Lead Engineer in Unmanned Technologies

Singapore Army; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Army seeks an Unmanned Technologies Lead (Senior Army Engineer) to anchor unmanned, autonomous, and robotic tech across its platforms. As a commissioned officer, you will lead engineers and soldiers, shaping adoption, integration, sustainment, and deployment of unmanned capabilities.

You will bridge systems engineering with robotics and power systems, guiding capability roadmaps, safety frameworks, and partnerships with DTC, DSTA, DSO, industry, and academia.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Systems, Robotics, Computer Science) or related disciplines.
• Proven experience (5-10+ years) in unmanned systems, robotics, autonomy, sensors, or energy systems.
• Strong systems-engineering mindset: end-to-end lifecycle management and reliability forecasting.
• Leadership experience with ability to bridge technical innovation and operational execution.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the roadmap for unmanned system adoption across platforms (UGVs, UAS, unmanned logistics vehicles) within the Army.
• Define system capability requirements in partnership with the Defence Technology Community (DTC), DSTA, DSO, industry, and academia.
• Lead concept and system-engineering phases for unmanned extensions of tracked, wheeled, and specialised platforms.
• Manage design, integration, and sustainment of unmanned subsystems: navigation, path planning, sensor payloads, data links, and hybrid power systems.
• Apply reliability models (MTBF) to forecast spares, logistics, and lifecycle support for unmanned systems.
• Lead upgrades or conversions of existing platforms into unmanned variants while ensuring interoperability with manned systems.
• Research and adopt cutting-edge unmanned technologies from the global defence industry.
• Collaborate with industry and academia to prototype and test unmanned systems or subsystems.
• Lead sustainment strategy: logistics, diagnostics, condition-based maintenance, and configuration control for unmanned systems.
• Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams of engineers and soldiers specialising in unmanned systems.
• Command engineering detachments deploying unmanned assets during exercises and missions.
• Mentor officers and engineers under the Army Engineer Professional Pathway (AEPP).
• Establish safety certification, operational doctrine, and governance frameworks for unmanned platforms.
• Plan and execute deployment and sustainment of unmanned systems in field environments.
• Lead technical assurance, risk assessments, safety certification, and configuration control for unmanned platforms.
• Monitor emerging unmanned trends and ensure Army capabilities remain resilient and future-ready.

Skills

Leadership

Systems engineering

Communication

Analytical skills

Education

Engineering degree (Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Systems, Robotics, Computer Science) or related

Job description

As the Unmanned Technologies Lead (Senior Army Engineer), you will be the technical anchor and operational champion for unmanned, autonomous, and robotic technologies across the Army’s diverse fleet of platforms and systems. Embedded within the Maintenance & Engineering Support Command (MES), you will bridge the domains of systems engineering, robotics/autonomy, sensors, power & energy, and lifecycle sustainment — while also fulfilling your role as a commissioned officer, leading and developing a team of engineers and soldiers. You will shape how unmanned technologies are adopted, integrated, sustained, and deployed — ensuring the Singapore Army remains ahead in operational capability, sustainability, and innovation.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Capability Roadmap

• Develop and execute the roadmap for unmanned system adoption across platforms (UGVs, UAS, unmanned logistics vehicles) within the Army.
• Define system capability requirements in partnership with the Defence Technology Community (DTC), DSTA, DSO, industry, and academia.
• Lead concept and system-engineering phases for unmanned extensions of tracked, wheeled, and specialised platforms.
• Manage design, integration, and sustainment of unmanned/robotic subsystems: navigation, path planning, sensor payloads (EO/IR, LiDAR, radar), data links, and hybrid power systems.
• Apply reliability models (MTBF) to forecast spares, logistics, and lifecycle support for unmanned systems.
• Lead upgrades or conversions of existing platforms into unmanned variants while ensuring interoperability with manned systems.

Innovation, Sustainment & Lifecycle Management

• Research and adopt cutting-edge unmanned technologies from the global defence industry (e.g., autonomous swarms, unmanned logistics vehicles, counter-UAS systems).
• Collaborate with industry and academia to prototype and test unmanned systems or subsystems.
• Lead sustainment strategy: logistics, diagnostics, condition-based maintenance, and configuration control for unmanned systems.
• Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams of engineers and soldiers specialising in unmanned systems.
• Command engineering detachments deploying unmanned assets during exercises and missions.
• Mentor officers and engineers under the Army Engineer Professional Pathway (AEPP), fostering professional and academic mastery in unmanned technologies.
• Establish safety certification, operational doctrine, and governance frameworks for unmanned platforms.

Operational Deployment & Assurance

• Plan and execute deployment and sustainment of unmanned systems in field environments (UGVs, robotic logistics vehicles, unmanned sensors).
• Lead technical assurance, risk assessments, safety certification, and configuration control for unmanned platforms.
• Monitor emerging unmanned trends (e.g., AI swarming, autonomous recovery systems) and ensure Army capabilities remain resilient and future-ready.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Systems, Robotics, Computer Science) or related disciplines.
• Proven experience (5-10+ years) in unmanned systems, robotics, autonomy, sensors, or energy systems.
• Strong systems-engineering mindset: end-to-end lifecycle management and reliability forecasting.
• Leadership experience with ability to bridge technical innovation and operational execution.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

Required Skills

• Experience in defence or unmanned systems industry.
• Familiarity with autonomy, AI, sensor fusion, robotic manipulators, and unmanned logistics infrastructure.
• Professional accreditation (e.g., Chartered Engineer) or postgraduate qualifications in robotics or autonomy.

Preferred Skills

• Lead transformation of the Army’s unmanned and autonomous capabilities.
• Work across ground, aerial, and logistics domains with cutting-edge technologies.
• Structured professional development under AEPP and access to postgraduate sponsorships.
• Combine engineering mastery with command and operational leadership.
• Collaborate with defence technology partners (DSTA, DSO, industry, academia) to shape future Army capabilities.

Who May Apply

Military Domain Experts Scheme (MDES) is a uniformed military scheme.