Assistant Manager/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.

This is an operations-planning role, where you will be involved in strategic planning and communications, emergency preparedness planning, and efforts to strengthen manpower capability in the Division. 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.

• Review of scope and definition of licensing framework and processes, and spearhead strategic planning and reviews for the Division.
• Collect and analyse data related to the regulation of preschools, and develop and maintain dashboards to monitor such data, to support the development and implementation of strategic plans and improvements to licensing and investigation processes.
• Transform work processes for more effective implementation of operations policies, such as by leveraging on technology to operationalise legislative levers and improve operational efficacy.
• Finetune and maintain emergency response protocols and crisis management plans to ensure operational readiness of the preschool sector and the Division. This includes coordination with different agencies/stakeholders for an integrated crisis response.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a structured training roadmap for officers in the Division.
• 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 operations policy and/or strategic planning.
• 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.
• Proficiency in working with data and digital tools would be an advantage.
• 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