Job Description

[What the role is]

The mission of SFA is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food for Singapore.

The National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) supports SFA’s regulatory functions in ensuring safe food for all by providing scientific evidence through laboratory testing, research and development, data science and exposure analysis, and risk assessment to address emerging food safety and security concerns.

The officer will be a Scientist/Senior Scientist in the Biological Research team under the Research & Exposure Science Department (RESD) to develop and deploy advanced food safety research and testing capabilities to address evolving foodborne hazards.

[What you will be working on]

Officer will be expected to:

• Develop, design and implement research proposal for method development in genomics and metagenomics workflows
• Conduct genomics and metagenomics research on pathogen detection, including developing methods to enhance sensitivity for trace pathogen DNA detection in mixed microbial communities
• Identify problem statements, generate research hypotheses, recommend technology-based solutions, and/or determine computational strategies, in support of the agency’s food safety operations, risk assessment and policies
• Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, project reports that may be catered for different audience e.g. academia, scientists, policy makers and the general public
• Organise and maintain proper documentation of research data, scientific interpretations, and project proposals
• Perform administrative support work such as procurement, laboratory inventory management, and preparation of research grants

[What we are looking for]

• BSc, MSc or PhD in Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology or other relevant disciplines
• Relevant work experience in primer design, assay design and next-generation sequencing and metagenomics data analysis
• Familiarity with Illumina and/or Nanopore library preparation and metagenomics sequencing protocols
• Possess knowledge in Microbiology, Molecular Biology techniques
• Experience with programming and developing bioinformatics pipelines using Nextflow and Snakemake will be an advantage
• Basic understanding of food microbiology, molecular biology, and epidemiology
• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaborative skills
• Must be meticulous and self-motivated, with the ability to proactively identify and resolve challenges and add value beyond the technical training provided.
• Resilience and ability to multi-task

Work Location: National Centre for Food Science, 7 International Business Park, Singapore 609919