Deputy Director, Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership …, Singapore

The Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership Office (BMSIPO) serves as the national office dedicated to driving technology‑business public‑private R&D partnerships with strategic biomedical sciences and healthcare companies. These include multinational pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics, digital health and medtech companies, as well as innovative local enterprises.

This opening is for a role as Deputy Director and Lead of BMSIPO’s Therapeutics Team. The role will develop and drive strategies, and lead engagements for R&D partnerships with BioPharma multinational companies (MNCs), foreign biotech companies and Singapore biotech companies, with 4‑5 team members reporting into.

BMSIPO engages and account‑manages companies strategic to Singapore, and architects R&D partnerships from early discovery and pre‑clinical development, translational clinical development, to manufacturing R&D, across the diverse public sector research and clinical institutions in Singapore.

BMSIPO develops and executes industry development strategies for key publicly‑funded research and clinical R&D programmes of national priority, including National Platforms and multi‑institutional programmes.

In addition, BMSIPO drives and supports several national‑level initiatives in the Human Health and Potential (HHP) Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) domain.

• Identify and analyse key industry and R&D trends covering major therapeutic areas and modalities (such as oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, immunology and inflammation, and neuroscience), as well as emerging areas and modalities (such as cell & gene therapy, nucleic acid therapeutics, precision medicine). Feed these insights into the development of Singapore’s R&D programmes and industry R&D development strategies.
• Lead industry development and company account management – lead the team and build trusted relationships with management and R&D executives across Biopharma MNCs and foreign and Singapore biotechs, gaining a deep understanding of their R&D and commercialisation strategies, and architecting R&D projects with industry partners that have a technology‑business and outcome‑driven purpose.
• Lead industry development for HHP National Platforms and multi‑institutional R&D programmes – build, lead and develop industry development teams with key programmes such as the National Precision Medicine Program or the National Cardiovascular Consortium (CADENCE).
• Lead teams to shape R&D & clinical research project proposals – guide research/clinical project teams to formulate proposals seeking competitive grant funding, focused on assessing scientific and technology analysis, industry validation, economic outcomes and programme structuring.
• Develop networks with public sector agencies, universities, research and clinical institutions – build relationships with the academic research and clinical community, industry partnership and technology transfer offices and public sector research planning and economic agencies to advance strategies and initiatives.
• Drive and support national HHP RIE initiatives and strategies – drive and support the development and execution of national biotech initiatives.
• Lead, mentor and develop a high‑performance team – develop a driven, high performance, high integrity, cohesive, purpose‑driven and networked technology‑business team, instilling a culture of achieving T‑shaped domain knowledge of biomedical science and technology trends and strong business development, engagement and communication skills.

• Minimum 8 years of working experience in healthcare and biomedical sciences with a background in research, clinical research/development, product development or technology commercialization. Prior industry experience managing pre‑clinical research, strategy and/or business development, venture and partnerships in a biopharma MNC or biotech company will be favourably considered. Familiarity with the Singapore RIE ecosystem and the HHP community is an advantage.
• A passion for developing Singapore Biopharma and Biotech industry ecosystem, including fostering innovative partnerships with public and private sectors.
• Broad vision of science and technology, able to handle diverse technical topics beyond one’s direct field of education and experience, and awareness of emerging fields.
• Strong track record in strategy development and execution.
• Adept at analysis of difficult and complex situations, and making judgements and recommendations.
• Strong track record in leading high performing teams and people development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to engage stakeholders at the senior levels.
• Willing, adaptable and flexible to perform required/necessary tasks beyond the job description.
• A self‑starter, go‑getter and problem solver who pro‑actively tackles problems and takes initiative.
• Excellence in multi‑party and multi‑stakeholder engagement and management.
• Ability to identify and contextualise stakeholder issues and manage them in an appropriate manner.