Senior Researcher/ Researcher (Botanical Research – Herbarium)

National Parks Board; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institution in botany is looking for a PhD-qualified individual to conduct taxonomy-focused research on plant diversity in Singapore and surrounding regions. The role involves initiating research projects, curating specimens, and publishing findings. Candidates must demonstrate experience with herbarium research and proficiency in R and Python. Fieldwork is required, and collaboration with regional partners is encouraged. Excellent communication skills and the ability to formulate independent research projects are essential.

Qualifications

• PhD in botany or related discipline with a taxonomic focus on angiosperms.
• Experience with herbarium-based research and proficiency in R, Python.
• Ability to conduct fieldwork for plant collections including overseas travel.

Responsibilities

• Initiate and drive research projects on biodiversity and classification.
• Curate and enhance holdings through fieldwork and acquisition.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Skills

Experience with herbarium-based research

Proficiency in R and Python

Knowledge of integrative taxonomy

Excellent communication skills

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in botany or related discipline

Tools

Statistical programming languages

Job description

What the role is

The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) is one of the world's oldest tropical botanical gardens and one of only three botanic gardens globally recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The institution undertakes a range of research including taxonomy and systematics (including phylogenomics), conservation, forest and tree ecology, as well as other programmes in horticulture and urban ecology.

The Botanical Research Branch conducts taxonomy and systematics research on Malesian flora across the Herbarium, Molecular and Micropropagation Laboratories, and Seed Bank, with particular focus on Singapore's native species and regional plant diversity alongside conservation work on key groups including Orchidaceae and Zingiberaceae. The Singapore Herbarium (SING) holds approximately 800,000 collections from Singapore and the region, with extensive holdings from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and New Guinea, and is currently undergoing digitalisation. The Gardens publishes the peer‑reviewed journal Gardens' Bulletin Singapore and is overseeing the writing and publication of the Flora of Singapore in parallel with a genomic flora of Singapore's native species.

This role will be primarily based in SING and undertaking research into the plant diversity of Singapore and Malesia.

What you will be working on

You will be a member of the team working on research on the plant (angiosperm) diversity of Singapore and surrounding regions. We are seeking candidates with demonstrated experience and research expertise of collections‑based research on plant taxonomy and systematics. The candidate’s research background should include applications of systematic theory and techniques, biogeography, understanding of morphological descriptive taxonomy and have working experience of employing modern tools for collections‑based research including machine learning and/or biogeographic analysis. The candidate will be expected to develop a research programme on angiosperm groups for which Singapore Botanic Gardens has considerable holdings (e.g., Gentianales, Poales, Arecaceae), but candidates with research in other plant groups with high diversity in Southeast Asia will be considered. Opportunities for collaboration with regional partners and fieldwork will be possible and encouraged where they complement SBG's research aims. In addition, the job holder is expected to leverage modern computational tools to develop research questions and publish research outcomes from the digital dataset generated as part of the SING digitalisation programme.

Specifically, you will:

• Initiate and drive exciting research projects to understand the diversity, evolution, biogeography and classification of important tropical groups found in Singapore and surrounding regions.
• Curate and enhance the holdings in SING through fieldwork and the acquisition of specimens, as well as critical identifications following new findings.
• Make use of rich image datasets and develop innovative research questions and projects with both internal and external stakeholders and collaborators employing new computational methods.
• Analyse data, publish findings in reputable peer‑reviewed journals and share findings at scientific conferences.
• Communicate and share knowledge on plant diversity, herbarium research and conservation with students and non‑scientist stakeholders, through giving talks and lectures, mentoring students, publishing popular scientific articles, media interviews etc.
• Support science across Singapore Botanic Gardens and within the National Parks Board, including involvement in projects on other research programmes, involvement in workshops and working groups, etc.

What we are looking for

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in botany or related discipline with a taxonomic focus on angiosperms.
• Experience with herbarium‑based research, proficiency in the statistical programming language R, Python and other statistical programming languages, evidence of working knowledge of innovative technologies to leverage data generated from specimens (e.g., ML from digital images, occurrence data etc.).
• Keen interest in the plant diversity of tropical Asia, integrative taxonomy, and a knowledge of contemporary APG classification (preferably with experience in species‑rich tropical groups in Singapore and Malesia).
• Ability to formulate independent research projects with experience in scientific publishing in reputable scientific journals and drafting research proposals.
• Able to conduct field work for plant collections, including overseas travel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong interpersonal abilities and capacity to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment under time pressure.
• Self‑motivated, organised, and open‑minded, with willingness to take on roles and responsibilities to support the organisation’s functions and mission.

Only shortlisted candidates are notified.