Senior Manager / Manager (Procurement Business Partner)

National Gallery Singapore

3.9

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Museum, Central Region (Hybrid)

Purchasing, Procurement & Inventory (Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics)

Full time

Salary match

Posted 2d ago

Medium application volume

How you match

Matches based on your career history

Procurement

Quotation

Evaluation

Supply Chain Management

+2 more⁠

Overview

Reporting to the Assistant Director (Procurement), the Procurement Business Partner bridges operating departments, their Procurement Stewards and Central Procurement. Working alongside the Assistant Director (Procurement) as one of two Business Partners, the role partners named departments on complex and non-standard procurements, which may include direct contracting, tenders or other cases requiring specialist judgement.The role engages early, explains procurement requirements in clear and practical terms, and offers workable, policy-compliant options. Operating departments continue to own and run their procurement processes, including tenders; the Business Partner works closely with them so that issues are resolved early and procurement lead times do not put operations or project timelines at risk. The role is advisory and kept separate from the independent compliance review by Procurement Operations, while working closely with Procurement Operations to resolve compliance issues and contributing to sound procurement controls.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnering and Early Engagement

• Serve as the named partner for assigned departments and their Stewards, building a working understanding of their operations, programmes, projects and recurring needs.
• Map complex cases, recontracts and option-year decisions with each department's Steward, aligned with approved plans and budgets; departments retain ownership of procurement calendars.
• Hold regular touchpoints with Department Heads, Requesting Officers and Stewards to review needs, live cases and risks, prompting early action where timelines are at risk.
• Engage at the planning stage, before specifications and approval papers are drafted, to agree the procurement approach and a realistic timeline.
• Accept all referrals from Stewards; the referral threshold reflects case complexity and the Steward's experience.

Solutions-oriented Advisory

• Advise on scope, sourcing approach, procurement route, specifications, evaluation methodology and criteria, and governance requirements.
• Challenge requirements, specifications and contract terms from a procurement perspective, while relying on departments for artistic, curatorial and technical expertise.
• Advise on fair market engagement for complex or specialist needs, such as RFIs or industry briefings, without compromising the subsequent procurement.
• Translate policy into plain, practical guidance, explaining the reason behind each requirement rather than the rule alone.
• Apply risk-based judgement and propose policy-compliant options, such as phasing, lotting or evaluation design, explaining trade-offs and required approvals.
• Advise departments in the preparation of a complete, fit-for-purpose submissions so that cases clear compliance review with minimal rework.

Supporting Smooth Procurement Delivery

• Work closely with Requesting Officers and Stewards through key milestones of complex cases, from planning to award, while the department leads its procurement process.
• Anticipate and resolve bottlenecks early, including incomplete documents, approval dependencies and evaluation issues; escalate material risks with a recommended solution.

Working with Procurement Operations and Other Teams

• Collaborate with Procurement Operations, Finance and other departments to align procurement objectives, coordination and process controls.
• Work with Procurement Operations, departments and Stewards to understand non-compliance and develop practical, policy-compliant resolutions.
• Facilitate timely closure of review queries while respecting Procurement Operations' independent decision; escalate unresolved differences to the AD (Procurement).
• Share recurring non-compliance themes with Procurement Operations and Stewards, so that issues are addressed at source and not repeated.

Steward Partnership and Capability Building

• Work through the Procurement Stewards so that they remain the first line of support and are not bypassed.
• Coach Stewards on referred cases and review selected Steward-handled cases with them, so that they can handle similar cases independently over time.
• Deliver targeted Steward training on recurring gaps raised at the Procurement Stewards Committee, and bite-size procurement sessions Gallery-wide.

Procurement Controls, Transformation and Continuous Improvement

• Help develop and implement practical procurement controls that promote prudence and compliance with the Gallery's policies and procedures.
• Support procurement digital transformation and system replacement by shaping requirements and controls, and supporting testing, change management and adoption.
• Recommend practical, risk-proportionate controls, and feed recurring issues to the AD (Procurement) to improve policy, templates, guidance and processes.

Governance and Coverage

• Uphold independence, integrity and ethical conduct by flagging non-compliant approaches, offering compliant alternatives and declaring conflicts of interest.
• Keep business-partner advice separate from independent compliance review, and consistent with the Procurement Policy & Guidelines and the Delegation of Authority.
• Reinforce departmental ownership: departments remain accountable for requirements, quotations, purchase requisitions, evaluations and recontracting decisions.
• Provide mutual portfolio coverage with the AD (Procurement) during absence.

