A*STAR is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. The Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) is a research institute under A*STAR and our mission is to help establish Singapore as the Asian Innovation Capital for the fast-growing sectors of food and ingredients for health and nutrition, and the industrial biotechnology. SIFBI also supports Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal of developing capabilities and capacity to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030. 

SIFBI is a key innovation partner of the Temasek’s “Food Tech Innovation Center” in Biopolis and is responsible for microbial fermentation and downstream processing of up to 200 L scale. SIFBI is seeking a pilot facility manager for a) its own SIFBI pilot scale fermentation and downstream processing (up to 200 L) and b) for SIFBI’s partnership with ScaleUpBio, which is a newly formed joint collaboration between Temasek, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and A*STAR / SIFBI.

SIFBI therefore seeks an experienced “Pilot Facility Manager. The candidate should have a strong passion and drive as well as the ability to work across multidisciplinary team and stakeholders (both internal and external) to oversee the day-to-day implementation of the department’s pilot scale R&D activities. 

The candidate will work closely with the SIFBI Department Head, team leads and other team members, providing leadership and overseeing the effective and efficient management of the two above described SIFBI Pilot Plant businesses.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work closely with SIFBI researchers on the strategy and planning of pilot scale activities including development of technical competencies and skillsets
• Manage resources efficiently to upkeep and operate the facility
• Establish effective facility maintenance strategy to ensure high asset availability and flexibility
• Ensure compliance to or exceeding internal organisational standards, regulatory requirements, safety and industry best practices
• Drive a continuous improvement culture and create a positive and safe working environment which promotes collaboration and teamwork
• Work closely with SIFBI researchers to conduct pilot scale activities and assist in the design of experiments to establish desired outcomes of projects and proactively anticipate operational and safety issues
• Where relevant, oversee design, procurement, construction and commissioning of assets in the facility
• Provide technical direction and coaching to team members and external stakeholders to achieve work objectives and improve competencies.

 
Experience and Education Requirements:

• M.S. or Ph.D. Degree in a relevant field such as biotechnology, biochemical, chemical or mechanical engineering, food science, chemistry or biology.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in the biotechnology or chemical industry, ideally as a process development engineer or pilot plant manager
• Knowledgeable in engineering aspects relevant in biotech process development and piloting including scale-up of fermentation and downstream processing, automation, electrical and instrumentation etc.
• Knowledgeable in process safety and local regulatory requirements, good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good industrial best practices
• Experience in leading effective teams to deliver results and managing continuous improvement projects 
• Strong communication skills and experience in working in complex, dynamic and cross-functional teams