R&D & Innovation Director — Asia Partnerships

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

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.