R&D Director (Central)

PERSOL SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

PERSOL SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. seeks an accomplished R&D leader to spearhead research and innovation strategies, aligning with business goals. You will guide validation, partnerships, and clinical studies to drive commercialization across programs.

You will negotiate with research partners, manage a diverse project portfolio, and translate market insights into actionable scientific programmes. Report to CSO and collaborate with product teams.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Food Science, Biochemistry, or related field.
• 8–10 years in R&D leadership and innovation management.
• Experience managing external research programmes with collaborators.
• Experience negotiating research contracts and commercialization agreements.
• Strong clinical and applied research methodologies.
• Background in FMCG, consumer health, or biotech preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall R&D strategy aligned with business goals.
• Identify strategic research partnerships across universities and collaborators in Asia.
• Design and oversee new research programmes, including in‑vitro, in‑vivo, and human clinical studies.
• Lead negotiations with partners on scope, budgets, timelines, IP ownership, and commercialization rights.
• Manage a portfolio of research projects to support business opportunities.
• Provide leadership on priorities and resource allocation to maximize outcomes.
• Supervise external research projects to ensure quality and timely delivery.
• Translate market opportunities into actionable research directions and programmes.
• Collaborate with product development to support validation and commercialization.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and trends in wellness and consumer health.
• Represent the organization to stakeholders and leadership.

Skills

R&D leadership

Research partnerships

Contract negotiation

Clinical studies

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder mgmt

FMCG background

Education

Master's degree in related field

Job description

Brief Summary:

We are seeking a dynamic leader to spearhead research and innovation strategies, aligning them with business goals. This role offers the opportunity to impact scientific validation and commercialization across various programs.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement the overall research and innovation strategy in alignment with business objectives.
• Identify and establish strategic research partnerships with universities and scientific collaborators across Asia.
• Design and oversee new research programmes, including in-vitro, in-vivo, and human clinical studies to validate ingredients and products.
• Lead negotiations with research partners on project scope, budgets, timelines, intellectual property ownership, and commercialization rights.
• Manage a portfolio of research projects to support current and future business opportunities.
• Provide leadership on research priorities and resource allocation to maximize scientific and commercial outcomes.
• Supervise external research projects to ensure quality and timely deliverables are achieved.
• Translate market opportunities and insights into actionable research directions and scientific programmes.
• Collaborate closely with product development and business teams to support product validation and commercialization efforts.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and scientific trends relevant to wellness and consumer health.
• Represent the organization to internal and external stakeholders, including research partners and corporate leadership.
• Report directly to the Chief Scientific Officer.

Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Food Science, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Science, Nutrition, Biotechnology, or related fields.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in R&D leadership and innovation management.
• Proven experience managing external research programmes and multidisciplinary scientific collaborations.
• Ability to source, evaluate, and manage research partners and scientific institutions.
• Experience in negotiating research contracts and commercialization agreements.
• Strong understanding of clinical and applied research methodologies.
• Background in FMCG, consumer health, wellness, or biotechnology is preferred.
• Demonstrated success in R&D project management and strategic planning.
• Proven capacity to connect scientific research with commercial opportunities.
• Experience managing stakeholders across scientific and operational functions.

EA License No.: 01C4394 (PERSOL SINGAPORE PTE LTD)

Registration No.: R23112488 (Julian Nerchan)