Manager/Snr Mgr/Asst Dir (Maritime Space and Drone Capability)(2-yr contract)

[What the role is]

MPA is seeking a candidate for the newly formed Maritime Space and Drone Capability (MSDC) department within the Operations Transformation & Planning Division (OTPD) under the Ops-Tech Cluster.

The OTPD supports MPA’s mission by ensuring that policies, plans, and procedures are operationally ready to address crisis scenarios as well as ensure port security and maritime safety.

OTPD is also entrusted with developing future operating concepts in the multi-domain (space, air, sea, sub-sea and cyber) areas of operations and translating them into operational requirements for the purpose of capability development in MPA.

Crisis scenarios include severe events caused by geopolitical risks, pandemics, natural disasters, and climate change effects, as well as major incidents such as piracies, vessel collisions and sinkings, oil/fuel/chemical spills etc.

which could cause disruptions to the global supply chain and negatively impact port security and maritime safety.

To ensure that Maritime Singapore is well-prepared for crisis scenarios, there is a critical need to strengthen and future-proof our operational responses and safeguard Singapore’s national and maritime interests.

The complexity of such crises necessitates capability development and collaboration across multiple domains in the assigned area of operations.

Future operating concepts must leverage capabilities and sensors across multiple domains in order to ensure effective and timely response in a crisis.

[What you will be working on]

You are responsible for formulating and driving maritime drone policies and services for both MPA and the maritime industry.

You will also be responsible for policy, operations planning and development including working closely with stakeholders to establish operating procedures, standards, safeguards, and systems.

You will be part of the team to drive the design review, development of UAS and operational capabilities to ensure the readiness and serviceability of UAS operated by the operations staff.

Your key responsibilities are:

• Lead the initiatives to plan, develop, implement, and manage UAS including design and development of systems, regulations, processes and workflows for monitoring and control of maritime drone activities in our port waters.

• Ensure overall quality and integrity of UAS-related projects, through managing project resources and schedule by working with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver UAS-related projects that meet the specified requirements.

• Develop and deploy computer vision and AI solutions to analyse drone footage for object detection, anomaly identification, and real-time or post-mission insights.

• Collaborate closely with drone operators and analysts to help enhance operational effectiveness and support data-driven decision-making in complex environments.

• Design video analytics workflows for real-time and post-processed drone data.
  
  Own end-to-end data and model pipeline from training, validation, deployment, and automated retraining.

[What we are looking for]

• Background in Computer Science, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, or other related engineering and technical disciplines.

• Relevant working experience in AI/ML Engineering roles involving computer vision, drone-based analytics, video processing, or surveillance systems integration.

• Familiarity with cloud-based platforms, edge AI deployment, and model optimisation techniques for performance and scalability.
  
  Familiarity with aerospace and unmanned aerial systems will be an added advantage.

• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.

• Good command of English and writing skills.

• Strong planning and organising abilities:

• Able to frame issues clearly and concisely leading to development of relevant and useful concepts.

• Good negotiation and organisational skills; able to lead multi-disciplinary teams and external stakeholders to actualise concepts and fulfil intended outcomes.

• Able to leverage data to develop empirical-based models for appreciation of system effectiveness and aid in decision making.

• Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance and may be considered for an extension or be placed on a permanent appointment.