Deputy Director (Professional Learning & Programme Development), ECDA/PDS

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) serves as the regulatory and developmental authority for the early childhood (EC) sector in Singapore, overseeing key aspects of children’s development below the age of 7, across both kindergartens and childcare centres. ECDA is an autonomous agency jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), and is hosted under the Ministry of Social and Family Development. The ECDA Professional Development and Standards (PDS) division oversees frameworks and initiatives that pertain to the training and professional development of early childhood educators and leaders. This includes the rollout of sector-wide initiatives and implementation of the national curriculum frameworks. It also oversees the implementation of Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK) which aims to provide recognition and support for preschools in their efforts to improve teaching and learning, administration and management processes.

Your job scope may include one or more of the following: 1. Promoting the implementation of quality frameworks and encouraging participation in quality initiatives among preschools • Promote the adoption and implementation of ECDA’s Early Years Development Framework (Birth - 3 years) and MOE’s Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework (4 – 6 years); including the review of the EYDF and Educators’ Guide periodically • Develop and implement sector-wide initiatives for the sector that include key domain areas of Language & Literacy, Numeracy, Socio-Emotional Development, Mother Tongue Languages and Outdoor Learning 2. Promoting professional learning to build the fraternity • Foster a culture of innovation and reflective practices in EC centres through practitioner inquiry • Support preschools in the building of a mentoring culture • Strengthen the quality of Early Childhood (EC) professionals through a) the Early Childhood Learning Communities (ECLC), an initiative that aims to foster peer sharing of pedagogical practices and knowledge in key domain areas in the sector through nurturing pedagogical leaders b) the organisation of the biannual Early Childhood Celebrations and Conference (Keynote & Concurrent Workshops Segment) 3. Building organisational capacity • Leverage and strengthen partnerships with other branches within PDS (Professional Standards & Training; Quality Assurance) and across divisions in ECDA • Build internal capability in EC curriculum, pedagogy and professional learning and development of EC professionals • Staff management and development a) Reporting Officer of 2 Assistant Directors b) Coach, guide and build the capacity and capabilities of between 16 and 20 officers in PLPD Branch • Write and vet Concept Papers for approval by Senior Management: Present thinking to influence or shape PDS quality work and policy decisions in improving quality of EC programme and professionals 4. Accept and discharge any other duties as assigned by Director/PDS and Chief Executive (CE)/ECDA

• Qualifications and experience in Early Childhood(EC) would be preferred • Has held leadership and / or curriculum/pedagogy specialist roles in preschools or EC organisations • Has experience in (1) planning and implementing professional development programme, (2) developing, implementing and reviewing EC curriculum • Strong analytical thinking • Strong interpersonal skills in leading teams, working with others and engaging stakeholders • Possess excellent written and oral communication skills to draft papers and conduct presentations • Self-driven with strong project management skills