What The Role Is
As Director (Assurance), you will serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to public agency leadership, leading high-performing internal audit teams delivering Shared IA Services to Ministries and Statutory Boards. This is not simply an audit leadership role — you will be a change agent, driving the evolution of IA practices across the public sector through digital innovation, agile methodologies, and a broadened risk lens that encompasses technology, cybersecurity, and sustainability. You will shape the future of the public sector IA community by building capabilities, professionalising practices, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and intellectual curiosity.
What You Will Be Working On
Strategic Audit Leadership
You will direct the planning, management, and execution of risk-based audit engagements across agencies under AGD's portfolio of clients, ensuring timely delivery and consistently high audit quality. Moving beyond traditional compliance-focused auditing, you will develop and maintain a forward-looking audit universe that reflects emerging risks and align audit priorities with the broader governance and risk landscape of the public sector. You will also champion agile auditing methodologies, designing shorter and more iterative audit cycles that deliver faster, more actionable insights to stakeholders.
Digital Transformation
You will lead the integration of data analytics, robotic process automation (RPA), and AI-assisted audit tools into the audit methodology to enable continuous monitoring and deeper audit insights. You will oversee the adoption of audit management platforms to improve workflow efficiency and documentation standards. Staying ahead of developments in generative AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies, you will assess their applicability to the IA function and build the team's capacity to leverage these tools effectively. Experience with data analytics tools such as Power BI, or Python in an audit context will be particularly valued.
Emerging Risk and Advisory
As a strategic advisor, you will engage credibly with C-suite and senior public sector leadership, translating complex audit findings into clear, business-relevant insights that drive meaningful governance improvements. You will provide assurance and advisory perspectives on a broadened risk landscape, including IT general controls, cybersecurity risk, digital business processes, third-party and supply chain risk, and increasingly, sustainability and ESG governance frameworks. You will work closely with agency leadership to anticipate risks before they materialise, positioning IA as a forward-looking function rather than a retrospective one.
Community Building and Capability Development
You will work with IA heads across the public sector to build a vibrant community of practice, driving the development of shared frameworks, toolkits, and upskilling programmes that raise the overall standard of public sector IA. You will implement capability development roadmaps that equip IA practitioners with both technical audit competencies and digital skills — including data literacy, AI fluency, and agile ways of working. You will represent AGD in cross-agency forums and professional bodies to advance the ambition of public sector IA.
People Leadership and Culture
You will manage, mentor, and develop a team of IA professionals, building a pipeline of future audit leaders who are technically strong, digitally capable, and strategically minded. You will foster a team culture that values psychological safety, diversity of thought, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine commitment to public service excellence. Attracting and retaining talent in a competitive market will be an important part of your mandate.
What We Are Looking For
- A strong background in accountancy or a related discipline is essential, along with at least 10 years of progressive audit experience with a meaningful portion in a leadership capacity.
- CIA certification is preferred, and additional credentials such as CISA, CFE, CDMP would be advantageous, reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of the modern IA director.
- You should have demonstrated experience applying data analytics tools in an audit context, familiarity with AI-assisted audit platforms, and a working understanding of IT general controls, cybersecurity risk, and ESG governance. Experience with agile audit methodologies and continuous auditing frameworks would set you apart.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills are essential, as is the ability to influence and engage with management at all levels — from operational teams to Audit Committees.
- Above all, you bring a growth mindset, a genuine enthusiasm for driving innovation in the audit profession, and a deep commitment to strengthening governance in Singapore's public sector.
