Manager, Mandarin Collective
Reports to: Director, New Markets & Services
Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) is a community of philanthropists who are collaborating to chart a more just and sustainable Asia through collaborative philanthropy. Our members, across 13 markets, champion social innovation for public good and pioneer collaborative approaches to address systemic challenges. In doing so, APC aims to mobilise Asia-focused philanthropists to deepen their practice and address systemic challenges collaboratively. We are a registered charity headquartered in Singapore.
Founded by Asian philanthropists, APC furthers the aspiration for collective impact through peer exchanges, collaborative projects and the development of initiatives and knowledge resources to build the regional social impact ecosystem.
Role Overview
APC is dedicated to amplifying the collective impact of our close-knit community through learning together, seeding collaborative initiatives, ecosystem building, and forging strategic partnerships for scale. A growing area of focus is the development of the Chinese philanthropy ecosystem, including Hong Kong and diaspora communities, led by the Mandarin Collective.
The successful candidate will support the development of a portfolio of work that would include community and relationship-building, shaping and translating insights, and establishing productive working relationships and impactful collaborations between APC members and with the wider impact ecosystem.
This is a 12 month contract role with an option to extend. The Manager will work closely with the Director of New Markets & Services to drive programming, community engagement, and ecosystem-building efforts. The candidate will be required to multitask on different work streams, including organising events, conceptualizing new projects, and writing thought pieces. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building new initiatives from 0→1, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and hands-on execution. The candidate for this role should also be comfortable with travelling around the region, including China and other locations in Asia.
About the Mandarin Collective
The Mandarin Collective is an initiative which supports the development of the Greater China and global Chinese philanthropy ecosystem through peer networks, knowledge exchange, and collaborative initiatives, catering to philanthropists in China and the diaspora.
The Mandarin Collective has three aims:
• Helping Chinese philanthropists improve the impact of their philanthropy: through access to services such as philanthropy education, thematic workshops, and next-generation engagement.
• Facilitating the exchange between the Chinese and regional philanthropic communities: – to foster understanding of how seasoned philanthropists create lasting impact and legacy.
• Strengthening the philanthropy ecosystem: through supporting a range of projects, including service delivery, convenings, and ecosystem-building events.
Key Responsibilities
1. Evolve and Execute the Mandarin Collective Portfolio
• Proactively identify common themes for collective action, joint funding, and regional collaboration.
• Evolve and reliably execute on the strategic direction of Mandarin Collective, including expanding its relevance beyond China to Greater China and global Chinese diaspora communities
• Design and deliver curated engagements (e.g. learning journeys, convenings, small-group dialogues) that strengthen trust, surface collaboration opportunities, and advance members along their philanthropy journeys.
• Identify and cultivate a pipeline of current and prospective philanthropists across Greater China and diaspora communities, in alignment with APC’s broader market development priorities.
2. Build a Strong Community
• Deepen relationships with members and their next-generation family members, including designing pathways for exposure, participation, and leadership within APC’s initiatives.
• Plan, coordinate and facilitate programmes to integrate new segments of philanthropists (e.g., the Chinese diaspora) with the broader APC membership.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with ecosystem stakeholders (e.g. academia, higher education institutes, civil society organizations, government, intermediaries, private banks, etc.).
3. Amplify the Mandarin Collective’s Impact through Communications and Partnerships
• Lead content for events related to Chinese philanthropy, executing communications in close partnership with the APC Communications Senior Manager. Represent APC on Chinese philanthropic issues and act as a liaison with external stakeholders and potential partners.
• Enable APC to exercise thought leadership. Create and facilitate content creation for in-house or industry publications, news media, or social media, etc., with support from the APC leadership and the Communications Manager.
• Support cross-language engagement (EN-CN) where needed to enable meaningful participation across diverse member groups
4. New Market Development
• Drive market development efforts in Hong Kong and Greater China by prioritizing engagement with family offices and other key segments, strengthening relationships with existing members, cultivating partnerships with local intermediaries, and creating clear pathways for future community growth.
Candidate Profile
1. Qualifications
• 5 to 7 years of relevant work experience in an advisory or business development capacity.
• Business-level proficiency in both written and spoken Mandarin and English; ability to speak Cantonese is highly advantageous.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, with the ability to adapt a variety of writing and communication styles to frame ideas and concepts effectively for different target audiences
• Strong project management capabilities, including overseeing cross-functional initiatives and timelines.
• Experience with P&L management and financial performance tracking
2. Also desirable
• Demonstrated experience working with the Chinese (U)HNW or business community, with responsiveness to their needs and expectations.
• Track record of community building, proficiency at connecting the dots, nurturing ideas to fruition.
• Experience or interest in the social impact, non-profit, philanthropy, and/or public sectors.
3. About You:
• Strategic, systems thinker with a passion for solving complex societal issues and keen to apply skillset toward social impact/philanthropy.
• Knowledgeable about the Chinese philanthropic landscape or business community and can build on this experience to support stakeholders effectively for impact.
• A community builder, with strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills and the confidence to build relationships and communicate regularly with very senior leaders. You engage stakeholders in sharing their collective knowledge and expertise to deliver valuable contributions and can build relationships with and proactively include people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own.
• Drives to action. Grasps ideas on-the-go and able to quickly translate concept to output.
• Hunger and humility to learn given the diverse skillsets needed in a fast-evolving field.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, adaptable, proactive, and operates with a sense of urgency. You feel confident managing projects with multiple workstreams and aligning teams on goals and objectives, with the ability to organize and prioritize your work over a period of time.
• Enjoys working with a culturally diverse team in a mix of remote and hybrid arrangements.
Apply
Candidates interested in the position are invited to submit a cover letter and CV to hr@asiaphilanthropycircle.org.
Please note that the role is based in Singapore. APC is not able to sponsor work permits for this position, and applicants should have the legal right to work in Singapore.
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