Preclinical Programme Leader, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive benefits

Long-term career growth opportunities

Competitive compensation package

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore is seeking a Preclinical Programme Leader for Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases. This role drives discovery and clinical development of oligonucleotide programmes, managing projects from target validation to preclinical candidates. Ideal candidates will have a PhD and significant experience in siRNA/ASO discovery, along with strong skills in managing in vivo studies and collaboration. A highly competitive compensation package is offered in Singapore's biomedical innovation ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4+ years for Scientist, 8+ for Senior Scientist, 12+ for Principal Scientist.
• Strong hands-on expertise in cell-based screening and mechanistic assays.
• Experience with obesity and MASH disease models.

Responsibilities

• Drive discovery toward clinical development of oligonucleotide programmes.
• Establish integrated workflows to support pipeline projects.
• Design and optimise in vitro screening cascades.

Skills

siRNA/ASO discovery

In vivo PK/PD studies

Drug discovery

Project management

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Molecular Biology or related discipline

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.

Position Overview

We are seeking a scientific Preclinical Programme Leader, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases, to drive discovery toward clinical development of oligonucleotide (siRNA / ASO) programmes targeting MASH, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases. The role owns programmes from target validation to selection of a Preclinical Candidate ready for IND‑enabling studies, combining hands‑on laboratory experience and strategic programme management.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end‑to‑end scientific and project strategy for one or more siRNA / ASO discovery programmes from target validation to selection of a Preclinical Candidate in MASH, obesity and/or musculoskeletal diseases.
• Establish and execute integrated in vitro and in vivo workflows to support pipeline projects and generate robust high‑quality data to support decision‑making.
• Drive clear go / no‑go recommendations based on integrated assessment of biology, PK/PD, and disease‑relevant efficacy endpoints.
• Ensure scientific rigour, reproducibility, documentation, and transparency across internal and CRO‑executed activities.
• Actively contribute hands‑on laboratory operations as needed to establish platforms, assays, and workflows.

Oligonucleotide Discovery & Screening

• Design, execute, and optimise in vitro screening cascades for siRNA / ASO programmes across key metabolic tissues (liver, muscle, adipose), incorporating potency, durability, concentration response curve, and delivery‑dependent activity.
• Develop and deploy mechanistic and functional cell‑based assays to link target knockdown with metabolic pathway modulation and disease‑relevant phenotypes.
• Support discovery and optimisation of novel siRNA/ASO delivery platforms, with emphasis on enabling effective extrahepatic cellular uptake and functional knockdown.
• Lead hit identification, prioritisation, and lead generation by integrating in vitro potency, functional relevance, delivery compatibility, and translational hypotheses.
• Establish assay transferability and performance standards for internal execution and CRO deployment.
• Target output: enable rapid identification of lead siRNA/ASO candidates with validated tissue‑specific potency, functional relevance, delivery feasibility, and clear translational readiness for in vivo progression.

Pharmacology & Translation

• Design, oversee, and interpret in vivo PK/PD, biodistribution, and knockdown efficacy studies.
• Establish exposure‑response and knockdown‑response relationships to guide lead optimisation and selection.
• Select, justify, and govern disease‑relevant in vivo models for:
• MASH: histology, non‑invasive fibrosis and inflammation biomarkers.
• Obesity: metabolic, cardiometabolic, and weight‑related outcomes.
• Skeletal muscle: functional, metabolic, and mitochondrial readouts.
• Target output: deliver robust in vivo PK/PD and efficacy datasets linking exposure, knockdown, and disease‑relevant outcomes across MASH, obesity, and skeletal muscle models.

Disease Biology Expertise

• Deep expertise in liver biology, including:
• MASH pathophysiology.
• Hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrogenesis.
• Translational biomarkers relevant to clinical development.
• Strong understanding of obesity biology, including:
• Energy balance and metabolic regulation.
• Adipose tissue inflammation, remodelling, and endocrine signalling.
• Working knowledge of skeletal muscle metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and glucose utilisation.
• Systems‑level understanding of liver‑adipose‑muscle crosstalk driving metabolic disease.
• Target output: apply deep, systems‑level disease biology expertise to guide target selection, target validation, in vitro and in vivo model selection to drive the pharmacology and biomarker strategy across liver, adipose, and skeletal muscle in metabolic disease.

Scientific Governance, Project Leadership & Collaboration

• Establish, author, and maintain SOPs for:
• In vitro screening.
• In vivo PK/PD and efficacy models.
• Tissue distribution and early tolerability workflows.
• Lead or support IACUC / local animal ethics submissions, umbrella protocols, and regulatory compliance.
• Build, mentor, and manage junior scientists as programmes and internal capabilities scale.
• Act as primary scientific and operational interface with CROs, ensuring experimental quality, timelines, data integrity, and budget alignment.
• Serve as the biology/pharmacology point‑of‑contact with chemistry, bioinformatics, pathology, analytical, and external partners.
• Partner closely with senior management to align programme execution with portfolio strategy, resourcing, and milestone delivery.
• Target output: standardised, compliant biology‑pharmacology execution delivering high‑quality, reproducible data on time and within budget. Aligned teams and partners advancing programmes efficiently against portfolio milestones.

Qualifications & Professional Attributes

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, or related discipline.
• A minimum of 4+ (Scientist), 8+ (Senior Scientist), 12+ (Principal Scientist) years of industry experience leading siRNA / ASO discovery programmes, ideally in CVMD.
• Strong hands‑on expertise in:
• Cell‑based screening and mechanistic assays.
• In vivo PK/PD and knockdown biology.
• Obesity and MASH disease models.
• Demonstrated success in early drug discovery, from target validation through hit identification and lead generation.
• Experience establishing new capabilities or platforms and scaling programmes through CRO partnerships.
• Strong programme management skills with the ability to drive decision‑grade outcomes.
• Scientifically rigorous, data‑driven leader with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative mentor capable of balancing hands‑on execution, team building, and strategic ownership.

Global Recruitment & Competitive Compensation

We welcome applications from leading pharmaceuticals scientists and biotech innovators worldwide. This role offers 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.