Director – Prosecution, Corporate and Legislation Branch

[What the role is]

At IRAS, we partner you to deliver quality tax services and foster a competitive tax environment for our nation's social and economic growth.

The Prosecution, Corporate & Legislation Branch is one of three branches of the IRAS Law Division. The Branch focuses on prosecuting tax offences in the State Courts and its work includes advising corporate counsel matters and legislative drafting.

As Director, you are part of the management team in Law Division. You are responsible for driving the prosecution of tax offences under the tax statutes. You also review corporate legal matters with an eye on legal risks and supervise the drafting of tax legislation to strengthen Singapore's tax framework.

You are a people leader with outstanding people management skills who motivates the branch to meet divisional goals. You are also a talented legal professional with an analytical mind and a commitment towards providing legally sound and practical solutions. You possess or are keen to develop a comprehensive understanding of tax law that builds on a strong foundation and practical experience in prosecution and general legal knowledge and legal skills.

You will report to the Chief Legal Officer and work with other directors in the Law Division management team to achieve divisional and organisational goals. You will lead a team of highly motivated and talented legal officers, who have been admitted as Advocates and Solicitors of Singapore and who have also been gazetted as tax prosecutors, to protect the interests of Singapore and IRAS. You are responsible for the effectiveness of the tax system in Singapore and your work will make a meaningful difference.

[What you will be working on]

The Director will lead a branch that is tasked to prosecute cases involving income tax, GST, property tax, stamp duties and other taxes before the State Courts. The branch is to provide clear, practical and effective legal advice on investigations and prosecutions, involving administrative law, criminal procedure and money laundering, as necessary for IRAS' investigative functions. The Director may have to appear for and represent IRAS in complex prosecution cases and prosecution-related proceedings in the State Courts.

Apart from the prosecution of tax offences, the Director is expected to vet and provide clear, practical and effective legal advice on areas of law necessary for IRAS' functions. The Director may also work with IRAS tax policy teams to review the drafting of legislation to strengthen the tax legislative framework.

The Director is expected to be able to independently run complex matters in the respective domain areas and be adaptable to do so across other domain areas, depending on operational need. The Director is expected to mentor and guide junior officers to ensure high standards of legal practice. The Director will work with the Chief Legal Officer and the rest of Law Division management to continually ensure effective teamwork and legal services delivery to manage IRAS' legal risks.

The Director's work will include:

1. Prosecution Court work and Prosecution Assessments: Lead a team of legal officers to evaluate evidence and conduct prosecution assessments. Conduct prosecution of tax offences and other prosecution-related proceedings in the State Courts. Work with law enforcement agencies for investigations and prosecutorial actions. Drive prosecution and compliance strategies with IRAS divisions, in alignment with directions from the Public Prosecutor.

2. Legal Advice: Provide clear, thorough and effective legal solutions to problems for corporate matters and statutory functions of IRAS. This includes understanding the problem, identifying and analysing the issues critically, carrying out efficient and focused research, and providing clear and comprehensive advice and drive possible legal solutions. Guide corporate governance framework and lead legal risk assessment and advisory support for corporate decision-making such as procurement or tax administration functions.

3. Court work: Provide good representation to protect the interests of IRAS through understanding of facts and issues, identifying IRAS' interests, developing legal arguments, making the necessary submissions and providing competent legal representation.

4. Legislative drafting: Work with tax policy units and other stakeholders to provide clear and effective legislative drafts to reflect policy intent. This requires understanding existing laws, policy reasons, and providing clear and effective drafts of legislative amendments, and with the ability to explain the draft to stakeholders where necessary. Drive legislative reform initiatives to enhance the tax framework.

5. Strategic Leadership, Performance and People Management, Coaching: Supervise and evaluate the work of legal officers in the branch and represent Law Division in management meetings and corporate events. Manage workload, motivate and coach the branch to meet divisional goals and provide regular reviews to enhance performance and work satisfaction. Lead and drive branch and divisional projects independently and with accountability, innovation and technology adoption. Drive continuous improvement in legal service delivery and operational efficiency.

6. Training: Provide clear and comprehensive legal training for IRAS where required. This includes developing clear and comprehensive training course material and delivering the training effectively. Foster professional development and expertise within legal teams.

[What we are looking for]

We are seeking an experienced legal professional to lead the Prosecution, Corporate & Legislation Branch within IRAS's Law Division. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in legal practice, strategic leadership, and a commitment to public service.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Excellent law degree and admission to the Singapore Bar

• At least 10 years of Post-Qualification Experience with proven expertise in:

• Prosecution court work and prosecution assessments

• Contract review, administrative law, legislative drafting
• Possessing or developing a comprehensive understanding of Singapore's tax statutes including: Income Tax Act, GST Act, Property Tax Act, Stamp Duties Act

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Strong leadership capabilities to manage branch operations and drive divisional projects and initiatives
• Strong people management skills to lead, mentor, and inspire legal teams.
• A collaborative mindset and ability to work as a team player within Law Division, supporting IRAS's organisational goals and operational needs.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.