Senior/Assistant Director, Energy Partnerships Division

Ministry of Trade and Industry

Permanent/Contract

Closing on 30 Sep 2025

What the role is

By joining the Energy Partnerships Division at MTI, you will become part of a critical and urgent mission: to support Singapore's energy transition by securing low-carbon electricity imports from our region and building an interconnected regional grid. Low-carbon electricity imports are one of Singapore's 'Four Switches', alongside natural gas, solar, and low-carbon solutions such as hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture and storage.
The climate crisis requires us to quickly transition to low-carbon energy sources to avoid the devastating impact of rising temperatures. Decarbonising our power sector, which contributes 40% of current emissions, is key to realising Singapore's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Even as we take steps to secure a low-carbon energy supply, we will also need to safeguard our energy security and affordability. Navigating the energy trilemma successfully will be one of the defining policy challenges of our generation and hold far-reaching implications for our economy and society.

What you will be working on

MTI's Energy and Carbon (E&C) Cluster leads initiatives to reduce emissions and drive the transition to a low-carbon economy. Officers working on the E&C front are tasked to develop carbon markets, plan energy infrastructure, strategise low-carbon energy sources, and manage mission trajectories and carbon budgets. You will collaborate with various stakeholders to support sustainable economic transformation and green growth through international trade and industry partnerships.
The Energy Partnership team sits within the E&C Cluster where we formulate Singapore's energy policies and strategies, together with the Energy Market Authority, other Government agencies, academics, and private sector stakeholders. We take the lead in:

• Driving Singapore's efforts to import and deploy renewable energy from the region to realise target to import around 6GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035 to decarbonise our power system.

• Advancing energy collaborations with like-minded countries and international organisations at the bilateral and plurilateral levels to support Singapore and the region's energy transition and energy resilience, and push for an interconnected regional grid to support the ASEAN Power Grid.
Your responsibilities include one or more of the following workstreams:

• Work on instruments of collaboration such as agreements and memoranda of understanding, establishing working groups and dialogues to facilitate the implementation of cross-border electricity trading projects with countries in the region. Each officer will be assigned to one or more of the following countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Laos, and Thailand, to handle electricity trading projects related to those countries.

• Develop policies and frameworks and formulate strategies to advance the development of subsea power cables and Renewable Energy Certificates to support the implementation of the cross-border electricity imports projects.

• Advance energy cooperation with countries/regions outside Southeast Asia, including the US, China, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.

• Build domestic partnerships and the ecosystem to support Singapore's energy transition e.g. through working with the Energy Studies Institute.

• Develop and strengthen partnerships with international thought leaders such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

• Foster plurilateral collaborations with like-minded partners at:
o Local events such as Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) and International Advisory Panel on Energy (IAP).
o Multilateral international platforms such as G20, ASEAN Ministerial Energy Meeting (AMEM), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Indo-Pacific Economic Forum (IPEF).

What we are looking for

We are looking for driven and capable officers who possess a strong desire to contribute to Singapore's energy transition, thrive in a fast-moving environment, have a keen interest in global energy developments and international affairs, are adept at working with multiple stakeholders and across organisational boundaries, and are equipped with the following qualities and competencies:

• 0 to 9 years of relevant experience in energy-related fields or background in international relations, and with experience in financing instruments

• Integrate various streams of information, including international and domestic developments, and translate them into strategic plans to achieve Singapore's energy outcomes

• Demonstrate strong analytical, interpersonal, organisational and communication skills

• Demonstrate initiative and the ability to think innovatively and resourcefully to solve problems

• Work with a wide range of stakeholders, both within and beyond the public service

• Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team

About Ministry of Trade and Industry

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) seeks to transform Singapore into a leading global city of talent, enterprise and innovation. Our mission is to promote economic growth and create good jobs to enable Singaporeans to improve their lives. In MTI, you can expect an exciting, challenging and rewarding career

About your application process

This job is closing on 30 Sep 2025.

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 for other roles within Ministry of Trade and Industry or the wider Public Service.