Director, Planning

Job Summary

The jobholder (2-year contract) Director, Planning provides strategic leadership in shaping, driving, and monitoring MENDAKI's strategic goals to ensure alignment between organisational goals, social impact outcomes, and operational delivery. He/She will work closely with the Senior Management and Board of Directors to strengthen, coordinate and integrate strategic planning, policy formulation, organisational performance management, and governance, across the organisation.

Key Responsibility Areas

Strategic Planning

1)    Lead the formulation and continuous review/ refinement of the organisation's strategic roadmap and annual workplan, ensuring alignment with the organisation's mission, vision, and long-term social impact goals, including coherence with the national Malay/Muslim community development efforts.

2)    Lead the environmental scans, horizon scanning, and sectorial analysis to anticipate emerging social, technological, workforce and economic trends, risks, and opportunities that could affect the organisation's direction, and community's interest.

3)    Conduct the annual management retreat and corporate planning exercise/ workshops, translating strategic priorities into operational plans, resource requirements, and measurable Objectives and Key Results (OKR).

4)    Ensure that the organisation's strategic plans remain responsive to evolving government policies, funding landscapes, and community needs, while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements.

5)    Drive organisation-wide communication and change management efforts to embed strategic priorities into everyday work and culture.

6)    Provide strategic analysis to the CEO and Board of Directors to track progress, identify gaps, and recommend course corrections.

Performance Management & Organisational Excellence

7)    Establish, implement and oversee an integrated performance management system to track progress against strategic outcomes and programme impact.

8)    Drive corporate governance standards, risk management frameworks, and business continuity planning.

9)    Ensure divisions and departments adopt culture of evidence-based practices and data-driven analysis to improve decision-making and organisational effectiveness.

10) Coordinate annual, and mid-term reviews of corporate performance.

Corporate Development & Transformation

11) Spearhead organisational transformation initiatives, including digitalisation, process improvement, and workforce capability building.

12) Develop policy papers on new initiatives for the community and staff alike.

13) Champion innovation and change management to that strengthen MENDAKI's effectiveness, internal collaboration, community engagement, and service delivery models.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships

14) Represent the organisation at strategic platforms, committees, and sectoral workgroups.

15) Identify and network with potential and existing partners for collaboration on the provision of the organisation's support services, particularly on education, employability, and social mobility.

16) Coordinate inter-agency engagements with M3 partners, ministries, and other Malay-Muslim Organisations (MMOs).

Data Protection & Knowledge Management

17) Serve as the organisation's Designated Data Protection Officer (DPO) in compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and other relevant regulations.

18) Develop, implement, and monitor policies, procedures, and training to ensure data privacy, confidentiality, and responsible data handling across the organisation.

19) Advise Senior Management on data protection, compliance matters, and emerging trends in information governance.

Financial Planning and Management

20) Lead the annual budget forecasting and financial planning for the department, ensuring resources are aligned with departmental priorities and project deliverables.

21) Monitor and manage departmental expenditure against approved budgets, ensuring effective utilisation of funds.

22) Integrate financial planning into departmental workplans to support long-term capability building and strategic initiatives.

Leadership and Team Management

23) Lead and develop the Planning team to deliver high-quality strategy, analytics, and policy support.

24) Lead with integrity, foresight, and adaptability in leading through complexity and change.

25) Data-informed decision-maker with sensitivity to community narratives and ground realities.

26) Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration across departments.

27) Coach staff, ensuring continuous learning and leadership pipeline development.

Secretariat Duties for Corporate Meetings

28) Serve as the secretariat to the Chairman's Conference (CC) and the Management Committee Meeting (MCM), ensuring smooth coordination and governance support.

29) Oversee the preparation of the agendas, meeting papers, presentations, and the Notes of Meeting (NOM) in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCE) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

30) Ensure that decisions, resolutions, and follow-up actions are accurately recorded, tracked, and communicated to relevant stakeholders on time.

31) Ensure the maintenance of proper documentation and records of all corporate meetings in line with governance and regulatory requirements.

Other Duties

32) Any other duties assigned by the DCE and CEO.

Requirements

• 5 – 7 years of relevant professional experience preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience with sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Able to communicate persuasively.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with stakeholders across different levels.
• A strong network in the corporate sector is an advantage.
• Flexible, resourceful and able to handle multiple consecutive projects effectively and efficiently.