Senior Manager/ Assistant Director, NS Gallery Operations

DEFENCE COLLECTIVE SINGAPORE LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

DEFENCE COLLECTIVE SINGAPORE LTD. is seeking a senior Operations leader to plan, setup, and run Ns Gallery’s physical operations as it opens across multiple platforms. You will build the operations function from the ground up, manage vendors, and lead a ground operations team for the NS Square atrium and gallery launches.

The role emphasizes safety, compliance, budgeting, and readiness for full gallery opening in Dec 2028, with continuous operations support from Dec 2027 onward.

Qualifications

• Degree in Real Estate, Property Management, Facilities Management, Engineering or related field.
• 8-15 years in estate and property management with at least 5 years in a managerial role.
• Experience in building, contract, vendor, security management, and budgeting.
• Familiar with M&E services and able to read technical drawings.
• Knowledge of building regulations and safety requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to lead teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic and operational planning, setup, and governance for gallery operations.
• Manage vendor tendering, SLAs, and vendor performance; optimize cost efficiency.
• Build and lead the ground operations team; hiring and rostering aligned to demand.
• Oversee atrium operations, events, and always-on activations; ensure safety and uptime.
• Develop readiness plans for full gallery opening, including ticketing and AV servicing.
• Manage facilities lifecycle, preventive maintenance, and asset management.
• Ensure health, safety, compliance, incident management, and risk controls.
• Prepare annual budgets and monitor KPIs; report on system failures and recovery.

Skills

Vendor management

Contract management

Team leadership

Communication skills

Reading drawings

Safety compliance

Education

Degree in Real Estate / Facilities

Tools

Ticketing systems

AV systems

M&E drawings reading

Job description

THIS IS A 2-YEAR RENEWABLE CONTRACT ROLE

Lead the planning, setup, and operationalisation of Ns Gallery’s (NSG) physical operations across its phased opening, including the large platforms at the NS Square atrium, launching in December 2027 and full gallery opening in December 2028. This role ensures the Gallery is safe, functional, and operationally efficient, while building the operations function from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic & Operational Strategy, Operations Planning & Setup

Lead and manage all hard and soft services

• Develop master operations plans and budgeting for the operational management of the NS Square atrium with large platforms display and the full NS Gallery.

• Translate design into operational requirements including flows, access, Back of House (BOH) spaces.

• Establish SOPs, policies, safety frameworks, and contingency plans

• Set up operational governance, KPIs, and reporting structures

2. Vendor Procurement & Management

• Lead end-to-end tender processes for the contracting of relevant services and management for the NS Square atrium with large platforms, and NSG. This includes the following services (but not limited to): a) Cleaning services, b) Security services, c) Facilities/M&E maintenance, d) Landscape and public area maintenance, e) Ticketing and visitor system & f) AV systems maintenance

• Establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and vendor performance tracking

• Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality and cost efficiency

3. Ground Operations Team Build

• Develop workforce model for: a) Frontline operations & b) Duty managers and supervisors

• Lead hiring, onboarding, and training

• Implement rostering aligned with visitor demand and programming

4. Atrium Operations & Event Support (Dec 2027 onwards)

• Oversee daily operations of atrium space

• Operational support for NS Square Atrium and NSG launch events, key signature events, and always-on marketing-led activations and events

• Manage crowd flow, safety, and operational readiness

• Ensure high standards of cleanliness and uptime

5. Full Gallery Readiness Planning

• Develop operational systems for full gallery opening

• Plan exhibit maintenance and AV servicing frameworks

• Support integration of ticketing, entry, and access systems

• Conduct testing, simulation, and commissioning exercises

6. Facilities & Asset Management

• Oversee lifecycle management of building and gallery systems

• Implement preventive maintenance strategies

• Ensure reliability and operational efficiency

7. Health, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and safety requirements

• Lead incident management and emergency preparedness

• Maintain strong risk management practices

8. Budgeting and Reporting

• Prepare and manage annual budgets for Gallery operations and capital improvements.

• Monitor KPIs and present quarterly reports on system failures.

• Lead root cause analyses for identified failures and perform necessary recovery.

Requirements

• Degree in Real Estate, Property Management, Facilities Management, Engineering or a related field.

• 8 - 15 years in estate and property management, engineering and hands‑on experience in managing attractions, museums, and/or large commercial/retail buildings. With min. 5 years of managerial experience (as team lead).

• Experience in building, contract, vendor, and security management, and budgeting. Experience in ticketing and AV systems management is a bonus.

• Good knowledge of Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) services and ability to read and understand technical/structural drawings, e.g. as‑built drawing.

• Familiar with statutory requirements on building services, facility operations, maintenance and safety.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong vendor and contract management experience

• Knowledge of Building Regulations and Code of Practice. Fire Safety Manager accreditation an added advantage.

• Able to work independently in a fast‑paced and dynamic environment.

• Proven ability to build, guide and lead teams, with a forward‑looking approach.