The Singapore Public Service offers an attractive career proposition for those who want to make a difference in service of Singapore and Singaporeans. To navigate a more complex and fast-changing environment, the Public Service needs a diversity of strengths and perspectives in our leadership ranks.  We therefore welcome leaders with different backgrounds, who wish to contribute their skills and perspectives in the Public Service to make a meaningful impact to Singapore and Singaporeans.

There are two central leadership development (LD) programmes in the Singapore Public Service – the Administrative Service (AS) and the Public Service Leadership Programme (PSLP) – to systematically groom leadership talent for senior leadership job roles across the Public Service. There are options for officers to pursue multi-sectoral or sectoral LD tracks, depending on their preferences and fit.

By joining us on a Public Service Leadership Careers, we will invest in your development and support you in growing the competencies, perspectives, and instincts that are critical for both current and future operating contexts.

A key feature is the opportunity to undergo structured job postings across public agencies - this means that your development will not be limited to a single agency, and you will be exposed to the critical job experiences and key issues across the key sectors of Government.

The Public Service thus offers a range of career pathways and job options curated to support your development and in ways that would fit your career aspirations as an aspiring leader.

Here are some areas you could contribute to, across the key sectors of Government:

Social Shape the ‘heartware’ of Singapore – cultivating a more cohesive, resilient, caring and inclusive society.

Economy Building Contribute to Singapore’s growth, macro-economic stability, industry regulation and a conducive business environment.

Infrastructure & Environment Contribute to making Singapore a vibrant, clean, liveable city with sustainable development, robust infrastructure and good connectivity.

Security Keep Singapore safe and secure through robust enforcement capabilities and sound security policies.

Central Administration Ensure effective and efficient use of resources and help develop a consultative and customer-centric Public Service.

Information and Communications Technology & Smart Systems Enable better use of data and harnessing of new technologies by the Government to build a digital economy and digital society, in support of Smart Nation.

Customised Support for Aspiring Public Service Leaders

On the leadership development programme, your development will be supported based on your needs and customised by career stages.

For candidates in the earlier phases of your career journey (e.g. you are about to graduate or have a few years of working experience)

You can look forward to a structured development programme on the PSLP General Phase that will expose you to the key job roles in the Public Service (i.e. across roles in policy, operations, stakeholder management). You will also get to experience work in at least 2 sectors to support you in understanding your longer-term career preferences and aspirations. For candidates with some working experience, your past experiences will be taken into account when curating relevant postings / developmental opportunities, and in assessing your readiness for the next phase of development.

For candidates in more senior phases of your career journey (e.g. you have a strong track record in particular professions or functional areas and have clarity on the sector(s) / areas of work you are keen to pursue)

You may be considered for the PSLP Sectoral Phase (SP) or the Administrative Service (AS), where you be supported in deepening your competencies either within a sector (PSLP SP) or across 2-3 sectors (AS). Your past work experiences will be taken into account when curating relevant postings / developmental opportunities, and in assessing your readiness for more senior leadership appointments. For working professions without any prior experience working in the Public Service, there will be a structured and personalised onboarding process to support your transition.

We welcome talents from across different entry routes and at different levels of seniority. An overview of the leadership development journey by career phases is shown below.

Administrative Service

The Administrative Service aims to develop leaders with whole-of-government perspectives and capabilities, to formulate and implement policies that will improve the lives of Singaporeans.

You will gain a deep understanding of the interdependencies across the Public Service through your career in the Administrative Service. You will enjoy the unique opportunity to work in different sectors of the Public Service and be developed for key leadership positions through structured programmes.

The Career Path

The Public Service Division aims to develop Administrative Officers with the interest and aptitude in integrating work across sectors, to have a sound grasp of the complexities of government. Taking into account your interests and Public Service needs, you may be posted to jobs in different sectors of the Public Service, namely  Infrastructure & Environment, Economy Building, Social, Security,  Information and Communications Technology & Smart Systems, and Central Administration.

