What The Role Is
The Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) provides cultural exposure and learning opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests. Situated amidst the Istana Kampong Gelam, Gedung Kuning and the surrounding Kampong Gelam precinct, the Centre acts as a vital heritage institution for the Malay community in Singapore. Through its exhibits, programmes and activities, the Centre hopes to honour the past whilst providing a means for present-day expression. The Malay Heritage Centre is under the management of the National Heritage Board in partnership with the Malay Heritage Foundation.
In this role, you should have a strong passion and interest in Malay history, culture and heritage. You are passionate about building and nurturing a vibrant volunteer community and strategic partnerships that expand MHC's reach, deepen community trust, and activate the Kampong Gelam precinct through cultural programming. The core of the role is growing MHC's volunteer community and partnership network through relationship-building, co-created initiatives, and resource mobilisation.
What You Will Be Working On
As the Assistant Manager of Community Partnerships & Volunteers, you will be leading the development and management of the Centre's volunteer strategy and partnership portfolio whilst overseeing precinct activation initiatives that enhance community engagement with Malay heritage.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Design and implement volunteer-led initiatives and engagement opportunities that support MHC's operations whilst providing meaningful experiences for volunteers, fostering long-term commitment and community advocacy
- Recruit, train and manage a diverse volunteer base, developing comprehensive training programmes and development opportunities to enhance volunteer skills and engagement with Malay heritage
- Develop and implement MHC's partnership strategy with corporates, community organisations, educational institutions and cultural groups, and create collaboration pathways (programmes, content, campaigns, capability-building, sponsorships-in-kind) that strengthen connections to Malay heritage.
- Develop youth engagement strategies or programmes for sustained engagement
- Develop and coordinate precinct development strategies that strengthen the area's identity through innovative placemaking initiatives and programmes aligned with MHC's objectives
- Lead the conceptualisation and delivery of engaging precinct activities, including street performances, public art installations and collaborative programmes during key festivals
- Identify opportunities for precinct enhancement and activation whilst ensuring alignment with urban planning guidelines and heritage considerations
- Monitor and manage programme budgets whilst maintaining effective relationships with vendors and suppliers
- Establish, track and analyse key performance indicators to evaluate programme effectiveness and inform future strategies
- Provide support for major programmes and events in the MHC calendar, along with other duties as assigned
- Develop and manage a partnership pipeline, including outreach, partner mapping, proposal development, and stewardship of key relationships.
- Identify and pursue partnership opportunities that bring capabilities or resources to MHC (e.g., expertise, platforms, in-kind support, funding), in alignment with governance and guidelines.
What We Are Looking For
- [Partnership Management & Development] Ability to structure partnerships across different forms and identify and assess relevant partners to form strategic alliances with and co-curate initiatives to increase vibrancy in the precinct
- [Project Management & Evaluation] Ability to oversee programme implementation to ensure that programmes meet objectives, quality standards, timelines, and budgets
- [Content Creation & Curation] Ability to research, propose and present heritage content in innovative ways, delivering programme objectives that resonate with the target audience and bring collective value for partners
- [Audience Management] Ability to develop and implement engagement strategies and activities that cater to different visitor segments and align with the Centre's goals, evaluating its effectiveness to continuously improve audience engagement
- [Relationship Stewardship & Negotiation] Ability to build trust, align interests, and manage expectations across partners to deliver shared outcomes.
Work Experiences And Knowledge
- Background in Business, Communications, Public Policy, Event Management, Arts, Humanities or related field
- Preferably at least three years of relevant work experience in programming, event management, volunteer management or stakeholder engagement is preferred
- Demonstrated project management capabilities and excellent problem-solving skills
- Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and build strong working relationships across different levels
- Preferably fluent in English and Malay (but not mandatory)
- Experience in managing arts, cultural or heritage-related projects is advantageous
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Passionate about culture and heritage
- Comfortable to work well in a team as well as independently
- Flexibility to work during evenings and weekends for special events, as required
