Manager, State Office

Job Purpose
This role is to lead the planning and execution of ecosystem and AI Growth Zone (AGZ) initiatives in the Southern Region, including the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). The Manager assists in driving high-impact programmes that strengthen digital ecosystem maturity, foster industry collaboration, and support the region's competitiveness.

The role contributes to stakeholder coordination, project implementation, data-driven ecosystem intelligence, and operational delivery to ensure that regional initiatives align with national and state priorities.

Duties And Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Ecosystem Development

• Execute the strategies in delivering ecosystem development including

i) JS-SEZ digital economy initiatives

ii) AI Growth Zone (AGZ) programmes

iii) Next-Generation Technology adoption and innovation

iv) Other components contributing to digital ecosystem maturity in the region

• Conduct research on ecosystem gaps, emerging technologies, industry needs, and local challenges to identify opportunities for strategic interventions.
• Assist in designing and implementing catalytic programmes such as tech cluster development, testbeds, talent pipelines, and industry-academia collaborations.
• Develop project plans, track milestones, and prepare reports, insights, and recommendations to support data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure projects within the region are implemented according to timelines, governance requirements, and expected outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement And Communication

• Build and maintain working relationships with state agencies, local councils, Malaysia Digital companies, academia, and relevant ecosystem players.
• Support the Senior Manager in engagements with JS-SEZ stakeholders including investment authorities, MNCs, tech companies, and cross-border partners.
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder meetings, workshops, and partnerships to ensure alignment of interests and implementation of agreed initiatives.
• Track relationship quality and ecosystem engagement levels to ensure effective collaboration and stakeholder support.
• Update and coordinate communication plan for Southern Region.

Operational, Data And Programme Management

• Coordinate daily operations of AGZ, JS-SEZ-related activities, and ecosystem development programmes in the region.
• Manage project deliverables including timelines, budgets, document preparation, issue resolution, and reporting.
• Ensure timely communication with internal and external partners, including escalation of challenges where needed.
• Identify relevant datasets and work with MDEC's data team to enhance state dashboards, ecosystem analytics, and regional intelligence.
• Support operational improvements by streamlining workflows and ensuring adherence to governance and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Technology, Public Policy, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years experience in partnership development, ecosystem coordination, digital economy work, or project management.
• Strong understanding of Malaysia's digital economy landscape and regional industry dynamics.
• Proven ability to coordinate strategic projects, manage stakeholders, and support ecosystem development initiatives.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational, analytical, and project management capabilities.
• Proactive, self-driven, and able to work in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments.

Competency Required

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Project and programme coordination
• Team collaboration and cross-agency engagement
• Commercial and ecosystem-building mindset
• Ability to work with data, dashboards, and insights
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)