Job Description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

The Salvation Army has been touching lives in Singapore since 1935 and we remain committed in serving the underprivileged in the community without discrimination. To us, every life is precious and we actively help those in need regardless of age, race or religion.



Throughout the years, we have established a comprehensive network of social services to meet a wide range of needs in our community. Our diverse programmes reach out to children who need care and protection, families in material need, ailing aged requiring quality nursing care and other needy segments in our society.



Our spiritual ministry also reaches out to the people in the community to provide counsel to those in need. We are there to help guide those in need towards finding their identity and purpose in life.

About The Salvation Army (Singapore)

Since 1935, The Salvation Army has stood as a pillar of hope and transformation in Singapore. Today, its Children and Youth Group (CYG) continues that legacy by serving hundreds of vulnerable children and youth annually - providing preventive programmes, foster care, residential services, and reunification support.



Guided by the belief that every child matters and thrives best in a family setting, CYG offers a comprehensive continuum of care, including:


Gracehaven, The Haven - Residential care for children and youth Gracehaven Fostering and Befriender for Families - Foster care services and family reunification support Kids in Play - Child development and engagement programmes Youth Development Centre - Life skills and development support Youth Mental Health Support - Psychosocial and emotional care for youth

The core values of CYG are Compassion, Collaboration, Resilience, Spirit of Excellence, Integrity, Genuine Care.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a visionary and strategic Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director to join our senior leadership team. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of one of Singapore's most respected mission-driven organisations. Reporting to the Director of Social and Community Services, Regional Programme Office, the ED/AED plays a critical role in ensuring our professionalised services are well run and transforming lives.







DESIGNATION : Executive Director/Assistant Executive Director, Children & Youth Group



RESPONSIBILITIES

ACCOUNTABILITY:



Responsible to: Director, Social and Community Services, Regional Programme Office, and Regional Programme Officer



FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:


All Staff Members The Salvation Army Territorial / Regional Headquarters Ministry of Social and Family, and any other Government Agencies associated with the Children and Youth Group

DIRECT SUPERVISION OF:



Community and Mental Health and Residential Services of the Children & Youth Group



PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:



Premised on the mandate and mission of the Children and Youth Group, the ED/AED works closely with the Regional Programme Office and is responsible for The Salvation Army's services relating to children and youth matters. Building upon this responsibility, the ED/AED is to assist the Regional Programme Office in ensuring that services are able to serve their target groups well, work with teams on gathering practice insights to improve and review services in order for better client outcomes and grow capability. The ED/AED will also need to look into long term financial sustainability and day-to-day operational matters of the Group.



Taking into account that 60-70% of children and youth served by CYG have a history of child abuse or neglect and 20-30% of children are from incarcerated families, the ED/AED will need to be a professional who has experience in managing social services. Some aspects of this diverse portfolio include: drive organisational development initiatives (including culture development and employee engagement), service and professional capability development, provide lead in operational planning and priority setting, undertake special projects, manage employee relations (which includes but not limited to talent attraction, recruitment, identification, development and retention), enhance stakeholder engagement (which includes strengthening relationships with partners, regulators (MSF, NCSS), and community networks), and conduct oversight in monitoring operating and capital budgets.



DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

OVERSIGHT OF CYG SERVICES

Provide leadership and oversight over day to day operations of CYG's social services to ensure that needs of clients as well as key stakeholders are met. This will include providing guidance on professional issues, incident management and administrative and funding matters.

Provide leadership in operational planning, priority setting and evaluation in the context of the group's strategic plan, ensuring that CYG management staff and other stakeholder, are appropriately engaged to ensure a good combination of ground insights with strategic thinking.

Undertake organisational development initiatives and maintain a conducive trauma-informed culture to enable excellent work. Responsible for shepherding the morale, well-being and discipline of the staff of the group.

Work in cooperation with the Director, Social and Community Services, Regional Programme Office, on wide ranging matters including the establishment and evaluation of annual manpower plans, budgets and other strategic matters.

Assist in making critical business decisions by analysing and presenting key strategic data to the Regional Programme Office. Oversight the preparation of operating and capital budgets. Analyse trends, possible improvements, areas of risks, financing and any key issues relating to the business and provide recommendation for improvements, including the reduction of inefficiencies or reconfiguring of resources.

