Head of Centre

Samaritans of Singapore Limited; Singapore; On-site; SGD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A non-profit organisation focused on youth mental health is seeking a Head of Centre for their Youth Crisis Facility. This role involves strategic leadership, operational management, and clinical oversight in a 24/7 residential setting. The ideal candidate will have at least 8 years of senior leadership experience in the mental health or social services sectors, with a passion for supporting at-risk youths. Responsibilities include managing clinical care, fostering partnerships, and ensuring financial sustainability. Strong leadership skills and strategic thinking are essential for this position.

Qualifications

• Senior Leadership experience (min 8 years) in social services, mental health, youth services, or related sectors.
• Experience in residential care or managing 24/7 service environments is advantageous.
• Strategic planning and operational leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the Youth Crisis Facility.
• Develop, implement and monitor strategic and operational plans.
• Oversee integration of care pathways to strengthen continuity of care.

Skills

Visionary Leadership

People Leadership

Integrity and Accountability

Empathy and Cultural Sensitivity

Strategic Thinking

Influence and Advocacy

Resilience and Adaptability

Innovation and Service Development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Psychology, Social Work, Counselling, Public Health, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

A brief about the Youth Crisis Facility

The Youth Crisis Facility is a first-of-its-kind, short-term 24/7 residential crisis care service designed to provide immediate and intensive psychosocial support for youths at risk of suicide. The facility offers a safe, stabilising environment where multidisciplinary care and community linkages come together to help youths regain safety, build coping skills, and transition smoothly back to their home or community settings.

The Head of Centre provides strategic, clinical, operational, and fiscal leadership for the Youth Crisis Facility. This role oversees the day-to-day management of clinical care, operations, programmes, and staff, ensuring that services are delivered safely, effectively, and in alignment with the organisation’s mission and national mental health priorities. The Head of Centre is accountable for budget planning, resource allocation, and financial stewardship to ensure sustainability and compliance with funding requirements.

In addition, this role plays a pivotal part in building and maintaining strong partnerships with government agencies, community partners, Board of Directors and the parent organisation (SOS). The Head of Centre will champion collaborative efforts to strengthen continuity of care for at-risk youths and advocate for service enhancements in line with national strategies.

As the centre operates in a 24/7 residential setting, the Head of Centre may be required to attend to urgent matters, crises, or high‑risk incidents outside regular working hours.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the centre, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, policies, and standards of care.
• Develop, implement and monitor strategic and operational plans to achieve the centre’s objectives.
• Champion and embed a culture that upholds professionalism, empathy, and safety while aligning with our core values of respect, accountability, collaboration, and innovation. Ensure these principles are reflected in policies, team behaviours, and service delivery to foster trust, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Lead policy development and drive innovation in service models to enhance outcomes and sustainability.
• Build organisational resilience through proactive risk management and strategic resource planning.
• Report to and engage the Board of Directors on strategic priorities, performance outcomes, and risk management for the Youth Crisis Facility.

Clinical and Programme Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of clinical governance frameworks, ensuring adherence to ethical and evidence-informed standards across all programmes.
• Set direction and accountability for risk management, crisis response protocols, and safeguarding policies, working through the Head of clinical services and programme leads.
• Oversee integration of care pathways between residential, community, and post-discharge services to strengthen continuity of care and long‑term outcomes.
• Monitor high‑level performance indicators and outcomes, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and funder expectations.

Operational Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight and decision‑making for admissions policies, staffing models, and resource allocation to ensure capacity meets service demand and sustainability goals.
• Establish governance frameworks for operational excellence, including quality assurance, safety, and continuous improvement, and monitor performance through KPIs and audits.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory and licensing requirements, driving accountability across operational teams.
• Anticipate operational risks and lead mitigation strategies to maintain resilience and service continuity.
• Champion innovation in operational practices to optimise efficiency and enhance client and stakeholder experience.

Fiscal Management

• Take full accountability for the centre’s financial sustainability, including budget planning, monitoring, and reporting, in collaboration with the parent organisation’s corporate finance team.
• Ensure compliance with funding agreements and governance standards in all financial reporting to the Board and funders.

People and Organisation Development

• Provide strategic leadership for workforce planning, talent development, and succession to ensure the centre has the capabilities to deliver high‑quality services.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary leadership team and empower them to lead their teams effectively.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership

• Build and maintain strategic relationship with key stakeholders such as Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Ministry of Education (MOE), Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Schools and other Social Service Agencies, to advance youth mental health priorities and secure long‑term support.
• Drive collaboration with families, caregivers, and community partners to strengthen post‑crisis continuity of care and integration of services.
• Represent the organisation at different platforms to advocate for youth mental health and suicide prevention, influencing policy and service development.

Educational Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Psychology, Social Worker, Counselling, Public Health, Business Administration, or a related field.

Relevant Experience

• Senior Leadership experience (min 8 years) in social services, mental health, youth services or related sectors, with proven ability to manage complex programmes and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in residential care or managing 24/7 service environments is advantageous.
• Leading service innovation or new programme development, especially in youth mental health or crisis intervention.
• Strategic planning and operational leadership, including oversight of budgets, compliance, and organisational performance.
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership management, particularly with government agencies and funders.
• Governance and reporting experience, including accountability to Boards or senior committees.

Behaviour Traits & Attitude

• Visionary Leadership
• People Leadership
• Integrity and Accountability
• Empathy and Cultural Sensitivity
• Strategic Thinking
• Influence and Advocacy
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Innovation and Service Development