Manager/Senior Manager, Outreach & Engagement

Summary

As Manager/Senior Manager of the Outreach & Engagement team, 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 President*s Design Award (P*DA), Singapore Design Week (SDW) and local and international presentations.

About DesignSingapore Council Pte. Ltd.

DesignSingapore Council’s (Dsg) vision is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city through design by 2025. As the national agency that promotes design, our mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. The Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

About the Outreach & Engagement Team

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

We realise this through the Singapore Design Week, Asia’s premier design festival; President*s Design Award, the nation’s highest design accolade; and impactful and inspiring programmes that we bring into the community, both locally and internationally.

Singapore Design Week (SDW)

One of Asia’s premier design festivals, SDW is a celebration of creativity and innovation, championing thought leadership and celebrating the best of design from Singapore and beyond through three defining festival pillars: Design Futures, Design Marketplace and Design Impact.

• Design Futures envisions a forward-looking Singapore that embraces design for the future to generate positive impact across different industries.
• Design Marketplace uncovers lifestyle trends from around the globe, with a spotlight on the fast-growing Southeast Asia region.
• Design Impact inspires with innovative and impactful design solutions that tackle society’s biggest questions and create a better world by design.

Festival Highlights include:

• Design Futures Forum: SDW’s key thought leadership platform exploring design of the future and the future of design.
• Design Districts: SDW Design Districts reflect the unique character and charm of its community, with impactful installations by our very own leading design curators and more.
• Design Community: An Open Call that invites brands, partners and the design community to present inspiring and impactful ground-up programmes in response to the festival theme and pillars.

https://sdw.designsingapore.org/

President*s Design Award (P*DA)

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 team, 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 President*s Design Award (P*DA), Singapore Design Week (SDW) and local and international presentations.

You will build valuable partnerships and develop impactful and inspiring programmes presented in Singapore and overseas

This means you will:

• Work with diverse local and international partners to plan, develop and implement strategies, programmes and outreach activities to build design awareness, appreciation and ability among the people of 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.
• Be part of the team managing the P*DA, overseeing the major milestones including the Call for Entries, Jury Session and Award Ceremony, and the development and production of content for the P*DA publication, videos, online and offline content, as well as local and international P*DA outreach programmes.
• Be part of the team managing the Singapore Design Week, including working with partners to deliver festival highlights such as Design Districts and Design Community programmes.

You will be working with a dynamic, fast-moving, high-energy team

This means you are:

• Keen to take up challenges and lead/assist in conceptualising, planning, developing and implementing other programmes and initiatives led by the Outreach & Engagement team.
• A team player who takes pride in creative thinking and solving problems with your team.
• Keen to take on other cross-departmental, Dsg-wide projects and work with other teams.

Requirements

Who you are:

• A degree holder with 3 to 8 years of relevant experience in programming, outreach, events management, marketing or project management
• An effective collaborator and negotiator with a strong ability to influence outcomes
• 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
• Experienced in effectively engaging a wide range of stakeholders across private and public sectors
• Creative and enjoys producing engaging content that exemplifies how design can make lives better. Copywriting, copyediting and proofreading skills are a big plus
• Able to prioritise, troubleshoot and stay focused under tight deadlines and pressure
• A team player who is ready to take up challenges and work on new programmes and initiatives
• Have procurement experience (This is a bonus!)