Project & Ops Manager

Overview:
At IMBA, operations are about more than efficiency. They're about creating seamless experiences that bring our stories to life every day. The Head of Operations will play a pivotal role in transforming our vision into action, ensuring the venue runs with precision, warmth, and creativity.

Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will lead all on-ground functions, including ticketing, visitor experience, technical and facilities management. You'll balance strategy with hands-on leadership — guiding teams, managing partners, and ensuring that every visitor interaction reflects IMBA's standard of excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Project & Production Management
● Lead and manage the full lifecycle of IMBA exhibitions, installations, productions, and special projects, from planning through to completion.
● Develop and maintain project timelines, technical specifications, budgets, procurement plans, and production schedules.
● Ensure all deliverables are completed on time, within approved budgets, and in compliance with IMBA's quality and safety standards.

2. Technical & Creative Execution
● Translate creative and curatorial concepts into executable production and technical plans.
● Oversee fabrication, construction, AV/lighting, media integration, staging, and installation works.
● Conduct feasibility studies, prototyping, and technical testing for all projects.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration
● Work closely with the Content, Creative, Brand/Marketing, Venue Operations, and Corporate Functions teams for the seamless delivery of all projects.
● Provide all required documentation, handover notes, technical manuals, and maintenance guidelines to the Operations team before opening.

4. Vendor, Contractor & Stakeholder Management
● Source, evaluate, recommend, and manage external vendors, contractors, designers, artists, fabricators, and technical partners.
● Negotiate scopes of work, service agreements, deliverables, and costings.
● Supervise all contractors on site to ensure adherence to safety, compliance, and project specifications.

5. Budgeting, Procurement & Risk Management
● Prepare, manage, and track project budgets, cost forecasts, and expenditure reports.
● Implement risk assessments, mitigation plans, and contingency strategies for all projects.
● Ensure all procurement is conducted in accordance with IMBA's authority matrix and financial procedures.

6. Compliance, Licensing & Safety
● Ensure all projects meet statutory and regulatory requirements, including but not limited to SCDF, BCA, IMDA, licensing, and Workplace Safety & Health (WSH) regulations.
● Oversee the preparation and submission of required permits, risk assessments, method statements, and safety documentation.

7. Team Leadership
● Manage the supply chain of vendors and contractors, building a reliable bench of partners for recurring production needs.
● Set clear KPIs and development plans for direct reports; build a project team capable of running concurrent projects across multiple venue spaces (gallery, theatres, and public zones) without cross-hall delays.

8. Multi-Hall / Cross-Venue Coordination
● Own the master schedule across all exhibition halls and theatre spaces, identifying dependencies (shared rigging, AV crews, queuing/ticketing flow) that cross physical boundaries.
● Flag and resolve scheduling conflicts between simultaneous builds/installs in different halls before they cascade into delays.
● Coordinate soft-open and public-open readiness per hall, ensuring no single space blocks overall venue opening.

Requirements & Qualifications:
● 5+ years of experience in project/production management, ideally in experiential venues, museums, live events, retail construction, or entertainment.
● Demonstrated ops background: comfortable owning end-to-end delivery, not just a single workstream.
● Experience managing vendors/contractors and negotiating service agreements.
● Familiarity with Singapore's regulatory landscape (SCDF, BCA, IMDA, WSH) is a strong plus, though not confirmed as mandatory — verify with IMBA's HR/legal team before finalising this as a hard requirement.
● Strong budgeting and risk-management skills.
● Experience coordinating across multiple physical spaces or concurrent installations is preferred.
● People management experience leading project managers/coordinators/technical staff.