Lead, Candidate Experience

Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA); Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) seeks a seasoned Lead (Candidate Experience) to oversee the SCAQ admissions and overall candidate journey, from application to graduation.

You will supervise the admissions team, ensure accurate eligibility checks, coordinate with overseas teams, and deliver regular management reports while driving continuous process improvements including system enhancements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, preferably in Business, Accountancy or a related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in programme administration, operations, customer service, or related field.
• Experience supervising/leading teams in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
• Experience leading business users in system development/enhancement projects.
• Strong understanding of candidate admissions, exams, eligibility validation, and programme administration.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day administration of SCAQ candidate applications, module enrolments, and exemption assessments, ensuring accuracy and timely processing.
• Support regular reporting and data management of the candidate system, including report generation.
• Oversee high-volume queries across all service channels (email, phone, WhatsApp, walk-ins) for SCAQ and ISCA qualifications.
• Monitor end-to-end candidate progression from application to graduation.
• Plan and lead annual candidature renewal exercise to support retention outcomes.
• Review and drive system change requests (CRs) with ICT on requirements, UAT, data validation.
• Oversee billing matters including bulk billing, refunds, reconciliations.
• Collaborate with internal teams to plan targeted communications to candidate segments.
• Provide guidance on complex cases/appeals and lead issue resolution.
• Coach and develop team members and review workflows to meet KPIs.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Coaching & people development

Process improvement

Governance & compliance

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in any discipline

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

The Lead (Candidate Experience) oversees the end-to-end candidate admissions process and overall candidate experience for the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) and other ISCA qualification programmes.

The role leads and supervises the admissions team to ensure accurate eligibility assessments, smooth programme progression, and timely resolution of candidate queries. The position also supports programme delivery through regular management reporting, continuous process improvements (including system enhancements), targeted mass communications (e.g., EDM and WhatsApp messages) at key programme milestones, and coordination with overseas teams on ad hoc requests.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead day-to-day administration of SCAQ candidate applications, module enrolments, and exemption assessments, ensuring accuracy, compliance with eligibility requirements, and timely processing, including post-application follow-up.
• Support regular reporting and data management of the candidate system, including report generation,
• Oversee high-volume queries across all service channels (email, phone, WhatsApp, and walk-ins) for SCAQ and other ISCA qualifications, ensuring service standards and SLAs are met.
• Monitor and ensure accurate end-to-end candidate progression across all pathways, from application through to graduation.
• Plan and lead the annual SCAQ candidature renewal exercise, including follow-up initiatives to support retention outcomes.
• Review and drive system change requests (CRs) to support business initiatives, improve processes, and enhance user experience. Partner with ICT on requirements, UAT, issue resolution, and data validation.
• Oversee candidate and organisational billing matters, including bulk billing, refunds, reconciliations, and discrepancy resolution.
• Collaborate with internal teams to plan and execute targeted communications to candidate segments.
• Provide guidance on complex cases and appeals, and lead issue resolution, including escalation where necessary.
• Coach and develop team members, and review workflows and resource allocation to support delivery of departmental KPIs.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, preferably in Business, Accountancy or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in programme administration, operations, customer service, or a related field, preferably within education or professional bodies.
• Experience in supervising or leading teams in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, including coaching and performance support.
• Experience in leading business users in system development or enhancement projects.
• Strong understanding of candidate admissions, exam enrolment, eligibility validation, and programme administration processes
• High attention to detail, with a strong governance and compliance mindset.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills (written and verbal) to manage complex cases, appeals, and challenging service situations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or analytics tools (e.g., Power BI) to to support reporting and performance tracking.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across internal departments and with overseas teams.
• Ability to manage change, drive continuous improvement, and support system-related initiatives.