Senior Officer, Data Policy

Singapore Customs; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Customs is seeking a Senior Officer in Data Policy to strengthen agency data governance while enabling responsible data discovery, analytics and AI readiness. You will translate Whole-of-Government and Customs requirements into practical policies, workflows, guidance and monitoring arrangements across the Data Division.

You will lead the development of data governance materials, guide branches on data provisioning, sharing and classification, and build practical data governance

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of data governance principles and lifecycle controls.
• Ability to translate policy requirements into practical workflows and guidance.
• Familiarity with data classification, data sharing and audit expectations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement across policy, IT, cybersecurity, analytics, operations.
• Excellent writing, documentation and presentation skills.
• Sound judgement balancing governance, security, compliance and practicality.
• Basic analytical ability to identify trends and risks.
• Ability to work independently and coordinate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and review data governance policies and materials across Customs.
• Operationalise the Data Governance Plan using a hub-and-spoke model.
• Translate requirements into clear implementation guidance for branches.
• Establish and maintain data registers and governance records.
• Review data access and use principles, including purpose limitation and traceability.
• Provide guidance on security and data handling classifications.
• Strengthen metadata, lineage, access, logging and data quality practices.
• Monitor implementation progress and prepare management reporting.

Skills

Data governance

Policy implementation

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Documentation & writing

Attention to detail

Independent working

Risk-based prioritisation

Job description

What the role is:

As a Senior Officer in Data Policy, you will support Singapore Customs in strengthening agency-level data governance while enabling responsible data discovery, analytics, digital transformation and AI readiness. You will help translate Whole-of-Government and Customs requirements into practical policies, workflows, guidance, templates and monitoring arrangements that are usable by branches efficiently, operating as part of Data Division's Chief Data Officer-led data governance function.

What you will be working on:

• Develop, maintain and periodically review Customs data governance policies, guidance, templates and implementation materials; and operationalise the Data Governance Plan (DGP) using a hub-and-spoke governance model across Customs.
• Translate Whole-of-Government requirements, including Data Provisioning Standards (DPS), Data Reconciliation Protocol (DRP), authorised external-party sharing requirements and related circulars, into clear Customs implementation guidance.
• Establish, maintain and improve relevant Data Registers as agency-level governance records for key datasets and outbound sharing arrangements, and guide branches in identifying priority datasets and confirming governance roles.
• Review and operationalise data access and use principles, including purpose limitation, need-to-know access, traceability, periodic access review and prohibition of unauthorised resharing or repurposing.
• Provide guidance to branches on security classification, sensitivity classification, handling requirements and related approval or escalation pathways for datasets, extracts and transformed data.
• Strengthen metadata, lineage, access, logging, data quality and monitoring practices within Customs Data Platforms and other Whole-of-Government platforms where Customs data is made available.
• Monitor DGP implementation on a risk-based basis and prepare management reporting on implementation progress, material governance gaps, key data risks and follow-up actions for relevant parties as required.
• Conduct briefings, clinics, working sessions and targeted support for branches, Data Stewards and other stakeholders to build practical data governance capability across Customs.

What we are looking for:

1. Good understanding of data governance principles, policy implementation, risk management and data lifecycle controls. Experience in similar roles will be advantageous.
2. Ability to interpret policy requirements and translate them into practical workflows, templates, guidance and implementation support for operational users.
3. Familiarity with data access, data sharing, data classification, data quality, DRP/DPS concepts, data registers and audit or assurance expectations will be an advantage.
4. Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work across policy, legal, IT, cybersecurity, analytics, operations and business owner groups.
5. Strong writing, documentation and presentation skills, with careful attention to detail and an ability to produce clear management submissions and guidance materials.
6. Sound judgement in balancing governance, security, compliance, data discoverability and operational practicality.
7. Basic analytical ability to interpret data-related issues, identify trends or gaps, and support risk-based prioritisation.
8. Ability to work independently, coordinate across teams and follow through on issues to closure.

About Singapore Customs

Singapore Customs is a government agency under the Ministry of Finance. Re-constituted on 1 April 2003, Singapore Customs is the lead agency on trade facilitation and revenue enforcement matters. It is also responsible for the implementation of customs and trade enforcement measures including those related to Free Trade Agreements and strategic goods.