Manager/Senior Manager/Assistant Director, Literary Arts

National Arts Council

Fixed Terms

What the role is

The Literary Arts sector in Singapore is multi-lingual and multi-cultural, with 4 key sub-sectors (English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese), each presenting unique opportunities for growth and development. It includes creators (e.g. writers, translators, critics), producers (e.g. publishers, editors), distributors (e.g. retailers, libraries), intermediaries (e.g. literary arts associations and organisations) and consumers (e.g. general readers, education institutions), contributing to a vibrant ecosystem of literary activity.

What you will be working on

• Manage the development of selected sectors[1], genres[2]/language and key components[3] in the Literary Arts eco-system.
• Gather intelligence on local and international trends in the sector and the broader creative economy, and translate it into strategies and identified growth opportunities for the sector.
• Create strategic value-add for the sector by implementing Literary Arts initiatives as part of the Arts Plan 2.0.
• Monitor the development and progress, and evaluate outcomes and impact of initiatives.
• Cultivate and monitor key stakeholders, and introduce opportunities for collaboration and growth through strategic platforms, events, and national platforms.
• Administer NAC's various grant schemes; assess grant applications; monitor and evaluate grant application outcomes.

[1] Sectors - a distinct subset of a market, e.g. schools - students and teachers, youth, families, etc.

[2] Genres - fiction (novels, poetry, graphic novels etc) and Creative non-fiction (travel writing, biography, etc)

What we are looking for

• At least 2 years of working experience preferably in industry development and grant management and/or administration, preferably in grants delivery, stakeholder engagement, content and talent development, internationalisation, publishing, literary translation, book retail or similar areas.
• Excellent proficiency in English, with knowledge of literature and/or publishing. Additional proficiency in Chinese Language and knowledge of the Singapore literary scene will be a bonus.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical and reasoning ability, and comfortable working with data and numbers.
• Strong administrative and project management skills.
• Good team player who is able to foster collaborations within department, organisation and with external stakeholders.
• Applicants who require work passes need not
• Able to adapt to changing contexts
• Meticulous and organised, with a process-oriented working style
• Applicants who require work passes need not

Interested applicants are to submit resume and one-page write-up on your interest and involvement in the arts.

About National Arts Council

The National Arts Council champions the arts in Singapore. By nurturing creative excellence and supporting broad audience engagement, our diverse and distinctive arts inspire our people, connect communities and profile Singapore internationally. We preserve our rich, cultural traditions as we cultivate accomplished artists and vibrant companies for the future. As a statutory board in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, our support for the arts is comprehensive – from grants and partnerships to industry facilitation and arts housing. The Council welcomes greater private and corporate giving to and through the arts so that together we can make the arts an integral part of everyone's lives.
At NAC, we have a team of creative and dynamic staff who share this common vision.
If you have a strong passion for the arts, we welcome you to join us for a challenging and fulfilling career.

About your application process

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the job ad closing date, we seek your understanding that it is likely that we are not moving forward with your application for this role. We thank you for your interest and would like to assure you that this does not affect your other job applications with the Public Service. We encourage you to explore and for other roles within National Arts Council or the wider Public Service.