To some people, a career should allow them to get paid doing what they love. To others, a career should be about making a positive difference in society. For Rachel Tan Lui Win and Peter Andre Dumont, these two motivations don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

After all, their careers at HTX allow them to indulge their passion for innovation and contribute to the greater good.

HTX is the world’s first Science and Technology Agency of its kind, uniting engineers, data scientists, and tech innovators to create game-changing solutions that help the Home Team stay ahead of emerging threats and keep Singapore safe.

We caught up with Rachel, a Senior Data Scientist at xData, and Peter, a Forensic Scientist at the Forensics Centre of Expertise, to hear more about their exciting journeys at HTX.

Let’s go back to how it all began—what sparked your interest in this field?

Rachel: I stumbled upon this field during my second year of university when I was studying English Literature. At the time, big data was all the rage, so I decided to explore it by trying out some free coding courses. To my surprise, I really enjoyed them! That sparked my interest, and I made the decision to shift gears and pursue a master’s degree in Quantitative Methods and Social Sciences at Columbia University in the United States (US). This was my first formal education in programming.

During my time at Columbia, I also cross-registered for courses at the Data Science Institute, diving deeper into applied machine learning and natural language processing. After completing my master’s, I was offered a role at a start-up in the US, where I worked for a year as a data scientist as part of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Gap Year programme under the scholarship.

Andre: Crime dramas were a weekend afternoon ritual at my house when I was growing up. I was always intrigued by the expertise of the forensics team and how they could crack a case with just a tuft of hair or saliva. I nurtured my love for forensics by listening to true crime podcasts and reading about unsolved cases.

Andre, what made you decide on the HTX Scholarship?

The purpose of HTX—to be the force multiplier of the Home Team—really resonated with me. I wanted to be a part of something that helps create innovations to improve the work of various Home Team departments, making Singapore safer and more secure. I’ve also always sought a meaningful career that I can get excited about, and the opportunity to combine my background in biology with my love for forensics has been a dream come true!

You both do some pretty cool stuff! How would you explain what you do to someone who’s not familiar with your work?

Rachel: I focus on researching new and emerging technologies in the domain of Speech and Language AI and try to apply them to real-world use cases and datasets to create solutions that would benefit the Home Team. I also curate and process textual and speech data to train machine learning models that can perform tasks such as transcription or translation.

Andre: Forensic scientists think of new ways to extract useful information from a crime scene. While forward-deployed crime scene specialists handle the nitty-gritty of evidence collection, we scientists focus on identifying and addressing areas for improvement in existing forensic processes. Can newer techniques uncover additional characteristics of a suspect from their biological samples? Or can certain chemicals be used to enhance the quality of prints recovered? These are the kind of questions we explore to address the challenges and opportunities for improvement in operations.

After testing our hypotheses through experimentation, we refine and develop new tools and methodologies. Eventually these developed tools and methodologies are adopted for casework to enhance the overall effectiveness of forensic practices within Home Team Departments.

Andre, surprise us with a fun fact about your role!

We’re not just cooped up in a lab all day! We frequently travel around Singapore to conduct field work and run experiments on-site. We also go abroad for conferences and expos to stay abreast of the latest innovations in the world of forensics.

What’s been your proudest moment at work so far, Rachel?

I was responsible for finetuning a transcription model that can comprehend Singaporean and Home Team lingo. In fact, this model has outperformed many other similar models in the industry. I’ve also helped grow our team, creating a collaborative and safe space for research and collaboration. And one of the most rewarding parts has been guiding interns—several of whom have joined our team full-time after their stint!

What’s the work culture like at HTX?

Rachel: Dynamic. Things are constantly evolving. It can be challenging to keep up with the pace, but that’s what makesit exciting!

Andre: HTX is a fun place to work at. The agency has only turned five last year but its “youthfulness” is really reflected in both the people and the company culture. There is a ton of energy at HTX, and I think this is because everyone is excited to be a part of creating innovations that contribute to the greater good. I’ve come to understand that Xponents—as we call ourselves—are driven individuals who work hard but play just as hard! I’m also constantly in awe of the experience and abilities of my coworkers and am looking forward to learning as much as I can from everyone.

Any tips for someone considering a career with HTX?

Rachel: Always be open to learning new things. The technology field is constantly developing and as an organisation, we must navigate this change to effectively enhance the Home Team’s operations. After all, change is the only constant in life!

Andre: Reach out to us! If you’re unsure about whether a career is right for you, the best way to find out is to give it a try through an internship. The next best thing would be to come to our engagement events. We’d love to answer any questions about working at the coolest science and tech agency in Singapore.