[Malaysia] Clinical Applications Manager

Santen; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Santen Malaysia is seeking a Clinical Applications Manager in Kuala Lumpur to lead market development and drive surgical device training for Asia. The role requires ophthalmology credentials, 3+ years in pharma/medical devices, and strong KOL management skills.

You will develop education strategies, build partnerships with societies and hospitals, and ensure high clinical standards to boost product adoption and scientific engagement.

Qualifications

• Medical Doctor or Optometry with Masters in Ophthalmology or MBA or equivalent qualification.
• Clinical and surgical experience in ophthalmology.
• 3+ years experience in pharmaceutical or medical device industry.
• Experience in managing KOLs and thought leaders.
• Action-oriented, energetic, and results-focused.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead surgical training and certification of surgeons across Santen Asia.
• Develop and execute education and training strategy on surgical devices.
• Develop partnerships with ophthalmology societies, training institutions, and top hospitals.
• Enhance Santen’s scientific presence with patient-centric education at meetings and partnerships.
• Act as scientific liaison for KOL engagement with regional thought leaders.
• Define clinical protocols, training standards, and surgical techniques for optimal adoption.
• Provide surgical expertise to RPJS, BD and R&D teams on new technologies and opportunities.
• Translate RPJS strategy into regional education and training initiatives.
• Collaborate with local market CFUs and medical affairs to align with RPJS and drive scientific engagement.
• Monitor competitor activities and market trends; translate insights into training initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and company standards in training and engagement.
• Coordinate with QA & PV to address product-related concerns.
• Perform other responsibilities to support education, science strategy and business development.
• KPIs: number of certified surgeons, users, trained sales reps, and user group meetings.

Skills

Surgical training

KOL management

Clinical leadership

Education strategy

Ophthalmology expertise

Communication skills

Education

Medical Doctor or Optometry with Masters in Ophthalmology or MBA or equivalent qualification

Job description

[Malaysia] Clinical Applications Manager

• Full-time

Santen is a specialized company with a proud 130-year heritagefocused exclusively on eye health.As a Japan-originated, global company with our footprint in over 60 countries and regions, our mission is to provide essential and significant value to patients and society through our products and services created from our expertise in ophthalmology and from the patient’s perspective.

As Santen Asia continues to expand, we are seeking a Clinical Applications Manager to join our team.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, this role will lead market development initiatives and drive surgical device training and certification programs for Santen Surgical Sales teams and surgeons across Asia. The successful candidate will ensure high clinical standards, support product adoption, and strengthen Santen’s position as a preferred partner in surgical ophthalmology.

The Clinical Applications Manager will develop and execute education, training, and scientific engagement strategies, aligning clinical expertise with business objectives to enhance surgeon engagement, KOL partnerships, and long-term growth. As the region’s surgical subject matter expert, the role will serve as a key link between Santen and external stakeholders, including professional societies, academic institutions, and leading ophthalmologists, while also providing clinical insights to Business Development and R&D teams to help shape future innovations.

This position is ideal for an influential professional with strong ophthalmology expertise and a passion for education, capable of driving scientific excellence, thought leadership, and impactful training across diverse stakeholders.

What you will do

Primarily responsible for leading and executing the surgical training and certification of surgeons across Santen Asia.

Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive education and training strategy on surgical devices, ensuring best-in‑class scientific engagement with ophthalmologists, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and key stakeholders.

Develop strategic partnerships with leading ophthalmology societies, training institutions, and top‑tier hospitals to integrate Santen’s surgical devices into clinical training curricula and secure long‑term adoption.

Enhance Santen’s scientific presence by integrating patient‑centric education into medical society meetings and partnerships.

Act as the primary scientific liaison for KOL engagement, building strong relationships with regional thought leaders, policymakers, and academic institutions to drive credibility and influence treatment guidelines.

Act as the primary surgical expert for defining clinical protocols, training standards, and surgical techniques, ensuring optimal product adoption.

Provide surgical expertise to Regional Patient Journey Solutions (RPJS), Business Development (BD) and R&D teams, evaluating potential new technologies, business opportunities, and product development strategies to enhance Santen’s innovation pipeline.

Translate RPJS strategy into regional education and training strategy.

Collaborate with local market CFUs and medical affairs to ensure alignment with ACO and RPJS and drive scientific engagement initiatives that support brand growth and product differentiation.

Monitor competitor activities and market trends, translating insights into strategic training and educational initiatives to maintain a competitive edge.

Champion the company’s culture and ensure compliance with industry regulations, company standards, and ethical guidelines in all training and scientific engagement activities.

Work closely with QA & PV to address and mitigate any product‑related surgical or clinical concerns.

Perform other responsibilities as management requires to support education, scientific strategy, and business development efforts in ophthalmology.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) include: Number of certified surgeons, number of users, number of trained surgical sales reps, number of user group meetings

What you will bring to the role

Medical Doctor or Optometry with Masters in Ophthalmology or Master of Business Administration or equivalent qualification

Clinical and surgical experience in ophthalmology is a must, with experience in glaucoma surgery

3+ years experience in the pharmaceutical or medical device industry

Prior experience in professional education, training and exposure to working in a multinational role

Experience in managing Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and thought leaders

Action‑oriented, energetic, and results‑focused

Combines a strong desire for achieving results with emotional control, self‑awareness and a desire to continue learning and improving. Motivated by autonomy and work variety

Be able to deliver the highest standards of customer service

Excellent interpersonal skills, leadership, and written and verbal communication skills at all levels

Grow your career at Santen

A career at Santen is an opportunity to make a difference. We aspire to contribute to the realization of “Happiness with Vision” by providing eye health products and services to patients, consumers, and medical professionals around the world. Guided by our CORE PRINCIPLE, “Tenki ni sanyo suru”, Santen is engaged in the global research & development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products in ophthalmology. We have team members around the world using their diverse talents to unlock new modalities and drive innovations for patient outcomes, education and treatment. At Santen, we believe in empowering all our team members with flexible ways of working and a highly inclusive work environment.

The Santen Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building diverse teams and ensuring a safe and inclusive physical and virtual workplace for every one of our team members. All employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements and individual qualifications regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/ expression, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require any kind of accommodation during our recruitment process, please let the recruiter from our team know.