Assistant Director

[What the role is]

The role involves overseeing the strategic administrative and operational support to the National Healthcare Epidemiology (NHCE) Committee, ensuring effective coordination of epidemiological surveillance, policy development, and stakeholder engagement activities across Singapore's healthcare system. This role serves as a critical liaison between committee members, government agencies, healthcare institutions, and international partners whilst maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality and professionalism.

You will be working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment that would require the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders at the same time.

[What you will be working on]

Set up and leads the secretariat functions for the National Healthcare Epidemiology (NHCE) Committee, coordinating strategic initiatives, facilitating policy development, and managing administrative operations to strengthen Singapore's national healthcare epidemiology framework.

1. Strategic Planning & Coordination

• Supports the Deputy Director in developing and implementation of comprehensive secretariat strategies to support the committee's mandate in healthcare epidemiology. This includes coordinating multi-agency initiatives, facilitating cross-sector collaboration, and ensuring alignment with national health security objectives. The role involves managing complex project timelines, resource allocation, and stakeholder expectations whilst maintaining oversight of epidemiological surveillance programmes and policy implementation frameworks.

2. Committee Administration & Governance

• Responsibilities encompass the full spectrum of committee administration, including preparing detailed briefing materials, coordinating meeting logistics, and maintaining comprehensive records of deliberations and decisions. Ensures proper governance protocols are followed, manages the committee's annual work programme, and coordinates with various subcommittees and working groups. This includes preparing executive summaries, policy briefs, and technical reports for senior leadership and external stakeholders.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• The role requires sophisticated stakeholder management across government agencies, healthcare institutions, academic partners, and international organisations. Coordinates communication strategies, manages information dissemination protocols, and serves as the primary point of contact for external enquiries. This includes organising conferences, workshops, and training programmes whilst maintaining relationships with key partners in the epidemiological surveillance network.

4. Guidelines Development and Standardisation

• A critical aspect of the role involves coordinating the development, review, and updating of national healthcare epidemiology guidelines and protocols. Manages the guidelines development process from inception to publication, including establishing expert working groups, coordinating literature reviews, and facilitating consensus-building amongst stakeholders. This encompasses overseeing the creation of healthcare epidemiology guidelines, surveillance protocols and outbreak response procedures. The role requires ensuring that all guidelines align with international best practices whilst addressing local healthcare contexts, coordinating public consultation processes, and managing the approval workflow through appropriate governance structures. Maintains a comprehensive guidelines repository, coordinates regular review cycles, and ensures effective dissemination and implementation support across healthcare institutions.

5. Policy Development and Implementation Support

• Provides analytical support for policy development initiatives, conducts research on emerging epidemiological trends, and assists in the preparation of position papers and recommendations. This involves coordinating input from technical experts, synthesising complex information for decision-makers, and monitoring the implementation of committee recommendations across the healthcare system.
• Work closely with the healthcare epidemiology (HCE), , and Analytics, Reports, and Methods (ARM) units to manage outbreaks, reduce healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

[What we are looking for]

• A minimum of 8-10 years of progressive experience in healthcare administration, public health policy, or epidemiological surveillance, with demonstrated experience in senior administrative or coordination roles within government or healthcare settings.
• Minimally tertiary qualifications from recognised discipline, preferably in nursing, medical, pharmacy and other healthcare fields.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience in developing documents and reports will be considered a significant advantage for this role.
• Sharp thinker: Analyses problems, makes sound decisions under pressure.
• Communicator: Connects with diverse stakeholders, delivers complex information clearly.
• Self-starter: Takes initiative, owns projects, works independently.
• Adaptable: Responds effectively to changing priorities and threats.
• Lifelong learner: Committed to continuous professional development.
• Professional: Demonstrates integrity, manages stress well, data driven. Ability to lead a team and work collaboratively in a dynamic environment.

Key Competencies Required:

• Thinking Clearly & Making Sound Judgements – Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to support the crafting of sound policy recommendations; ability to grasp timelines, operating context and ground realities.
• Learning & Putting Skills into Action - Possesses the drive and curiosity to learn and apply new skills, knowledge and new ways of working.
• Improving & Innovating – Ability to seek continual improvements, and to innovate and experiment while managing the risks involved.
• Working Effectively with Stakeholders – Ability to mobilise and rally partners and stakeholders towards a collective purpose.

As part of the shortlisting process for this role, candidates may be required to complete a medical declaration and/or undergo further assessment.