Group Leader, Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates (Extrahepatic Delivery)

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation

Long-term Career Growth Opportunities

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore is seeking a Group Leader to develop antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates for extra-hepatic delivery. As a key role in enhancing RNA-based therapeutics, the successful candidate will lead an interdisciplinary team, oversee scientific strategies, and manage project milestones. Required qualifications include a doctorate in a relevant field and extensive experience in antibody discovery and engineering. Competitive compensation and long-term growth opportunities are provided in Singapore's thriving biomedical innovation landscape.

Qualifications

• A minimum of +8 (Senior Scientist) or +12 (Principal Scientist) years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated track record in antibody discovery and bioconjugation.
• Hands-on experience with conjugation design and analytical characterisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead an interdisciplinary team developing antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates.
• Define AOC design principles for extra-hepatic delivery.
• Drive program strategy and milestones for AOC development.

Skills

Scientific Leadership

Antibody Discovery

Bioconjugation Chemistry

Project Management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

Doctorate degree in Protein Engineering or related field

Tools

Flow Cytometry

LC-MS

SEC

NGS

Job description

About NATi

The Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi), hosted by A*STAR, is Singapore's national platform dedicated to advancing RNA-based medicines and revolutionising drug and vaccine development. NATi's mission is to establish Singapore as a globally recognised hub of excellence in nucleic acid therapeutics research, clinical translation, and commercialisation.

Job Description

NATi focuses on key RNA modalities such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering RNA (siRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). To drive this vision, NATi is building a biotech-like translational engine focused on asset and technology development spanning discovery to clinical development. We are actively seeking passionate and committed RNA scientists with deep translational expertise to join us in advancing the next generation of RNA-based therapeutics.

Position Overview

We seek a highly innovative and results-driven Group Leader to build and lead an interdisciplinary team developing antibody‑oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) for extra‑hepatic delivery. This role will integrate antibody discovery and engineering with linker chemistry, oligonucleotide conjugation and fit‑for‑purpose bio‑analytical and functional validation to enable asset generation beyond established hepatic indications. The successful candidate will own the scientific strategy and execution for the AOC platform, build an efficient group, establish platform capabilities (e.g., automation, conjugation, analytics, in‑vitro assays) and partner closely with oligonucleotide chemistry, DMPK and bio‑analytics teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Scientific Leadership & Program Ownership
• Define AOC design principles for extra‑hepatic delivery (target selection, tissue/cell specificity, internalisation, trafficking, endosomal escape strategies, payload selection, etc.).
• Drive program strategy, milestones and decision‑making frameworks (e.g., experimental plan, MOA validation, translation plan, developability risk).
• Lead multi‑disciplinary project teams and represent AOC programs in governance forums and senior leadership reviews.
• Antibody Discovery, Engineering & Developability
  • Guide antigen and epitope strategy for extra‑hepatic tissue targeting (e.g., muscle, adipose tissue, immune cells).
  • Oversee generation, screening and prioritisation of antibodies via different display technologies (phage/yeast display, hybridoma or computational design) using a balanced combination of internal capability and external CROs.
  • Engineer antibodies for:
    • Affinity/avidity optimisation, cross‑reactivity and species selection.
    • Internalisation/trafficking (recycling vs. degradative pathways).
    • Biophysical stability (aggregation, viscosity), PTMs and manufacturability.
  • Establish developability workflows (expression, purification, stability, aggregation, poly‑specificity, immunogenicity risk screening) using a balanced combination of internal capability and external CROs.
• Linker Chemistry & Oligo Conjugation Platform
  • Own the bioconjugation strategy (site‑specific vs. stochastic; cysteine/lysine conjugation, enzymatic conjugation, non‑natural amino acids, glycan remodelling, click chemistry, etc.).
  • Partner with oligo chemists to define oligo formats (siRNA, ASO, splice‑switching oligos, etc.), chemical modifications and conjugation handles.
  • Design and optimise linkers for:
    • Stability in systemic circulation.
    • Controlled release (if/when applicable).
    • Compatibility with antibody and oligo chemistry.
    • Scalability and CMC readiness.
  • Establish analytical methods to quantify DAR, positional heterogeneity, purity and stability (LC‑MS, SEC, CE‑SDS, HIC, UV/fluorescence, ion exchange, oligo integrity assays) and hands‑on experience with multiscale purification and analytical characterisation instruments.
• Functional Validation Readouts
  • Develop and oversee in‑vitro assays to confirm:
    • Binding and internalisation (flow cytometry, microscopy, ligand competition).
    • Intracellular trafficking/endosomal escape proxies.
    • Oligo activity (knock‑down/splice modulation/qPCR/NGS readouts).
  • Drive in vivo PK/PD and biodistribution studies in relevant models in close partnership with the pharmacology team.
• Cross‑Functional Partnering
  • Collaborate with DMPK to establish AOC‑specific ADME understanding (deconjugation, metabolite profiling, clearance mechanisms).
  • Partner with Bioanalytics to set up assays for intact conjugate, total antibody, free oligo and catabolites.
  • Work with CMC/process development for scale‑up readiness, control strategy and quality attributes (CQAs) relevant to AOCs.
• People Leadership & Capability Building
  • Recruit, mentor and lead a team across protein science, conjugation chemistry and biology.
  • Establish best practices for experimental design, documentation and reproducibility; cultivate a culture of scientific excellence with a sense of urgency.
  • Identify and manage CRO partnerships to accelerate programme timelines; lead strategic collaborations as needed.
  • Lead innovation in AOC engineering to expand NATi's intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
  • Coordinate technical documentation and patent filings in collaboration with legal and scientific teams.
  • Prepare appropriate summary reports and presentations to update NATi leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• A doctorate degree in Protein Engineering, Chemical Biology, Bioconjugation Chemistry, Organic/Medicinal Chemistry or a related field.
• A minimum of +8 (Senior Scientist) or +12 (Principal Scientist) years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology organisations.
• Demonstrated track record in antibody discovery/engineering and bioconjugation with clear ownership of programmes advancing toward development.
• Hands‑on experience with conjugation design, linker selection and analytical characterisation of conjugates (AOCs, ADCs or related conjugate modalities).
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams, set strategy and deliver milestones in a matrix environment.
• Demonstrated innovation through IP, publications, IND filings or other public disclosures.
• A dependable contributor to cross‑functional teams who embraces a collaborative culture while demonstrating the autonomy/initiative to deliver on assigned scientific and operational responsibilities.
• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills.

Global Recruitment & Competitive Compensation

NATi is conducting a global search for top‑tier talent in RNA therapeutics. We welcome applications from leading pharmaceutical scientists and biotech innovators worldwide. This role provides a highly competitive compensation package aligned with global industry standards, including attractive benefits and long‑term career growth opportunities within Singapore's thriving biomedical innovation ecosystem. Join us in shaping the future of RNA‑based medicines and establishing Singapore as a world‑class hub for nucleic acid therapeutics.