Qualifications

• Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business or a related discipline; professional certification such as CIPS is preferred.
• At least 8 years of procurement, sourcing or advisory experience in a business-facing role. Senior Manager appointment requires broader experience in complex, high-value procurements and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end sourcing, including tenders, governance, integrity and ethical conduct, conflicts of interest and delegated approval frameworks.
• Proven ability to apply risk-based judgement and develop practical, compliant alternatives for complex or non-standard requirements.
• Ability to manage concurrent cases across departments, prioritise by risk and timeline, and follow through under tight deadlines.
• Experience contributing to procurement policies or process controls, balancing control effectiveness with operational practicality.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to explain procurement simply and coach non-specialists.
• Public sector, statutory board, charity, cultural institution or IPC experience is highly desirable.
• Experience in procurement process redesign, system implementation or digital transformation is an advantage; familiarity with e-procurement platforms such as Coupa or SAP is a plus.
• Customer-oriented, composed under pressure and comfortable balancing service, timeliness, value for money and governance in a lean team.

Employer questions

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Singapore?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Procurement Business Partner?
• Which of the following types of qualifications do you have?

Company profile

National Gallery Singapore

3.9

·

8 reviews

Arts & Cultural Services

101-1,000 employees

ABOUT NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

UNVEILING MODERN SINGAPORE AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART

National Gallery Singapore is a leading visual arts institution which oversees the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art. Situated at the birthplace of modern Singapore, in the heart of the Civic District, the Gallery is housed in two national monuments - City Hall and former Supreme Court - that have been beautifully restored and transformed into this exciting 64,000 square metre venue. Reflecting Singapore’s unique heritage and geographical location, the Gallery aims to be a progressive museum that creates dialogues between the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the world to foster and inspire a creative and inclusive society. This is reflected in our collaborative research, education, long-term and special exhibitions, and innovative programming. The Gallery also works with international museums such as Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Orsay, Tate Britain, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), to jointly present Southeast Asian art in the global context, positioning Singapore as a key node in the global visual arts scene.

In 2020, the Gallery was the only museum in Southeast Asia that received a ranking in The Art Newspaper’s annual global survey of attendance at art museums, taking 20th place. In 2018, the Gallery was also the first museum in Asia to receive the Children in Museums Award by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It also won the awards for “Best Theme Attraction” at TTG Travel Awards 2017, “Best Attraction Experience”, “Breakthrough Contribution to Tourism” and “Best Customer Service (Attractions)” at the prestigious Singapore Tourism Awards in 2016 for its role in adding to the vibrancy of Singapore’s tourism landscape.

We offer job opportunities in our dynamic organisation. Working at the Gallery enhances and cultivates your love for the arts, and offers you a chance to be part of the Gallery's vision.

OUR PEOPLE

At National Gallery Singapore, we develop cultural leaders who make the world better. Our people are united by a shared belief in the power and necessity of art, and work together to create meaningful experiences for our visitors.

ABOUT NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

UNVEILING MODERN SINGAPORE AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART

National Gallery Singapore is a leading visual arts institution which oversees the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art. Situated at the birthplace of modern Singapore, in the heart of the Civic District, the Gallery is housed in two national monuments - City Hall and former Supreme Court - that have been beautifully restored and transformed into this exciting 64,000 square metre venue. Reflecting Singapore’s unique heritage and geographical location, the Gallery aims to be a progressive museum that creates dialogues between the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the world to foster and inspire a creative and inclusive society. This is reflected in our collaborative research, education, long-term and special exhibitions, and innovative programming. The Gallery also works with international museums such as Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Orsay, Tate Britain, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), to jointly present Southeast Asian art in the global context, positioning Singapore as a key node in the global visual arts scene.

In 2020, the Gallery was the only museum in Southeast Asia that received a ranking in The Art Newspaper’s annual global survey of attendance at art museums, taking 20th place. In 2018, the Gallery was also the first museum in Asia to receive the Children in Museums Award by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It also won the awards for “Best Theme Attraction” at TTG Travel Awards 2017, “Best Attraction Experience”, “Breakthrough Contribution to Tourism” and “Best Customer Service (Attractions)” at the prestigious Singapore Tourism Awards in 2016 for its role in adding to the vibrancy of Singapore’s tourism landscape.

We offer job opportunities in our dynamic organisation. Working at the Gallery enhances and cultivates your love for the arts, and offers you a chance to be part of the Gallery's vision.

OUR PEOPLE

At National Gallery Singapore, we develop cultural leaders who make the world better. Our people are united by a shared belief in the power and necessity of art, and work together to create meaningful experiences for our visitors.

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