Assistant Director/Senior Manager, Service Excellence Office

National Library Board (NLB); Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Library Board (NLB) invites a seasoned leader to oversee Service Excellence and Quality Service Management across its physical and digital touchpoints, elevating patron experience with empathetic, consistent service across the network of libraries and the National Archives of Singapore.

You will manage patron feedback, service standards and performance, and partner with service owners to identify gaps and implement practical improvements.

Qualifications

• 5 to 12 years of relevant experience in service excellence, customer experience, quality service management, service transformation or related fields.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with ability to draw insights from feedback and data.
• Excellent leadership and communication, with ability to influence across divisions.

Responsibilities

• Oversee patron feedback, inquiries, complaints and appeals with timely, empathetic responses.
• Analyse patron feedback and service data to identify needs and gaps; recommend improvements.
• Develop and review service excellence frameworks and standards aligned with government principles.
• Collaborate with service owners to understand journeys, identify issues and propose practical improvements.
• Plan, implement and evaluate service improvement initiatives with service owners.
• Promote good service practices and foster a proactive, insight-led service culture.
• Identify service capability development needs and coordinate training initiatives.
• Lead and develop the SEO team to strengthen operational effectiveness in service excellence.

Skills

Service excellence

Customer experience

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Job description

What the role is

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through our network of 28 libraries across Singapore, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore.

At NLB, you can look forward to a flexible, hybrid work environment with rewarding, impactful deliverables that improve the lives of the community. With caring colleagues, you will be in an ideal environment for professional development, innovation and impact.

We can offer you:

• A chance to Impact the Community, bridge gaps and empower everyone with the opportunity for learning and discovery.
• An opportunity to Innovate and Push Boundaries. We value ideas, curiosity and a passion for innovation to transform our libraries and archives.
• An organisation that Cares for your Growth and Wellbeing through investment in staff development and wellbeing in a supportive and collaborative environment.

You will lead and oversee NLB's Service Excellence and Quality Service Management functions to strengthen service quality and support the delivery of consistent, empathetic and patron‑centric experiences across NLB's physical and digital touchpoints.

You will oversee the management of patron feedback, service standards and performance, and work with service owners to identify and address service gaps and opportunities for improvement. You will also contribute to strengthening NLB's service culture and capabilities, while supporting SEO's evolving role in using patron insights to inform service improvements and enhance patron experience.

What you will be working on

• Oversee the management of patron feedback, enquiries, complaints and appeals, including complex and sensitive cases, to ensure timely, appropriate and empathetic responses in accordance with established service standards.
• Analyse and draw insights from patron feedback, service data and other relevant sources to understand the needs of diverse patron segments, identify service gaps and emerging needs, and recommend targeted improvements.
• Develop and review service excellence frameworks, policies, procedures and standards aligned with Whole‑of‑Government service principles, NLB's priorities and evolving patron needs.
• Work with service owners to understand service issues and patron journeys, identify underlying causes and opportunities for improvement, and develop practical recommendations to strengthen service delivery and patron experience.
• Support the planning, implementation and evaluation of agreed service improvement initiatives in collaboration with service owners, including assessing their effectiveness and identifying opportunities for further improvement.
• Engage and collaborate with internal stakeholders to promote good service practices, strengthen service quality and foster a proactive, insight‑led and patron‑centric service culture across NLB.
• Identify service competency and capability development needs, and work with relevant stakeholders and training providers to develop, review and enhance service excellence training and other learning interventions.
• Lead and develop the SEO team, providing guidance and support to strengthen its operational effectiveness and capabilities in service excellence, quality service management and patron experience.
• Identify opportunities to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and other digital tools to improve service responsiveness, operational efficiency and patron experience, working with relevant technology and service owners to assess and support their adoption.

What we are looking for

• 5 to 12 years of relevant experience in service excellence, customer experience, quality service management, service transformation or related fields, preferably with experience leading teams and cross‑functional initiatives.
• Good understanding of service excellence, quality service management and customer experience principles, with the ability to develop strategies and translate them into practical improvements.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to draw meaningful insights from customer feedback, service data and other sources, identify underlying issues and recommend actionable improvements.
• Familiarity with service design, customer journey mapping, customer research or other human‑centred approaches to improving service experiences would be an advantage.
• Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across divisions, build consensus and facilitate change.
• Strategic and systems‑level thinking, sound judgement, empathy and sensitivity to the needs of diverse customer segments, with the ability to balance operational realities and broader organisational and Whole‑of‑Government priorities.
• Ability to assess service performance and improvement outcomes, and identify opportunities to leverage technology and innovation to strengthen service delivery.

Work location will be at the National Library Building.

Successful applicant will be appointed on an initial two‑year contract.