Research Engineer, Materials Science & Chemistry, IMRE

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research invites applications for an AI-Driven Polymer Application Engineer. The role focuses on developing functional polymers, new measurement tools, and methods to characterise materials from hydrogels to electronic sensors, translating results into performance data for actionable demonstrations.

You will bridge materials science, device development, and AI-enabled data analysis within a self‑driving polymer discovery lab, collaborating across teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Chemistry/Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience in materials characterization and developing measurement methods, sensors, devices, or instrumentation.
• Programming and data-analytics capability (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, SQL), including ML workflows and hardware interfacing or automation.
• Ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams, with strong communication and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop novel characterization approaches for functional polymer systems spanning electronic and biomaterials applications.
• Design and prototype measurement devices and instrumentation to capture material properties under realistic conditions.
• Expand toolsets for autonomous, high-throughput operation within a self-driving lab, integrating with robotic sample handling.
• Build automation workflows to improve throughput, reproducibility, and data quality of material characterization.
• Develop AI/ML-driven analysis pipelines for classification, prediction, and interpretation of data.
• Establish structure–property–performance relationships and translate materials into device-relevant demonstrators.
• Contribute to data infrastructure, including a central materials database and data-ingestion pipelines.
• Prepare technical reports, publications, and disclosures; collaborate across teams and with external partners.

Skills

Python

R

MATLAB

SQL

Data analytics

ML workflows

Independent work

Team collaboration

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Chemistry/Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

SQL

LabVIEW

Job description

AI-Driven Polymer Application Engineer

We are seeking a motivated Research Engineer to develop functional polymers, new tools, and methods for characterising functional polymer materials across application domains — spanning biomaterials such as hydrogels to electronics — sensors, measurement devices, and automated characterisation platforms, and to translate these into application‑relevant performance data. The role bridges materials engineering, device and instrumentation development, and AI‑enabled data analysis, and complements AI‑Driven polymer chemistry by advancing how materials are measured, monitored, and validated at scale, including within a self‑driving polymer discovery lab environment.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop novel characterisation approaches for functional polymer systems spanning electronic/dielectric applications (e.g. low‑k/high‑k dielectrics, dielectric loss, electrical/electronic property measurement) and biomaterials applications (e.g. hydrogels, biomedical performance), including sensor‑based, in‑situ, and real‑time methods.
• Design and prototype measurement devices, or instrumentation to capture material properties and performance under realistic operating conditions.
• Expand and adapt the characterisation toolset to support autonomous and high‑throughput operation within a self‑driving polymer discovery lab, including integration with robotic and automated sample‑handling systems.
• Build automation tools and workflows that raise the throughput, reproducibility, and data quality of materials characterisation.
• Develop AI/ML‑driven analysis pipelines for classification, prediction, and interpretation of characterisation and sensing data.
• Establish structure–property–performance relationships and translate functional materials into application‑or device‑relevant demonstrators.
• Contribute to data infrastructure, including a centralised materials database and standardised data‑ingestion pipelines spanning acquisition, storage, and analytics.
• Prepare technical reports, publications, and disclosures; collaborate across teams and with external partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Polymer Chemistry/Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience in materials characterisation and in developing measurement methods, sensors, devices, or instrumentation.
• Programming and data‑analytics capability (e.g. Python, R, MATLAB, SQL), including machine learning workflows and, ideally, hardware/instrument interfacing or automation.
• Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team, with strong communication and documentation skills.

Strong Advantage

• Experience characterising electronic or dielectric properties of polymers (e.g. impedance spectroscopy, dielectric analysis) and/or developing electronic sensors or flexible/soft devices.
• Experience with biomaterials or biomedical‑relevant polymer systems (e.g. hydrogels, drug delivery).
• Familiarity with lab automation, robotics integration, high‑throughput experimentation, or self‑driving lab platforms.
• Track record of publications and/or contributions to intellectual property.