Scientist, Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery

Planet Pharma; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

Job summary

Planet Pharma in Singapore is seeking a Scientist specialising in Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery, a hands-on, bench-focused role developing ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates for targeted RNA delivery beyond the liver, collaborating with chemistry, biology and pharmacology teams.

The successful candidate will design, synthesize, purify and characterize conjugates, contribute to IP and publications, and engage with CROs and cross-functional drug discovery programs, with relocation

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Organic or Medicinal Chemistry or closely related discipline required.
• Approximately 2–6 years of relevant industry experience in bioconjugation or targeted delivery.
• Experience applying bioconjugation chemistry to ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates, ADCs, PDCs or other targeted delivery platforms.
• Hands-on knowledge of conjugation approaches such as click chemistry, lysine/cysteine coupling, enzymatic ligation and/or stimuli-sensitive linker technologies.
• Strong practical experience with purification techniques (RP-HPLC, affinity, IEX, HIC, SEC, TFF).
• Experience with analytical characterisation (LC-MS, LC-HRMS, CE-SDS, DSC, HIC, NMR).
• Exposure to CRO management and cross-functional drug discovery programs.
• IP, publications or IND-related activity advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute bioconjugation strategies for ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates with optimised delivery profiles.
• Perform hands-on synthesis, purification and analytical characterisation of conjugated oligonucleotides.
• Develop and optimise conjugation chemistries and linker strategies for targeted delivery.
• Work cross-functionally with oligonucleotide chemists, biologists and pharmacologists to evaluate candidates in vitro and in vivo.
• Support identification and optimisation of conjugates with strong tissue and cell selectivity and functional delivery.
• Coordinate with external CROs and suppliers supporting ligand libraries, reagents and project activities.
• Maintain reproducibility and scientific documentation; contribute to IP and publications.
• Present findings internally and contribute to technical reports and project decisions.

Skills

Bioconjugation

RNA delivery

Synthesis

Purification

Analytical methods

Education

PhD in Chemistry or related

Tools

RP-HPLC

LC-MS

NMR

LC-HRMS

SEC

IEX

HIC

DSC

TFF

Job description

Location: Singapore – Relocation provided.

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

The Opportunity

We are supporting a major Singapore-based biomedical research and therapeutics organisation that is building a highly translational platform focused on the next generation of nucleic acid medicines.

As part of continued investment into RNA therapeutics, the organisation is seeking a Scientist specialising in Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery.

This is a hands-on, bench-focused position working on the development of ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates (LOCs) for targeted and extrahepatic RNA delivery. The successful scientist will contribute directly to the design, synthesis, purification and characterisation of novel conjugates, working closely with multidisciplinary chemistry, biology and pharmacology teams.

The wider objective is to develop new approaches capable of achieving selective and functional delivery of RNA therapeutics to tissues beyond the liver, including areas such as skeletal and cardiac muscle, adipose tissue and ocular compartments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute bioconjugation strategies for ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates with optimised delivery profiles.
• Perform hands-on synthesis, purification and analytical characterisation of conjugated oligonucleotides.
• Develop and optimise different conjugation chemistries, linker strategies and targeted delivery approaches.
• Work cross-functionally with oligonucleotide chemists, biologists and pharmacologists to evaluate candidates in vitro and in vivo.
• Support the identification and optimisation of conjugates demonstrating strong tissue and cell selectivity and functional delivery.
• Coordinate with external CROs and suppliers supporting ligand libraries, reagents and project activities.
• Maintain high levels of experimental reproducibility, analytical rigour and scientific documentation.
• Contribute to new intellectual property, publications and patent opportunities arising from novel delivery approaches.
• Present scientific findings internally and contribute to technical reports and project decision-making.

Background & Experience

We are particularly interested in scientists with:

• A PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry or a closely related discipline.
• Approximately 2-6 years of relevant industry experience in bioconjugation or targeted delivery.
• Experience applying bioconjugation chemistry to ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates, ADCs, PDCs or other targeted delivery platforms.
• Hands-on knowledge of conjugation approaches such as click chemistry, lysine/cysteine coupling, enzymatic ligation and/or stimuli-sensitive linker technologies.
• Strong practical experience with purification techniques such as preparative RP-HPLC, affinity, IEX, HIC, SEC and/or TFF.
• Experience with analytical characterisation techniques such as LC-MS, LC-HRMS, CE-SDS, DSC, HIC and NMR.
• Experience developing robust analytical workflows for conjugated molecules.
• Exposure to CRO management and cross-functional drug discovery programs.
• Evidence of scientific innovation through patents/IP, publications, IND-related activities or other scientific disclosures would be advantageous.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers the opportunity to join a well-funded and rapidly expanding RNA therapeutics initiative in Singapore, working at the interface of chemistry, targeted delivery and translational drug discovery.

Rather than focusing purely on early academic research, the broader platform has been established to translate new technologies and therapeutic concepts toward development, giving scientists exposure to programs spanning discovery, preclinical development and eventual clinical translation.

The organisation is conducting an international search and is open to scientists currently based outside Singapore. A competitive compensation and relocation package is available for the right candidate.