Job Description

We are looking for highly motivated individuals to build and develop Singapore’s R&D capabilities in drug discovery and development. The role will be responsible for developing a deep understanding of the scientific and competitive landscape in the Therapeutic sector’s areas of interest, including reviewing scientific literature, analysing competitor pipelines and clinical data, identifying emerging technologies and assessing where important therapeutic or technology gaps remain. 

The successful candidate will be responsible for translating complex scientific and market information into clear, timely, actionable recommendations for senior management, research and development teams and other decision-makers across the sector.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific and Competitive Intelligence

• Monitor and analyse developments across relevant therapeutic areas, biological pathways, drug modalities and technology platforms.
• Review scientific publications, conference presentations, clinical trial updates, patents, regulatory disclosures and company announcements to identify important developments and emerging trends.
• Track competitor pipelines, programmes and platform technologies from discovery through clinical development.
• Analyse the preclinical and clinical data generated by competitors, including efficacy, safety, biomarkers, patient selection strategies and potential mechanisms of differentiation.
• Assess the strength, limitations and implications of competitor data and determine how new findings may affect the sector’s programmes and strategic positioning.
• Maintain structured competitor profiles, landscape maps, data trackers and intelligence repositories for priority areas.
• Provide timely intelligence updates following major scientific conferences, clinical data readouts, transactions or changes in the competitive environment.

Opportunity and Gap Assessment

• Identify attractive opportunity spaces based on commercial tractability, unmet medical need, biological rationale, clinical feasibility, competitive intensity and the potential for meaningful differentiation based on A*STAR and the ecosystem’s strengths.
• Assess technology and capability gaps that may limit progress within a therapeutic area or modality.
• Evaluate emerging biological targets, mechanisms, platforms and therapeutic approaches for their strategic relevance to the sector.
• Identify areas where existing therapies or competitor programmes have not adequately addressed efficacy, safety, patient selection, delivery, resistance or durability of response.
• Develop hypotheses on where the sector could establish a differentiated scientific or competitive position.
• Support the prioritisation of new targets, indications, modalities, platforms and potential pipeline expansion opportunities.

Strategic Analysis and Decision Support

• Develop scientific and strategic frameworks to support portfolio planning, programme prioritisation and resource allocation.
• Translate complex scientific and competitive findings into clear implications, options and recommendations for senior management.
• Prepare opportunity assessments, indication strategies, target product profiles, competitor benchmarks and programme differentiation analyses.
• Support programme teams in defining the scientific and clinical evidence required to demonstrate differentiation from competing approaches.
• Work with research, translational, clinical, regulatory, business development and commercial colleagues to ensure that strategic assessments reflect cross-functional perspectives.
• Contribute to short-, medium- and long-term portfolio planning.

Job Requirements

• Degree or postgraduate degree in Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field
• Minimum of 8-10 years’ working experience, preferably in Pharmaceuticals or Biotech industry R&D, consulting and/or in a science-based business role.
• Have a broad vision of science and technology, able to handle diverse technical topics beyond one’s direct field of education and experience, with excellent awareness of emerging technologies and global trends.
• Outstanding writing abilities, oral communication and presentation skills with a flair for engaging multiple stakeholders for outcome-driven discussions.
• Thrives in complex situations.
• Ability to expand sphere of influence through networking and understanding of the local ecosystem.
• Excellent organising, planning and analytical skills.
• Is independent and a strong team player.
• Willingness to learn, with adaptability and flexibility to take on required/necessary tasks beyond the job description.