Data Engineer (Content Processing)

Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies is seeking Data Engineers to design and operate high-throughput data pipelines that ingest vast unstructured data, generate vector embeddings, and support semantic search for national security analytics in Singapore.

You will work on hybrid retrieval systems, multimedia processing, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure data quality and scalable operations in mission-critical environments.

Qualifications

• Background in Computer Science or related field, with hands-on data engineering or software development experience.
• Experience building scalable ETL/ELT pipelines to process large datasets.
• Strong data quality and pipeline reliability understanding.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and maintain reliable, high-throughput pipelines ingesting unstructured data.
• Integrate AI models for data classification and information extraction.
• Develop transformation logic and generate vector embeddings for retrieval.
• Build and support hybrid indexing systems for keyword and vector search.
• Engineer scalable multimedia processing for video and image metadata.
• Collaborate with frontend, data science, and product teams to deliver data services.

Skills

Data engineering

ETL/ELT pipelines

High-throughput data pipelines

Data quality

Communication of technical concepts

Cloud-native environments

Container-based environments

AI model integration

Education

Bachelor's in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Vector databases

LLM integration tools

Job description

What the role is:

CSIT develops cutting-edge products to safeguard Singapore's national security interests. We are seeking Data Engineers to join a specialized team operating at the heart of our mission, transforming hundreds of thousands of documents daily through large-scale pipelines. In this role, you will go beyond traditional data engineering; you will architect intelligent systems that ingest unstructured data, generate vector embeddings, and unlock semantic search capabilities to uncover critical insights from massive datasets. Your work will directly power the next generation of analytical products, enabling our analysts to detect threats across critical domains, including but not limited to Cybersecurity.

What you will be working on:

• Data Pipeline Engineering: Architect, design, and maintain reliable, high-throughput pipelines that ingest, route, and process vast volumes of unstructured data. You will integrate AI models for automated data classification and information extraction, while ensuring latency and throughput meet mission-critical standards.


• Data Transformation & Enrichment: Develop and optimize transformation logic that parses complex content, implements chunking strategies, and generates high-quality vector embeddings for downstream retrieval. You will ensure data is enriched and structured for maximum analytical value.


• Hybrid Retrieval Systems: Build and support robust hybrid indexing systems that seamlessly combine high-speed keyword search with vector-based semantic search. You will engineer solutions that allow analysts to retrieve precise insights from enriched content instantly.


• Multimedia Processing: Engineer scalable solutions for video analysis and image recognition, integrating computer vision models to extract actionable metadata from diverse media formats within our data streams.


• Engineering Excellence: Uphold rigorous data quality and pipeline reliability standards while actively contributing innovative ideas to leverage AI for scaling operations. You will champion best practices in code quality, testing, and system observability.


• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with frontend engineers, data scientists, and product managers to deliver seamless, high-performance data services that meet the rigorous needs of national security operations.

What we are looking for:

• Background in Computer Science or a related field, with proven hands-on experience in data engineering or software development.


• Experience in building scalable ETL/ELT pipelines to process, transform, and validate large datasets.


• Good grasp of data quality principles, pipeline reliability patterns, and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly.


• Nice-to-haves:


• Exposure to vector databases, text embedding techniques, LLM integration, or semantic search frameworks (curiosity and a willingness to master AI concepts are highly valued).


• Familiarity with container-based environments (Docker/Kubernetes) and modern CI/CD practices.


• Experience with multimedia processing tools or computer vision libraries.


• Background in handling high-volume, unstructured data in cloud-native environments.


• As CSIT is an agency under Ministry of Defence (Singapore), only Singapore Citizens will be considered.

About Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies

The Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies is the lead digital technology agency in the Ministry of Defence, and a member of the Defence Technology Community. Our technical focus areas include Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Software Engineering, and Cloud Infrastructure and Services. We conduct applied research and develop customised digital solutions to support national missions such as cyber defence and counter-terrorism. Please visit our website (https://www.csit.gov.sg/) for more info on what we do, for scholarship/internship/career opportunities and more!