, and Resource Management: Lead annual budget planning, financial monitoring, and comprehensive manpower deployment across both clusters, ensuring responsible resource allocation and strict compliance with SMU's governance and operational policies.
• Team Leadership and Staff Development: Provide management oversight to build a high-performing, collaborative culture by setting clear performance expectations, coaching managers, addressing capability gaps, and driving professional development and succession planning.
• External Partnerships and Practitioner Management: Build and maintain strategic relationships with artists, cultural organizations, government agencies, industry partners, and community groups, while overseeing the appointment and supervision of external coaches and trainers.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Brand Positioning: Collaborate closely with internal university leadership, schools, and student groups, while monitoring industry trends to support Head, Office of Student Life in positioning the portfolios as distinctive contributors to SMU's brand and community presence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Arts Management, Events Management, Communications, Media Management, Arts Education, or related disciplines. Other degrees may also be considered with substantial relevant experience.
• Experience: Minimum 10 years of professional experience in arts management, cultural programming, event production, or student development, including managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Leadership & Financial Acumen: Proven track record in leading teams, managing performance, and handling budgets, manpower, and resource allocation.
• Core Competencies: Strong creative conceptualization, stakeholder management, and project management skills, paired with a solid understanding of out-of-classroom learning principles.
• Industry Networks: Established professional contacts within the arts, cultural, creative, media, or events sectors.
• Personal Attributes: Exceptional communication skills, high adaptability, problem-solving judgment, and a collaborative, approachable disposition.

Other Information

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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.