Senior Principal Engineer

Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX); Singapore; On-site; SGD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent science and technology agency in Singapore is looking for a Senior Principal Engineer to lead AI engineering projects. The role involves overseeing architectural design, optimising performance, and mentoring junior engineers. Candidates should have a strong background in engineering principles, excellent leadership skills, and the ability to execute long-term strategies. This position offers a two-year contract with potential for permanent tenure based on performance.

Qualifications

• Ability to develop and execute long-term technical strategies.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies.
• Proven ability to lead and manage engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical decision-making for AI engineering projects.
• Design and implement scalable AI systems across enterprise environments.
• Monitor and optimise performance of deployed AI systems.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Adaptability

Mentoring

Education

Tertiary qualification in Engineering/Computer Science/IT

Job description

What the role is:

The Senior Principal Engineer serves as the technical leader and strategic decision‑maker for AI engineering projects within the organisation. This role encompasses comprehensive oversight of the technical landscape, from high‑level architectural planning to specific implementation choices. It involves setting technical standards, establishing best practices, and ensuring all AI engineering efforts align with broader organisational objectives. The role requires deep technical expertise to evaluate complex problems and propose innovative solutions that leverage cutting‑edge AI technologies. Architectural design is a core responsibility, demanding the conceptualisation and design of robust, scalable systems that support various AI applications. Technology stack selection involves making critical choices about the tools, frameworks, libraries, and platforms that will form the foundation of AI products, evaluating options based on performance, community support, licensing, integration, and long‑term viability. The Senior Principal Engineer must balance technical excellence with practical constraints such as budget, timeline, and team expertise. Management responsibilities include coordinating cross‑functional teams, facilitating technical discussions, and ensuring engineering efforts remain focused and productive. This involves regular communication with stakeholders, risk assessment and mitigation, and the ability to make decisive technical choices when faced with competing alternatives or time constraints.

What you will be working on:

Technical Leadership and Architecture

• Responsible for designing and implementing sophisticated AI systems that can scale across enterprise environments.
• Establish technical standards and architectural patterns that guide development teams, ensuring consistency and quality across multiple AI projects. This includes making fundamental decisions about system design, data architecture, and integration approaches that will support long‑term organisational goals.

Research and Innovation

• Stay current with emerging AI technologies and research developments.
• Evaluate new algorithms, frameworks, and methodologies to determine their potential application within the organisation.
• Conduct proof‑of‑concept work, prototyping innovative solutions, and translating academic research into practical implementations.

Strategic Technology Planning

• Participate in high‑level technology strategy discussions to shape the organisation's AI roadmap.
• Assess the technical feasibility of proposed AI initiatives, estimate resource requirements, and identify potential risks or challenges to make informed decisions about which AI projects to pursue and how to prioritise development efforts.

Performance Optimisation

• Responsible for monitoring and optimising the performance of deployed AI systems, including identifying bottlenecks, implementing efficiency improvements, and ensuring systems can handle production workloads effectively while maintaining acceptable response times and resource utilisation.

Mentoring and Coaching

• Mentor junior engineers, conduct technical reviews, and establish learning pathways for team members.
• Share knowledge about best practices, emerging technologies, and problem‑solving approaches that can enhance the overall capability of the engineering organisation.

What we are looking for:

• Tertiary qualification in Engineering/Computer Science/Information Technology or relevant disciplines.
• A strong foundation in engineering principles and practices across relevant disciplines.
• Ability to develop and execute long‑term technical strategies.
• Ability to identify and resolve complex technical issues.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Ability to adapt to changing technologies and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and manage engineering teams.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with the ability to motivate and develop a team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions.

All new hires are appointed on a two‑year contract in the first instance and will be assessed and considered for permanent tenure over time, based on performance. As part of the shortlisting process for this role, you may be required to complete a medical declaration and/or undergo further assessment. All applicants will be updated on the status of their applications within 4 weeks upon closing of the advertisement.

About Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX)

HTX is the world’s first Science and Technology agency that integrates a diverse range of scientific and engineering capabilities to innovate and deliver transformative and operationally‑ready solutions for homeland security. As a statutory board of the Ministry of Home Affairs and integral to the Home Team, HTX works at the forefront of science and technology to empower Singapore’s frontline of security. Our shared mission is to amplify, augment and accelerate the Home Team’s advantage and secure Singapore as the safest place on planet earth.