Senior Principal Scientist III, ISCE2

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 260,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR – Agency for Science, Technology and Research seeks a senior leader to drive future-ready process engineering capabilities, building AI-enabled platforms for end-to-end technology development and scale-up. You will champion decarbonization tech and create a centre of excellence across R&D, industry partners and IHLs.

The role requires a PhD and 15+ years in process engineering, with expertise in simulation, TEA, LCA and cross-disciplinary program leadership.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Energy Systems or related discipline.
• 15+ years in process development, scale-up, engineering design and tech commercialization.
• Strong expertise in process simulation, process safety, TEA, LCA and industrial deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of a future-ready process engineering platform.
• Oversee integrated process design, simulation, modelling and TEA/LCA.
• Drive AI-enabled tools to enhance engineering productivity and decision quality.
• Establish standards, knowledge management and scalable workflows.

Skills

Process design & development

Process simulation

LCA & TEA expertise

AI & digital engineering

Leadership of multi-disciplinary teams

Education

PhD in Chemical/Process Engineering or Energy Systems

Tools

Process simulation software

TEA tools

LCA tools

Job description

Job Summary

The role will lead the development of ISCE²'s future-ready process engineering capabilities, establishing the institute as A*STAR's go-to hub for process engineering excellence and technology translation. The incumbent will build integrated digital and AI-enabled platforms that support end-to-end process engineering, from technology development and scale-up to commercialization, while providing strategic leadership for emerging decarbonization technologies that are critical to Singapore's energy transition and industrial competitiveness.

Job Summary

The role will lead the development of ISCE²'s future-ready process engineering capabilities, establishing the institute as A*STAR's go-to hub for process engineering excellence and technology translation. The incumbent will build integrated digital and AI-enabled platforms that support end-to-end process engineering, from technology development and scale-up to commercialization, while providing strategic leadership for emerging decarbonization technologies that are critical to Singapore's energy transition and industrial competitiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish a Future-Ready Process Engineering Platform
• Develop and implement an integrated process engineering platform spanning:
• Process design and engineering
• Process simulation and digital modelling
• Materials and equipment selection
• Process scale-up and piloting
• Process safety and risk assessment
• Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA)
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Leverage advanced digital tools, AI, machine learning and automation technologies to improve engineering productivity, decision quality and innovation outcomes.
• Build a standardized workflow and methodology that supports end-to-end technology development and deployment.
• Drive Process Engineering Excellence and Capability Development
• Position the team as the organization's go-to centre of excellence for process engineering.
• Develop industry-relevant competencies beyond traditional manufacturing operations, including:
• Front-end engineering and technology evaluation
• Process development and optimization
• Technology scale-up and commercialization
• Cross-disciplinary innovation and systems thinking
• Establish best practices, technical standards and knowledge management systems to elevate engineering capabilities across the organization.
• Strengthen Innovation Translation and Ecosystem Partnerships
• Collaborate closely with R&D teams, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), A*STAR researchers and industry stakeholders.
• Inject practical engineering considerations, commercialization pathways and deployment realities into research programmes and proposals.
• Identify and nurture promising technologies with strong translational and commercial potential.
• Build strategic partnerships to accelerate technology development and ecosystem adoption.
• Provide Strategic Leadership for Decarbonization Technologies
• Serve as the process engineering subject matter expert for the Decarbonization sector.
• Lead technical assessments and roadmaps for key emerging technologies, including:
• Methane Cracking
• Ammonia Cracking
• Electrochemical Processes
• Other low-carbon process technologies
• Evaluate technology maturity, scale-up readiness, economics and sustainability impact.
• Provide recommendations on buy-build-partner strategies and technology investment decisions.
• Enable Successful Delivery of Strategic Decarbonization Projects
• Provide technical governance and engineering leadership for major decarbonization programmes.
• Support project planning, risk management, technology selection and execution strategies.
• Ensure robust project delivery from concept development through demonstration and scale-up.
• Drive alignment among research, engineering, commercial and stakeholder objectives.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Energy Systems, or related disciplines.
• 15+ years of experience spanning process development, scale-up, engineering design, and technology commercialization.
• Deep expertise in process simulation, process safety, TEA, LCA and industrial deployment.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and complex innovation programmes.
• Strong understanding of decarbonization technologies, energy transition pathways and sustainability assessment.
• Experience working across research institutes, academia and industry ecosystems.
• Familiarity with digital engineering, AI and advanced analytics applications in process engineering.