Research Fellow / Engineer (Insect Protein Chemistry & Functional Beverage Development)

As a University of Applied Learning, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) works closely with industry partners to deliver translational, impact-driven research. This role supports an awarded applied research project on cricket protein (CP)-based functional beverages, focusing on protein chemistry, emulsion engineering, scalable food processing, and consumer acceptance. The appointee will contribute to SIT's sustainable food innovation agenda, working within a multidisciplinary team with access to established research platforms and pilot-scale facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Characterise insect protein and their hydrolysates for compositional and techno-functional properties under different processing conditions (enzymatic hydrolysis, heating, drying, homogenization)
• Investigate the impact of food processing on protein-polysaccharide interactions under different food processing conditions.
• Profile phenolic compound and evaluate the bio-functional properties such as antioxidant activity
• Identify optimal processing conditions that minimise bioactive losses for functional beverage applications.
• Design and formulate insect protein-based oil-in-water emulsions for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactives.
• Develop and optimise functional beverage prototypes that are suitable for industry-scale beverage manufacturing and evaluate their emulsion stability and estimated shelf-life.
• Conduct in vitro bioaccessibility and bioavailability studies for encapsulated nutrients using existing SIT analytical facilities.
• Support the design and execution of consumer surveys assessing Singapore consumers' acceptance of foods and beverages.
• Perform principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate statistics to identify relationships between demographic factors and product acceptance and integrate findings as feedback for beverage formulation.
• Prepare scientific manuscripts, technical reports, and progress updates for funding agencies, journals, and stakeholders.
• Present findings at project meetings, industry engagements, and academic conferences.
• Supervise and mentor junior researchers, research assistants, and students attached to the project.
• The candidate is to communicate with all relevant internal and external stakeholders as required to meet the project deliverables. 
• Any other adhoc duties assigned by supervisor.

Job Requirements

• PhD in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Chemistry, Chemistry, Nutrition, or a closely related discipline. Strong master's or bachelor's degree holders with substantial relevant research experience may be considered for the Engineer grade.
• Solid grounding in protein chemistry, protein hydrolysis, and structure–function relationships in food systems.
• Hands-on experience in emulsion formulation and stability characterisation, including droplet size analysis and shelf-life assessment.
• Familiarity with food processing technologies such as HTST, UHT pasteurisation, drying, heating, and high-pressure or multi-stage homogenisation in beverage or liquid food systems.
• Working knowledge of biochemical and antioxidant assay methods, HPLC, MS, and their application in food ingredient analysis.
• Experience with in vitro digestion models and bioaccessibility or bioavailability testing is a strong advantage.
• Ability to perform quantitative data analysis and multivariate statistics (e.g., PCA); proficiency in Origin, R, or equivalent software for statistical analysis.
• Strong scientific writing skills with the ability to produce publication-quality manuscripts and clear technical reports.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple experimental and reporting workstreams simultaneously.
• Collaborative and able to work independently within a multidisciplinary applied research environment.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills for engagement with students, colleagues for procurement, risk assessment for lab activities, equipment purchasing and maintenance, industry partners, and funding stakeholders.
• Strong ownership for leading and delivering projects with project management skills