This multi-sectoral developmental track aims to develop leaders who:

• Master the substance of the issues they are dealing with, when designing and implementing policies within and across sectors with domain depth in 2-3 sectors
• Provide WOG / strategic perspectives, with the ability to “connect the dots”, and synergise and integrate work across different sectors, by leveraging cross-agency networks and experience
• Provide the key interface between the political leadership and the public service in developing and implementing policies and programmes

As you progress in your career, you will participate in milestone training programmes, and be given expert coaching to facilitate your professional development. You will get to be part of project teams where you can recommend policies and have the opportunity to present your findings to senior public service leaders or at various policy forums.

Other Deployment Opportunities

As an Administrative Officer, you could be posted to private sector companies to better understand businesses and markets, or to the various statutory boards and government-linked Companies. You could work in other non-Civil Service organizations such as international organisations, and non-profit organisations, or even abroad. Subject to performance, you may also be appointed as directors on the boards of government-linked companies and statutory boards.

Mid-Career Leaders Track (MCLT)

The Public Service values the experiences of mid-career entrants outside of the Public Service and is interested to groom talents with the heart to serve. The Public Service will be introducing the “Mid-Career Leaders Track” - a central gateway for mid-career entrants with the potential and aspiration to serve in Public Service leadership.

Key Features of MCLT:

Central gateway for mid-career entrants to apply for Leadership Programmes in the Public Service**

• Candidates may be considered for the PSLP General Phase (GP), Sectoral Phase (SP) or the Administrative Service (AS), where they would be supported in deepening their competencies either within a sector (PSLP SP) or across 2-3 sectors (AS).
• Candidates can apply without needing to choose to join the AS/PSLP or any specific government agencies. Successful candidates will be placed onto the appropriate leadership programme, where their past work experiences will be taken into account when curating relevant postings / developmental opportunities, based on the assessed calibre, readiness and seniority.
• The AS aims to develop leaders with whole-of-government perspectives and capabilities, to formulate and implement policies that will improve the lives of Singaporeans. The career path of the AS can be found here.  
• The PSLP aims to develop sectoral leaders for key leadership positions within the Public Service.  There are 2 phases in this talent development programme.  You will go through structured rotations during the General Phase to explore and gain experience in at least two different sectors of the Public Service, while at the Sectoral Phase, you will focus your development within a sector, building deeper competencies and networks. 

Structured job placement and onboarding support to support mid-career officers transition to the Public Service

• For their first one or two postings, officers on the MCLT will select from a list of curated jobs that provides developmental exposure while having adjacencies to their previous work experience. This allows officers to leverage their expertise and experiences in making substantive contributions, while supporting their learning and transition into the Public Service. Officers can look forward to a meaningful career journey across a variety of postings such as job roles in policy-operations as well as stakeholder mobilisation and engagement, which will tap on officers’ knowledge, skills and perspectives.
• A tailored onboarding experience with structured and personalised onboarding process to support officers’ transition on the MCLT. This is especially for working professions without any prior experience working in the Public Service.

Find out more or apply to the MCLT, or read FAQs about the Public Service Leadership Programme.

Who We Are Looking For

An ideal candidate will be one who:  Believes in and demonstrates the Public Service Values of Integrity, Service, Excellence. Has the passion to serve and a commitment towards building a better Singapore and to improve the lives of current and future generations of Singaporeans. Demonstrates strong leadership qualities, interpersonal skills and cognitive thinking capacities. More senior candidates should have a strong track record in demonstrating these key areas through past work experiences. Is a Singapore citizen.

How to Apply

We accept applications for the Public Service Leadership Careers all year round. 

If you are still studying and wish to start work in the Public Service after graduation, you may apply for the PSLP starting from 3 semesters before your graduation, i.e. in the 2nd semester of your 3rd year of study. 

If you wish to pursue your postgraduate studies after graduation, you should apply directly for a PSC Master’s Scholarship through the PSC webpage, instead of the above.

If you are a working professional, you may indicate your career preferences when applying for the Public Service Leadership Careers. We will subsequently work with you to determine the programme phase / leadership development track (e.g. PSLP General, PSLP Sectoral or Administrative Service) that would be most suitable for you.

You may apply for the Public Service Leadership Careers at Careers@Gov. You can get updates on your application status through the Careers@Gov portal.

For further queries, please email psl@psd.gov.sg