As part of the Leadership Team, issue and undertake responsibilities as needed.

UPHOLDING STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS

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Responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of CYG services; ensuring that all legislative requirements are met and contractual obligations with government grants are fulfilled and that policies and procedures are consistently applied in all departments to uphold a high level of service standards.

Lead the development and formulation of operational policies and procedures, ensuring timely analysis and compliance of government legislation and policies as well as internal corporate policies and requirements.

Where required, serve as key negotiator / broker / advocate / lobbyist to ensure that policies, standards and requirements are in line with the mission of The Salvation Army and that they serve the best interest of the children and youths that are cared for by the group.

Review and assess the audit findings from the auditors. Ensure that all exceptions and issues are addressed accurately by the appropriate finance and accounting staff members. Coordinate and lead the process of addressing the review and assessment of the audit findings.

Bears responsibility for all aspects related to operational and financial management, including upholding of licensing standards, adherence to contractual agreements, managing budgets, and forecasting; developing a robust financial management and reporting system; effectively communicating critical financial matters to key stakeholders; overseeing all financial, project / program and grants accounting, ensuring that the group's financial practices are in line with HQ-established policies and with all relevant statutory regulations and legislation.

RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

Be able to uphold credible representation of The Salvation Army and its interests relating to the children and youth sphere in all circles and spaces.

Being a top level leader of the group, the ED/AED is responsible for assisting the Director, Social and Community Services, Regional Programme Office, in cultivating internal buy-ins (including internal communication and engagement) of staff and other stakeholders towards mission and priorities of the group.

Responsible for cultivating and building key donor, volunteer, supporter and strategic relations. (While fund raising is not a core component of the job scope, it is nonetheless a relevant indicator of influence.)

Responsible to ensure timely response to feedback, complaints and compliments by working together with the Regional Headquarters for issues which involve the residents or clients.

Responsible for strengthening relationships with partners, regulators (MSF, NCSS), and community networks.


OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES



To undertake other duties as and when required and consistent with the position.

Develop business continuity plan and succession management for department concerned.

Work in tandem with various Supporting Business Units of Singapore Regional Headquarters to ensure effective workflow processes.



QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Social Work, Counselling, Psychology, or related fields. Minimum 10 years of experience in social services or residential care, with substantial leadership or supervisory responsibilities, and clear experience with direct social services for vulnerable groups. Those without experience with direct social services need not apply. Strong experience in strategic planning, operations management, and/or programme development preferred. Experience working with vulnerable children and families preferred.




OTHER INFORMATION

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a seasoned, mission-driven leader with a track record of success in complex organisational environments:



A strong leader, strategic thinker and problem-solver with sound judgement.

An empathetic, people-centred leader who is a culture developer and inspires and uplifts teams.

A skilled communicator and collaborator with strong stakeholder management abilities.

Grounded in strong personal values and emotional maturity.

Good record of impactful leadership in the social sector.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit the following:



Cover Letter (maximum 2 pages)

Clearly articulate your understanding of the role Highlight relevant qualifications and leadership experience Address how you meet the key responsibilities Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages) Include leadership roles, achievements, qualifications, and alignment to the mission of The Salvation Army

PDPA

By submitting this job application, I affirm that I have given to The Salvation Army true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed.





I agree that The Salvation Army (TSA) may collect, use and disclose your personal data, as provided in this application form, or (if applicable) obtained by TSA as a result of your employment, for the following purposes in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and our data protection policy (available at our website at https://www.salvationarmy.org.sg/data-protection-policy/ ):



a) the processing of this employment application;


b) the administration of the employment with TSA; and



c) sharing of personal information to third party, including but not limited to government agencies, hospitals, vendor(s)/supplier (s), working in collaboration with TSA to support the employment.





If you are providing third party's personal data, you hereby declare that you have obtained consent from the named individual(s), for the collection, use and disclosure of his/her personal data by you to TSA, TSA business partners and other third-party service providers. I authorised the organisation to contact references provided for employment reference checks.





Please visit our website at https://www.salvationarmy.org.sg/data-protection-policy/ for further details on our data protection policy, including how you may access and correct your personal data or withdraw consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal data.





If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for denial of employment or immediate dismissal.