National Parks Board

Manager/ National Orchid Garden (Singapore Botanic Gardens) – Contract

Fixed Terms

Closing on 27 Apr 2026

What the role is

The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) is one of the world's oldest tropical botanical gardens and one of only three botanic gardens inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It maintains an extensive living collection, including orchids, palms, cycads, gingers and plants of human cultural significance. This role involves comprehensive management of orchid collections across multiple nursery locations to support the National Orchid Garden (NOG), which houses over 1,500 species and 2,000 hybrids.

Orchids are one of the oldest and most well-recognised collections of the Gardens. The NOG maintains dedicated orchid nurseries that serve multiple critical functions: display in NOG, ex situ conservation of endangered orchid species, creating new hybrids through the Gardens' breeding programme, and supporting orchid shows and naming ceremonies.

What you will be working on

As a horticulture manager overseeing orchid nursery operations across multiple locations (including Pasir Panjang, Peirce Road, and the National Orchid Garden nursery), you will manage comprehensive orchid cultivation and production activities including:

Strategic oversight of orchid production research and selective propagation programmes to expand collections for NOG display, conservation purposes, and orchid naming ceremonies, including optimising propagation techniques and exploring innovative approaches such as AI tools
Management and conservation of species orchid collections, with particular focus on endangered species propagation and the Gardens' orchid breeding and hybridisation programmes
Research on advanced cultivation techniques, including propagation methods and growth/flowering optimisation for display and orchid shows
Comprehensive nursery operations management, including contractor oversight, facility maintenance, and supply chain resilience measures to ensure optimal orchid cultivation and production outcomes
Database management systems to effectively track nursery stock across all locations
Active support for orchid shows, outreach projects, and training programmes
Long-term sustainability planning for research operations, industry partnerships, and cross-functional coordination between breeding, nursery, and display operations

What we are looking for

Area of studies in Horticulture, Botany, Taxonomy, Business Administration, or a related discipline
Relevant experience in orchid cultivation and maintenance, nursery management, horticultural operations, and/or R&D projects would be an advantage
Experience in project management and strategic planning is preferred
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Hands-on and comfortable with outdoor work, with a genuine passion for orchids
Strong communication and cross-functional coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively as a team player

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. The successful candidate will be offered a 3-year contract.

About your application process

This job is closing on 27 Apr 2026.

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 apply for other roles within National Parks Board or the wider Public Service.

About National Parks Board

At the National Parks Board (NParks), we take pride in conserving our natural heritage and enhancing green spaces for all to enjoy in our City in Nature. We have a multi-talented and highly passionate team that is driven by the goal to create a unique world-class living environment through excellence in biodiversity conservation, greenery and recreation, and veterinary care in partnership with the community. If you share our love for nature and animals, and our zest for innovation and continuous learning, we have the perfect working environment for you.

Learn more about National Parks Board