Principal Research Officer (Innovation & Solution Section) – Contract

[What the role is]

We are seeking a skilled researcher with a strong scientific foundation and hands-on engineering experience to support the development of advanced imaging, sensor-based, automation, and AI-enabled systems for environmental health surveillance, monitoring, and control. The ideal candidate brings expertise in areas such as machine vision, AI, sensor systems, mechanical/electrical/electronic engineering, mechatronics, robotics, or system integration, and has a proven track record of translating concepts into functional prototypes or deployable platforms.

The candidate will work closely with multidisciplinary local and international partners to design, develop, integrate, test, and operationalise end-to-end solutions for real-world public health applications. A key focus of the role is ensuring that innovations are technically robust, field-deployable, scalable, and operationally relevant. Experience or interest in environmental health, vector control, ecology, or biological systems will be advantageous.

[What you will be working on]

• Design, develop, test, and evaluate engineering-based solutions for environmental health surveillance, monitoring, and control applications
• Support the development of advanced imaging, AI-enabled detection, sensor-based monitoring, automation, and data-driven surveillance systems
• Develop and integrate hardware and software components, including cameras, sensors, edge computing devices, AI models, mechanical structures, enclosures, power systems, communication modules, and data management workflows
• Translate early-stage concepts, laboratory prototypes, or proof-of-concept systems into practical, reliable, safe, and field-deployable products or operational systems
• Work closely with engineers, vendors, researchers, and operational teams to troubleshoot technical issues, improve system performance, and ensure reliability, scalability, and maintainability
• Plan and conduct laboratory and field trials to evaluate system performance, detection accuracy, usability, robustness, operational feasibility, and long-term deployment requirements
• Analyse technical and experimental data, interpret findings, identify system limitations, and recommend engineering improvements
• Prepare technical documentation, including system specifications, design documents, test protocols, validation reports, work instructions, risk assessments, and operational guides
• Identify opportunities for innovation, automation, digitalisation, and continuous improvement across environmental health research and operational domains
• Contribute to scientific reports, technical papers, publications, presentations, and management briefings to support research translation, policy development, and operational implementation

[What we are looking for]

• Master’s or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Physics, Environmental Health, Public Health, Epidemiology, Ecology, or a related technical or scientific field
• Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience may also be considered
• Minimum 3 years of experience in research, engineering development, product development, system integration, or applied technology projects
• Hands-on experience across the full product/system lifecycle: concept design, prototyping, component selection, hardware/software integration, testing, validation, and deployment
• Strong background in one or more of: machine vision, AI model development, image processing, sensor integration, embedded systems, robotics, automation, mechanical design, electrical/electronic systems, edge computing, or IoT
• Proven ability to translate lab prototypes into reliable, field-deployable solutions, with good understanding of reliability, maintainability, scalability, safety, and environmental protection
• Experience with thermal imaging, YOLO-based detection, edge AI, CAD/3D modelling, IoT/cloud-edge pipelines, or field deployment of sensors/cameras in outdoor or industrial environments
• Familiarity with environmental health, vector surveillance, pest monitoring, entomology, or public health operations
• Experience with peer-reviewed research or evidence-based policy work
• Strong problem-solving, project management, and communication skills
• Ability to work across research & development (R&D), engineering, vendor, and operational teams
• Proficient in experimental design, data analysis, and technical writing