Research Analyst

Security and Intelligence Division; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Security and Intelligence Division (SID) seeks qualified individuals to help decode geopolitics and security issues for Singapore's decision-makers. You will build strategic awareness, forecast risks, and provide timely insights through policy briefings and high-impact writing.

Candidates will conduct deep research, engage cross-agency partners, and develop cognitive tools to sharpen analysis while mentoring junior analysts and collaborating with partners.

Qualifications

• Singapore Citizens only.
• Strong analytical and evidence-based reasoning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work in uncertain and ambiguous situations.
• Willingness to engage with government partners and cross-agency discussions.
• Interest in geopolitical and security developments.

Responsibilities

• Build and Maintain Strategic Awareness: monitor and sieve through information to verify data.
• Forecast Trends and Emerging Risks impacting Singapore’s national interests.
• Provide timely and relevant insights for national leaders and policymakers in policy briefings and writing.
• Conduct deep research into specific countries/regions and multilateral trends.
• Engage policymaking agencies and brief decision-makers; participate in cross-agency discussions.

Job description

DECODING THE WORLD FOR SINGAPORE’S DECISION MAKERS

Do you often ask why countries behave in a certain way? Curious about why global trends play out the way they do? Are you passionate about helping Singapore secure its place in the world?

At the Security and Intelligence Division (SID), you are a key source of expertise and insight into geopolitics and international security within the Singapore government. We analyse and synthesise myriad information into insights that directly inform national leaders and top policymakers. Join us in decoding a dynamic and uncertain world for Singapore’s top decision-makers.

What you will be working on

• Build and Maintain Strategic Awareness: monitor and sieve through information to find, verify, and interpret data and information from multiple sources
• Forecast Trends and Emerging Risks which impacting Singapore’s national interests
• Provide Timely and Relevant Insights for national leaders and top policymakers in the form of policy briefings and high-impact writing
• Conduct Deep Research into specific countries/regions, and/or multilateral trends and themes
• Engage Key Policymaking Agencies in the Singapore government: brief key decision-makers on critical issues and participate in cross-agency discussions as subject matter experts, while also gaining a better understanding of national interests
• Build Partnerships: engage foreign government partners as part of intelligence diplomacy, and to sharpen analysis, deepen expertise, and build intelligence tradecraft
• Lead and manage teams of analysts
• Develop cognitive tools and methods to ensure robust and insightful analysis
• Develop junior analysts

What you will gain:

• High-Level Impact, Direct Executive Visibility: produce insights that go straight to the desks of top policymakers shaping Singapore's national strategy
• High-Calibre Teams: be part of a community of passionate geopol geeks and country specialists in an intellectually stimulating environment
• Access to top thinkers in governments and academia on critical and emerging global issues
• Culture of Continuous Learning: we invest heavily in professional training, such as in-house training, collaborative training with foreign partners, and access to courses by local universities

What we are looking for

• Singapore Citizens only

We value intellectual curiosity and an openness to alternative ideas; critical thinking and evidence-based analytical skills; and a drive for excellence. A good command of English and some comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity are also necessary. If you love dissecting complex international issues and explaining why it matters for Singapore in simple terms, you’ll fit right in.

We will provide the tradecraft training; you bring the curiosity. Your job isn’t to know all the answers today, but to have the drive to uncover them.

Desired qualities and attributes include

• Keen interest in geopolitical, threat or security-related developments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented but also able to see the big picture
• Able and willing to learn
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to work collaboratively
• Motivated and independent
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Willingness to learn and apply new tools and technologies to analysis work

We actively welcome candidates from adjacent backgrounds such as (but not limited to)

• Policy-making Units in both the public and private sector, especially those with an focus on geopolitics and global security
• Geopolitical & Country Risk Advisory including corporate risk consultancies evaluating political instability and country risk
• Macroeconomic & Strategy Consulting specialists who cover international economic issues such as supply chain vulnerabilities and trade flows
• Think Tanks & Policy Research analysts who cover foreign policy, multilateral security, or regional dynamics
• Legal Professionals and Regulatory Counsel

Beyond these professions, candidates with the following foundational skills will hit the ground running

• Geopolitical Risk and International Security Analysis including country politics, foreign policy, multi-player dynamics in international affairs, and macroeconomics
• Structured Analytical Techniques like analysis of competing hypotheses, back casting, red teaming and horizon scrolling