Manager/Senior Manager

What the role is:

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) serves as the regulatory and developmental authority for the early childhood sector in Singapore, overseeing key aspects of children's development below the age of 7 in early childhood development centres (i.e. kindergartens and childcare centres). ECDA is jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and is hosted under MSF.The Regulation and Licensing Division is responsible for setting the regulatory standards and framework to ensure that for early childhood development centres (ECDCs) meet the standards of care and education necessary for children's development in their early years. We do this in accordance with the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act and Regulations, and maintain an overview of whether these legislative levers continue to be relevant as the early childhood sector and Singapore's societal needs evolve. This involves regular reviews of sector development plans, regulatory requirements and enforcement frameworks, assessments of ECDCs for licence issuance and renewals, investigations on incidents and public feedback, and taking enforcement actions for non-compliances.

In this operations-policy role, you will be involved in legislative reviews, translating of broader policies and legislation into guidelines and parameters for operationalisation, and framing of public communications. You will also be required to work closely with the policy directorate in MSF and involved in broader sector development reviews led by the policy directorate.You will be involved in the following key areas:

• Review of Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act and Regulations to uplift the standards and quality of care in preschools in Singapore. This includes gap analyses to identify legislative changes that are required and analyses of operational implications of such reviews.
• Review regulatory standards and operational policies to operationalise legislative levers. This includes engagements with preschool operators, government agencies and other stakeholders.
• Conceptualise and launch public communications efforts to create buy-in on legislative/regulatory changes from various stakeholders (e.g., preschool operators, parents, broader public), and prepare communication materials to address queries on regulatory requirements and breaches.
• Assessment of new applications for ECDC licences.

• At least 2-3 years' experience in policy development, operations policy and/or legislative work preferred.
• Strong analytical and logical thinking capability, with an ability to conceptualise broad ideas yet also pay attention to details.
• Strong in writing and possess an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• Systematic and manages timelines well; able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Good team-player with well-rounded interpersonal skills to work across teams and with diverse stakeholders (public and private sector).

"We are Professionals with Passion for People"The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) develops the "heartware" for Singapore through our policies, community infrastructure, programmes and services. Our mission is to nurture resilient individuals, strong families and a caring society that can overcome challenges together.We are committed and passionate in developing a strong social service sector, and play key roles in shaping the future of Singapore. Through these efforts, we hope to play a part in helping our citizens achieve their hopes and aspirations for themselves and their families.A career in MSF is a challenging and fulfilling one that allows you to make a difference in shaping the lives of Singaporeans. If you are driven and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, we welcome you to be part of the MSF Family