Senior/Assistant Director, International Trade (GES)
What The Role Is
The Trade and International Economic Relations (TIER) cluster drives the formulation of Singapore's foreign economic policy and advances Singapore's economic interests in the international economic arena.
Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. It is a complex global challenge that calls for concerted international action and collaboration between governments, industry and individuals. As a low-lying city state, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and has a strong interest in shaping effective global climate action.
The Green Economy and Sustainability (GES) team sits within MTI’s International Trade Division, which is charged with formulating Singapore’s foreign economic policy and advancing Singapore’s economic interests in the internationally. The GES team leads Singapore’s international economic engagement on green trade issues. We also work closely with agencies, such as MSE, MOF, NEA and PMO(NCCS), to formulate and coordinate strategies to chart the path forward for Singapore’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
What You Will Be Working On
As a TIER officer in the International Trade (GES) Division in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, you will be part of a high-performing team operating at the forefront of international economic diplomacy and climate policy, shaping the rules and frameworks that will define the global green economy. You will work on one or more of the following work streams:
a. Negotiation of Article 6.2 bilateral/plurilateral agreements. Develop and implement strategies and policies to strengthen bilateral cooperation with like-minded countries on carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Officer will negotiate binding bilateral and plurilateral agreements with foreign governments, drive technical cooperation initiatives, and build robust project development pipelines — directly contributing to Singapore's ability to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
b. Global carbon market rules and standards setting. Monitor and analyse evolving global carbon market developments and develop strategies to actively shape the international rules and standards that govern high-integrity carbon markets, positioning Singapore as a credible and influential voice in this space.
c. Green trade policy development. Synthesise geopolitical, trade, and climate trends to craft Singapore's green trade policy agenda, safeguarding the country's long-term economic competitiveness through the low-carbon transition. The officer’s work will directly inform how Singapore positions itself in an increasingly climate-conscious global trading environment.
d. Green trade instruments negotiation. Negotiate international instruments across multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral fronts to advance Singapore's green trade interests. Officer will work with Ministries across the government to tackle complex, cross-cutting issues spanning environmental goods, services and investments, trade-related climate measures (TrCMs), environmental attribute certificates (EACs), and sectoral areas such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green buildings.
e. Multilateral negotiations. Represent Singapore at the highest levels of international climate diplomacy, including at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP). You will advocate for Singapore's green economy and low-carbon interests, building coalitions and influencing outcomes that have real-world consequences for global climate action.
As the climate space is fast evolving, an officer may be deployed across different workstreams, based on the officer’s development and MTI’s organisational needs.
What We Are Looking For
The Trade and International Economic Relations (TIER) cluster drives the formulation of Singapore's foreign economic policy and advances Singapore's economic interests in the international economic arena.
Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. It is a complex global challenge that calls for concerted international action and collaboration between governments, industry and individuals. As a low-lying city state, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and has a strong interest in shaping effective global climate action.
The Green Economy and Sustainability (GES) team sits within MTI’s International Trade Division, which is charged with formulating Singapore’s foreign economic policy and advancing Singapore’s economic interests in the internationally. The GES team leads Singapore’s international economic engagement on green trade issues. We also work closely with agencies, such as MSE, MOF, NEA and PMO(NCCS), to formulate and coordinate strategies to chart the path forward for Singapore’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
What You Will Be Working On
As a TIER officer in the International Trade (GES) Division in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, you will be part of a high-performing team operating at the forefront of international economic diplomacy and climate policy, shaping the rules and frameworks that will define the global green economy. You will work on one or more of the following work streams:
a. Negotiation of Article 6.2 bilateral/plurilateral agreements. Develop and implement strategies and policies to strengthen bilateral cooperation with like-minded countries on carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Officer will negotiate binding bilateral and plurilateral agreements with foreign governments, drive technical cooperation initiatives, and build robust project development pipelines — directly contributing to Singapore's ability to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
b. Global carbon market rules and standards setting. Monitor and analyse evolving global carbon market developments and develop strategies to actively shape the international rules and standards that govern high-integrity carbon markets, positioning Singapore as a credible and influential voice in this space.
c. Green trade policy development. Synthesise geopolitical, trade, and climate trends to craft Singapore's green trade policy agenda, safeguarding the country's long-term economic competitiveness through the low-carbon transition. The officer’s work will directly inform how Singapore positions itself in an increasingly climate-conscious global trading environment.
d. Green trade instruments negotiation. Negotiate international instruments across multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral fronts to advance Singapore's green trade interests. Officer will work with Ministries across the government to tackle complex, cross-cutting issues spanning environmental goods, services and investments, trade-related climate measures (TrCMs), environmental attribute certificates (EACs), and sectoral areas such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green buildings.
e. Multilateral negotiations. Represent Singapore at the highest levels of international climate diplomacy, including at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP). You will advocate for Singapore's green economy and low-carbon interests, building coalitions and influencing outcomes that have real-world consequences for global climate action.
As the climate space is fast evolving, an officer may be deployed across different workstreams, based on the officer’s development and MTI’s organisational needs.
What We Are Looking For
- Experience in cross-cultural negotiations and international relations, particularly in the public sector; and/or
- Good knowledge in carbon credits/markets and Paris Agreement; and/or
- Good knowledge of green trade related issues including trade-related climate measures, environmental attributes certifications and sectoral issues that sits at the intersection of trade and climate.
- Relevant experience in climate change/sustainability areas in the private sector, and/or non-government organisations – experience in carbon markets or other environmental goods/commodities is an advantage. Prior experience working on climate change/sustainability areas in the public sector will be perceived favourably
- Keen interest in international economic affairs
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong interpersonal, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to work well both independently and in a team
- Strong ability to learn on the fly, is driven, meticulous and resourceful
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment