Professional Officer (All Levels) (Food Technology)

Job Purpose

The Professional Officers Division (POD) houses a centralized pool of academic staff under the Professional Officers scheme. Professional Officers come with specialised and deep technical skills acquired through extensive industry experience. They form the talent pool which brings a much-needed industry perspective to student learning. They facilitate applied learning and applied research in SIT, complementing the academic expertise of the faculty to bring industry practices and applications into the curriculum.

Professional Officers leverage on their industry experiences to create authentic learning environments, where discovery and innovation take place. They act as coaches and mentors to students during practical learning activities such as laboratory sessions, Capstone Projects and the Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP). Professional Officers could also lead or work with faculty on industry innovation projects to provide solutions to the industry.

In addition to their role in applied learning and applied research, Professional Officers manage the centralised laboratory facilities and resources in SIT. With Technical Officers, laboratory safety professionals, and administrators in POD, they jointly develop central policies and processes for the safe and seamless operation of laboratories in SIT.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and teach labs & practice modules.
• Mentor students in Capstone Projects and the Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP).
• Manage labs and equipment to support academic programmes and applied research.
• Ensure safety in labs.
• Participate and manage the industry project with Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI and team members to ensure all project deliverables are met.
• An innovative mindset in exploration, valuation, and application of new technologies in food product/ process/ packaging research and development.
• Involve in customer engagements, includes gathering of systems requirements and formulate scope.
• Involve in the full development life cycle, i.e., design, development, and testing.
• Generate technical proposals, design documents, test documents.

Job Requirements

• A good degree in Food Science and Technology, or a related field. Masters and PhD would be advantageous.
• At least 10 or more years of working experience and proven track record of technical expertise with minimum 7 years of R&D experience in food industry.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in food ingredients/ packaging/ processing, and their applications in food products.
• Excellent understanding in food chemistry / microbiology / texture / sensory evaluation, with discerned laboratory skills for food analysis would be advantageous.
• Hands-on experience in quality control and food safety management would be an added advantage.
• An innovative mindset in exploration, valuation, and application of new technologies in food product/ process/ packaging research and development.
• Experience in writing project grants will be an added advantage.
• Extensive experience and knowledge of industry practices to bring industry perspective to SIT.
• Keen interest in innovation projects, with demonstrated ability in developing solutions to technical problems.
• Strong supervisory skills and enjoy working closely with students in an educational environment.
• Demonstrate proficiency to keep abreast of development in the field and pursue professional certification programs. Possess industrial certifications in relevant areas will be an added advantage.