Research Officer (Lab Operations), iCORE

A*STAR RESEARCH ENTITIES; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR (Integrated Central Operations & Research Enablers) iCORE is expanding a Central Laboratory Operations Team at the Geneo campus to deliver end-to-end support for shared laboratory environments.

The team will collaborate with researchers, Research Institute operations, iCORE platforms, Logistics Operations, Glassware Operations and safety and facilities teams to keep laboratories safe, compliant, efficient and research-ready.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate and support the building Ops team, setting clear priorities and ensuring consistent coverage and responsive floor-level operations across the assigned building.
• Plan and coordinate workface planning to support operational requirements, ensure adequate duty and contingency coverage, monitor completion of scheduled activities and provide coaching, technical guidance and practical support to build team capability.
• Establish and oversee an effective operating framework for floor operations, requests, escalations, handovers and cross-building support, maintaining operational resilience, service continuity and readiness during leave periods, incidents or periods of increased demand.
• Act as the building-level escalation point for laboratory operational issues, coordinating timely containment, directing response and recovery actions and ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.
• Build team capability through structured onboarding, training plans, competency development and knowledge sharing, including unfamiliar research environments.

Job description

Job Summary

A*STAR's Integrated Central Operations & Research Enablers (iCORE) is the central backbone for A*STAR's biomedical research infrastructure, technology platforms and operational support. It provides an integrated ecosystem that enables scientific excellence through access to advanced technology platforms, expert-supported scientific services and seamless centralised laboratory operations. By delivering reliable, safe and efficient support at scale, iCORE enables researchers to focus on science while core operational functions are managed professionally and consistently.

About the Job

As part of iCORE's expanding role at the Geneo campus, a Central Laboratory Operations Team is being established to deliver coordinated, end-to-end support for shared laboratory environments. The team will work with researchers, Research Institute operations teams, iCORE scientific platforms, Logistics Operations, Glassware Operations and A*STAR safety and facilities teams to keep laboratories safe, compliant, efficient and research ready.

Key Responsibilities

Building Leadership and Service Delivery

Lead, coordinate and support the building Ops team, setting clear priorities and ensuring consistent coverage and responsive floor-level operations across the assigned building.

Plan and coordinate workface planning to support operational requirements, ensure adequate duty and contingency coverage, monitor completion of scheduled activities and provide coaching, technical guidance and practical support to build team capability.

Establish and oversee an effective operating framework for floor operations, requests, escalations, handovers and cross-building support, maintaining operational resilience, service continuity and readiness during leave periods, incidents or periods of increased demand.

Act as the building-level escalation point for laboratory operational issues, coordinating timely containment, directing response and recovery actions and ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.

Build team capability through structured onboarding, training plans, competency development and knowledge sharing, including unfamiliar research environments.

Stakeholder and Service Coordination

Serve as the principal Central Laboratory Operations interface for laboratory users, Research Institute operations teams, iCORE platforms and relevant corporate support teams within the building.

Coordinate closely with other building leads, iCORE Logistics Operations, Glassware Operations, Facilities Management, safety, infrastructure, procurement and service providers to deliver integrated support, align operational priorities and resolve cross-functional issues.

Engage laboratory stakeholders to understand service needs, clarify operating boundaries and communicate service changes, planned works, outages and recovery actions.

Support building and campus mobilisation, commissioning, move-in and operational readiness activities for Geneo.

Operational Control, Equipment and Resources

Develop and support building-level strategies for shared laboratory infrastructure, ensuring assets, services and resources remain aligned with current and future research needs.

Support space, capacity and utilisation planning for shared laboratory environments, balancing user requirements, operational efficiency and long-term growth.

Establish lifecycle management frameworks and retirement strategies of shared equipment and infrastructure, to ensure effective utilisation of resources.

Drive the optimisation of shared assets, services and support models through utilisation analysis, demand forecasting and stakeholder engagement to maximise value and service outcomes.

Provide building-level oversight to support the planning of critical laboratory resources and services, including cryogenic systems, specialty gases, waste management, central glassware, PPE and other shared operational capabilities, ensuring resilience and continuity of operations.

Champion building-wide initiatives to improve operational efficiency, sustainability, service standards and cost effectiveness across shared laboratory infrastructure and support services.

Safety, Compliance and Business Continuity

Partner with health and safety colleagues and other accountable functions to implement laboratory safety programmes, inspections, audits, emergency arrangements and corrective actions across the building.

Ensure the team follows approved procedures for bi