Senior/Lead Research Engineer (Software) - Centre of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS)

Singapore Polytechnic International; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Centre of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS) invites a capable software engineer to lead AI-enabled simulation projects and develop digital solutions for maritime training. You will work within the AI & Software team to integrate NLP, computer vision, and data analytics into simulation platforms.

You will also contribute to broader R&D initiatives, collaborate with industry partners, and mentor junior developers to foster code quality and scalable solutions in a fast-paced research setting.

Qualifications

• Production-grade software development experience.
• RESTful API design and implementation using modern frameworks.
• Experience with relational and non-relational databases.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects and provide technical contributions across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Deploy and integrate AI solutions such as NLP, computer vision, and data analytics into simulation platforms.
• Collaborate with third-party simulator technology providers to design reusable code libraries and scalable APIs.
• Drive performance improvements, refactor code, and enhance maintainability and scalability.
• Contribute to proposal development and implementation of new R&D projects aligned with strategic objectives.
• Guide junior software engineers and student interns in best practices and project execution.
• Prepare and deliver regular project updates and technical presentations.

Skills

Strong programming skills

CI/CD practices

Excellent communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Tools

ASP.NET Core

Spring Boot

Django

Express.js

Git/GitLab

Docker

TensorFlow

PyTorch

MySQL

MongoDB

Job description

What the role is

Plaque of Commendation (Gold) – NTUC May Day Awards 2026

Plaque of Commendation (Gold) – NTUC May Day Awards 2026

Most Positive Workplace Collaboration Award – Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC) Awards 2025

The Straits Times Singapore's Best Employers for 2024, 2025 & 2026

The Centre of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS) is a national R&D centre, a collaborative effort between Singapore Polytechnic and the Singapore Maritime Institute. We focus on developing innovative digital solutions and training systems to enhance maritime safety. Our state-of-the-art research facilities, including South-east Asia's first navigation research simulator, setting us as an innovation champion.

About The Role

The appointee will be part of the CEMS AI & Software team in developing digital solutions to enhance simulator training and assessment, innovate in training pedagogy for the maritime industry. The role may also involve contributing to department- and school-level software initiatives that support digitalisation and automation across R&D, operations, and education.

What you will be working on

Responsibilities

• Lead projects and provide technical contributions across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), including requirements gathering with industry partners and internal stakeholders.
• Work closely with the AI team at CEMS to deploy and integrate AI solutions - such as Natural Language Processing, computer vision, and data analytics into simulation platforms to enhance training and assessment capabilities.
• Collaborate with third-party simulator technology and solution providers to design and develop reusable code libraries and scalable APIs for integration and interoperability.
• Drive improvements to existing software systems by identifying performance bottlenecks, refactoring codebases, and enhancing maintainability and scalability.
• Contribute to the conceptualization, proposal development, and implementation of new research and development projects aligned with CEMS's strategic objectives.
• Guide junior software engineers and student interns in software development best practices, code quality, and project execution.
• Prepare and deliver regular project updates and technical presentations for CEMS Governing Board and senior management meetings.

What we are looking for

Requirements

• Relevant qualifications in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Relevant experience in the following areas: Production-grade software development, Backend and/or frontend application development, RESTful API design and implementation using modern frameworks (e.g., ASP.NET Core, Spring Boot, Django, Express.js)
• Strong programming skills in one or more modern languages (e.g., C#, C++, Java, Python), with the ability to quickly learn new technologies and frameworks.
• Experience working with relational and non-relational databases (e.g., MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB).
• Good understanding of object-oriented design, software design patterns, and CI/CD practices.
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git, GitLab).
• Hands-on experience with containerization tools such as Docker.
• Ability to build quick prototypes, tools, or scripts to support development or testing.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; effective in collaborative and fast-paced environments.
• Experience with end-to-end AI solution implementation using frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch is a plus.