About the Scientific Data Strategy Office at A*Star

The Scientific Data Strategy Office in A*STAR is responsible for developing and executing scientific data management strategy, policies, architecture and partnerships for whole of A*STAR. Specifically, the scientific data strategy office is tasked to:

a) Establish A*STAR's scientific data architecture;

b) Establish A*STAR's scientific research data governance and management framework;

c) Promote good data management practices (including data quality);

d) Enforce data security and compliance to standards, agreements and regulatory requirements;

e) Develop and update data policies;

f) Work with other public or private sector data departments on data standards and interoperability and;

g) Connect A*STAR's data framework with other national (e.g. MOH's TRUST and GovTech's enTRUST) and global data frameworks.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Director (Scientific Data Strategy Office) to join A*STAR. The role of the Director (Scientific Data Strategy Office) is to oversee the strategic planning and design of the whole-of-A*STAR's scientific data architecture and to lead and manage A*STAR's scientific research data governance activities. The Director (Scientific Data Strategy Office) is also responsible for connecting A*STAR's data framework with other data frameworks by forging partnerships with local and overseas government agencies and strategic partners.

Your key responsibilities:

As Director (Scientific Data Strategy Office), you will lead a team to:

• Define an overall scientific data architecture that serves A*STAR's scientific policy, operation and service delivery needs;
• Manage the end-to-end scientific data architecture i.e. providing recommendations and selecting the platform that meets A*STAR's scientific research requirements;
• Assess current and future data storage and processing needs and develop strategies for scaling the data infrastructure to meet growing demands effectively;
• Ensure the scientific data architecture abides by best practices across industry and Whole-of-Government in data governance and data security;
• Develop A*STAR's scientific research data governance and management framework and guidelines, including data classification, data ownership, and data stewardship;
• Provide implementation guidance on data quality initiatives;
• Ensure data security and privacy compliance;
• Define data sharing policies across research teams and departments, ensuring data access, usability, and proper data sharing agreements;
• Set up A*STAR scientific research's data sharing and collaboration website, enabling easy search and download of datasets by users of the website;
• Evaluate, select, and implement suitable data governance tools and technologies to support data governance initiatives and enhance data management capabilities;
• Provide guidance and regular training to users and stakeholders on data governance best practices, policies, and procedures, as well as support training in AI and data science;
• Provide advice and updates to A*STAR management and research staff on industry trends, standards, relevant data laws and regulatory requirements related to data governance and recommend appropriate modifications to existing policies and practices;
• Contribute to national level data platforms such as MOH TRUST, GovTech's EnTRUST etc. and;
• Forge national and international level partnerships with government agencies and strategic partners on data frameworks.

Job Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in data architecture, governance and management, with deep understanding of how data systems interface with IT and Enterprise systems in an organization. At least 10 years of experience in a leadership role. Prior experience working in a research institution is advantageous
• Experience with data warehousing, ETL pipelines, big data technologies, database performance tuning and trouble-shooting
• Familiarity with cloud computing technologies (e.g. AWS/GCP/Azure) and big data technologies (e.g. Spark, Hadoop). Implementation of past projects on commercial cloud would be advantageous
• Demonstrable experience developing and implementing data governance and management frameworks and policies
• Deep understanding of data governance strategies, practices, policies and procedures, data security standards, and privacy laws
• Strong analytical capabilities to assess data security risks and determine the efficacy of data governance strategies and initiate audits as and when required
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to drive cross-functional initiatives, work collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels internally and externally
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Analytics, Data Science, Data Engineering, Information Management or related field

The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive. A*STAR may include additional selection criteria based on its prevailing recruitment policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.