Manager/Senior Manager, Outreach & Engagement (1-Year Contract)

designsingapore council pte. ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

DesignSingapore Council Pte. Ltd. seeks a Manager/Senior Manager to lead the Outreach & Engagement division.

You will manage programmes celebrating Singapore's design talents, expand community outreach, and develop design-led showcases for international and local audiences. This role includes pivotal events such as the Singapore Design Biennale and the President*s Design Award. The role emphasizes collaboration with partners across sectors to drive design impact and growth, supporting signature

Qualifications

• 2 to 8 years of experience in programming, outreach, events management, marketing or project management.
• Effective collaborator and negotiator across private and public sectors.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience in procurement, contract management and end-to-end project delivery.
• Copywriting and content development skills are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead conceptualisation, planning, development and implementation of outreach programmes and initiatives.
• Oversee Singapore Design Biennale and related signature programmes.
• Collaborate with local and international partners to build design awareness and engagement.
• Coordinate cross-division initiatives and contribute to strategic thinking within the Council.
• Ensure timely delivery of projects within budget and scope.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Communication

Negotiation

Event management

Team collaboration

Copywriting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Summary

As Manager / Senior Manager of the Outreach & Engagement division, you will be part of the team that manages programmes and initiatives driven by the Council to celebrate and profile Singapore's top design talents, grow outreach opportunities within the community and develop design-led showcases to demonstrate the relevance of design impact and innovation. This will include signature programmes such as the Singapore Design Biennale (SDB), President*s Design Award (P*DA), and local and international presentations.

About DesignSingapore Council Pte. Ltd.

The DesignSingapore Council (Dsg)'s vision is for Singapore to be a liveable, loveable, and limitless city by design. As the national agency for design, our mission is to develop the design sector to be globally competitive, champion the use of design for innovation and growth in Singapore, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

About the Outreach & Engagement Division

To develop Singapore into a thriving innovation-driven economy and loveable city by design, the Outreach & Engagement division creates experiences that celebrate the Singapore design brand and amplify the value and impact of design through programmes that are accessible for all.

We realise this through signature programmes like the Singapore Design Biennale, Asia's premier design festival; President*s Design Award, the nation's highest design accolade; and other impactful and inspiring programmes and showcases that we bring into the community, both locally and internationally, to benchmark Singapore's design excellence and cultivate new audiences.

Singapore Design Biennale

The DesignSingapore Council will organise a large-scale biennale dedicated to design in Singapore, with the inaugural edition taking place from 14 May to 20 June 2027. Uniting Singapore's distinct vision for world-building through design with global perspectives, SDB will mark a new chapter for Singapore on the international design calendar.

SDB succeeds the long-established Singapore Design Week with an expanded format that will be greater in ambition, scale and international partnerships, and will build on the country’s global renown as a nation shaped by design.

The Biennale reflects the ambitions of Singapore’s Design 2035 Masterplan, a ten-year national roadmap to deepen Singapore’s cultural vibrancy, and its role as a UNESCO Creative City of Design that shapes ideas and influences perspectives beyond its shores. Reaffirming the city-state’s status as one of the most optimally designed places in the world, the first edition of the Biennale will examine how the island’s unique geography, landscape and unique circumstances have inspired generations of bold ideas to define a nation at large.

Please refer to the Singapore Design Week website for information on SDW 2025. https://sdw.designsingapore.org/

President*s Design Award

The P*DA is Singapore's most prestigious design accolade. Established in 2006, the Award recognises excellence across all design disciplines. The founding objectives of the Award are to recognise the significant achievements of Singapore's design talents and the contributions they have made to Singapore's economic competitiveness and quality of life; engender pride in the nation's outstanding designs and leading designers among Singaporeans and in turn nurture among Singaporeans a greater awareness of quality design in all areas; and demonstrate to industry, businesses, the general public and the international community the government's commitment to design development and promotion.

The Award is conferred by the President of the Republic of Singapore, and is jointly administered by the DesignSingapore Council and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

https://pda.designsingapore.org/

Responsibilities

As Manager / Senior Manager of the Outreach & Engagement division, you will be part of the team that manages programmes and initiatives driven by the Council to celebrate and profile Singapore's top design talents, grow outreach opportunities within the community and develop design-led showcases to demonstrate and amplify the value of design impact and innovation. This will include signature programmes such as the Singapore Design Biennale (SDB), and local and international presentations.

This role includes:

• Leading and supporting the conceptualisation, strategic planning, development and implementation of programmes and initiatives led by the Outreach & Engagement division, as part of the team that manages:
• Singapore Design Biennale, to deliver key festival programmes like Design Districts, a thought leadership forum, and B2B and B2C initiatives to cultivate adoption of Singapore design;
• Local and international outreach programmes and initiatives to benchmark Singapore's design excellence at home and abroad.
• Working with diverse local and international partners to plan, develop and implement strategies, impact and inspiring programmes and outreach activities to build design awareness, appreciation and ability among key audience segments in Singapore, and celebrate Singapore design on the world stage. This includes partners from the wider design community, jurors, educational institutions, industry associations, other government agencies and also other teams within Dsg.
• Being a team player who contributes actively in creative thinking and ideating with your team.
• Taking on other cross-division Dsg-wide projects, working in tandem with other teams.

Requirements

• A degree holder with 2 to 8 years of relevant experience in programming, outreach, events management, marketing or project management
• An effective collaborator and negotiator experienced in engaging a wide range of stakeholders across private and public sectors, with a strong ability to influence outcomes.
• A team player who is game to take on challenges, able to prioritise, troubleshoot and stay focused under tight deadlines and pressure.
• A multi-tasker who is organised, detail-oriented, hands-on and self-driven, with a proven track record in delivering projects and achieving results.
• Possess excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in procurement, contract management and end-to-end project delivery.
• Creative and enjoys producing engaging experiences. Copywriting, copyediting and proofreading skills are a plus.