Deputy Director (Operations), Field Enforcement & Operations

sggovterp; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Health Sciences Authority is seeking a Deputy Director to lead ground enforcement operations and translate intelligence into effective enforcement outcomes. You will manage a team of officers, coordinate with Intelligence, and drive strategic policies within regulatory requirements.

The role emphasizes crisis management, stakeholder collaboration, and high-level operational planning across regional and international partners.

Qualifications

• Proven strategic and operational leadership capabilities with decision-making experience.
• Experience in intelligence-led enforcement and inter-agency coordination.
• Strong understanding of enforcement/regulatory frameworks with analytical thinking.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for ground enforcement operations.
• Oversee major, sensitive, complex and intelligence-led enforcement operations.
• Establish command structures for major operations and ensure readiness within budget.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational leadership

Intelligence-led enforcement

Stakeholder management

Crisis management

Inter-agency collaboration

Policy development

Regulatory frameworks

Team leadership

Decision making

Job description

[What the role is]

The Deputy Director, Operations Department, provides strategic leadership, command and oversight of HSA’s ground enforcement operations. The role is responsible for developing and directing operational strategies to detect, disrupt and dismantle illegal activities that fall within HSA’s regulatory and enforcement mandate.

The Deputy Director work closley with Intelligence Branch to translate intelligence into operational outcomes, ensuring enforcement priority.

[What you will be working on]

Reporting to Director (Intelligence and Operations), the Deputy Director (Operations) will lead his Assistant Director (Operations) and his team of operation and enforcement officers in planning and executing broad range of enforcement operations. The Deputy Director (Operations) will ensure that all operations are conducted safely and effectively, and in compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership and Operational Direction

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for HSA’s ground enforcement operations
• Oversee major, sensitive, complex and intelligence-led enforcement operations
• Establish appropriate command and structures for major operations
• Ensure operational readiness and the capability to respond effectively to enforcement requirements
• Formulate, develop, implement and review enforcement policies and strategies to achieve effective enforcement objectives and outcomes;
• Communicate and effectively implement SOPs with external agencies, where applicable;
• Assist the Director in developing and reviewing workflow and collaborations with other Groups, Departments, Divisons;
• Ensure strategic manpower development, resources allocation and deployment programmes are effectively implemented in the Branch;
• Manage resources (including overseeing and managing a team of operation and enforcement officers) effectively and efficiently in order to maximise resources and productivity within budgets;
• Coordinate and support ongoing networking across various forums regionally and internationally to strengthen anti-counterfeiting and enforcement capabilities (INTERPOL, WHO, ASEAN, etc);
• Take the lead in major operations that happened within Singapore or across jurisdictions
• Assist CEO and Director in managing media, high profile or complex cases.

Operation Planning and Coordination

• Strengthen operational linkages between Operations, Intelligence and Investigation teams to support end-to-end enforcement outcomes
• Translate actionable intelligence into operational plans and enforcement outcomes
• Ensure timely sharing of operational findings with Intelligence Branch for further analysis, enrichment and follow-up
• Oversee the planning and execution of major, complex, sensitive and high-risk enforcement operations
• Coordinate resources and operational capabilities across relevant HSA departments and branches
• Provide senior-level oversight during critical operations and manage operational contingencies where required

Inter-Agency Collaboration

• Build rapport and foster good partnership through regular platforms with external stakeholders and law enforcement agencies for joint operations and enforcement initiatives
• Represent HSA at relevant operational and inter-agency meetings, exercises and working groups.

Capability and Manpower Development

• Develop the Operations Department's manpower, operational capabilities, equipment and training requirements.
• Identify capability gaps and introduce appropriate operational practices, technology and equipment.
• Develop officers' competencies through training, operational exposure, job enlargement and leadership development.

Performance and Resource Management

• Establish operational priorities and monitor the Department's performance and outcomes.
• Ensure effective deployment and utilisation of manpower, and other operational resources.
• Provide timely operational updates, assessments and recommendations to the Director (Intelligence and Operations) and senior management.
• Develop Ops Team’s long-term manpower, training and capability.

[What we are looking for]

• Possess strong strategic and operational leadership capabilities, with proven command and decision-making skills.
• Have experience in intelligence-led enforcement and be adept at stakeholder and inter-agency management.
• Have a strong understanding of enforcement and regulatory frameworks, along with critical and analytical thinking abilities.
• Have demonstrated experience in crisis and incident management, and exhibit a high level of integrity, judgement, and discretion in all matters.
• Possess strong leadership qualities with the ability to command and motivate a team, as well as the versatility and decisiveness to perform effectively in dynamic and uncertain situations.
• Be resilient under stress and demonstrate a genuine commitment and passion for protecting public health and safety.
• Be a collaborative team player who is equally capable of working independently, with good interpersonal and communication skills and sound field enforcement instincts.
• Be able to guide and support the team during late-night operations and activations when necessary.
• Have prior experience in field enforcement or field operations, which is a mandatory requirement for this position.

The successful candidate will be offered a 1-year contract (with option for automatic renewal for a further one year) in the first instance.

Shortlisted candidates would be contacted within 30 days from the closing date of the advertisement. We regret that only shortlisted candidates would be notified.