Singapore Food Agency

Scientist / Senior Scientist (Biological Research)

Fixed Terms

Closing on 11 May 2026

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

About your application process

This job is closing on 11 May 2026.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the job ad closing date, we seek your understanding that it is likely that we are not moving forward with your application for this role. We thank you for your interest and would like to assure you that this does not affect your other job applications with the Public Service. We encourage you to explore and apply for other roles within Singapore Food Agency or the wider Public Service.

About Singapore Food Agency

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is a new Statutory Board formed under the ‘Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) to oversee food safety and security. The SFA will serve as the single point of contact for public feedback on food-related issues, and strengthen management of foodborne disease outbreaks to protect public health. The SFA will also facilitate more business-friendly regulations with oversight of all food safety policies and consolidation of food laboratory capabilities to deepen competencies in food diagnostics, and research and development in food safety.

Learn more about Singapore Food Agency