Scientist/Senior Scientist, RNA Analytical Development

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Long-term career growth opportunities

Attractive benefits

Job summary

A leading research agency in Singapore seeks a scientific leader to establish analytical development processes for RNA-based medicines. The role involves developing and executing analytical strategies for raw materials and drug products, collaborating with cross-functional teams while ensuring compliance with industry standards. The successful candidate will have a doctorate, extensive experience in analytical development, and expertise in various analytical techniques. This position offers competitive compensation and career growth in Singapore's biomedical innovation ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4+ years of experience in analytical development of nucleic acid therapeutics.
• Experience with purification methods and analytical tools/instruments.
• Understanding of regulatory expectations for analytical method validation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute analytical characterization strategies for raw materials and drug products.
• Collaborate with project teams to align analytical strategies with development goals.
• Prepare technical reports and presentations to update stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical development for nucleic acid therapeutics

Collaboration with cross-functional teams

Analytical techniques (e.g., LC-MS, HPLC)

Troubleshooting scientific problems

Education

Doctorate degree in Analytical Chemistry or related field

Tools

HPLC

LC-MS

qPCR

LIMS/ELN systems

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 revolutionizing drug and vaccine development. NATi's mission is to establish Singapore as a globally recognized hub of excellence in nucleic acid therapeutics research, clinical translation, and commercialization.

Position Overview

We seek a highly innovative and results-driven scientific leader with deep expertise spanning multiple RNA modalities to establish the analytical development processes. This role is instrumental in establishing and executing phase-appropriate analytical strategies for raw materials (e.g., novel lipids, targeting ligands, pDNA), drug substances (DS) spanning mRNA and synthetic oligonucleotides (e.g., ASO, siRNA, gRNA), and drug products (DP) (e.g., conjugated oligonucleotides). The successful candidate will establish robust, scalable, and phase-appropriate analytical workflows to support platform scalability and pipeline programs. This role is critical to ensuring quality materials are developed and utilized across NATi's translational programs. 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.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a phase-appropriate analytical characterization strategy for raw materials (e.g., novel lipids, targeting ligands, pDNA), drug substances (e.g., mRNA, ASO, siRNA, gRNA), and drug products (e.g., LNP, conjugated oligonucleotides).
• Select and implement phase-appropriate analytical workflows for RNA raw materials, DS, DP using orthogonal techniques (e.g., HPLC, LC-MS, CE, UV spectroscopy, qPCR, DLS, TEM) to support platform development and pipeline programs.
• Apply Quality by Design (QbD) principles to define critical quality attributes (CQAs) and ensure method robustness, scalability, and phase-appropriate throughput.
• Collaborate with cross-functional project teams to align analytical strategies with product development goals.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, method validation plans, and analytical documentation in compliance with industry standards and regulatory expectations.
• Maintain accurate records using LIMS/ELN systems to support data integrity and reproducibility.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, and documentation to update project teams and stakeholders.
• Stay current with emerging analytical technologies and regulatory trends in RNA characterization.

Qualifications & Experience

• A doctorate degree in Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field.
• A minimum of +4 (Scientist) or +8 (Senior Scientist) years of hands‑on experience in analytical development for nucleic acid therapeutics in pharmaceutical or biotechnology organizations.
• Hands‑on experience with multiscale purification methods (e.g., preparative RP‑HPLC, affinity, ion‑exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and size exclusion chromatography, tangential flow filtration) and the enabling analytical tools/instruments.
• Deep understanding of multiple analytical techniques (e.g., LC‑MS, LC‑HRMS, CE‑SDS, DSC, HIC, NMR) coupled with hands‑on experience developing analytical workflows for robust characterization of RNA raw materials, DS, and DP.
• Hands‑on experience developing and executing LC‑MS workflows to perform in‑process and final QC of modified oligonucleotides and ligand‑oligo conjugates (e.g., GalNAc, cholesterol, fatty acids) to support multiple pipeline programs.
• Demonstrated experience establishing automated high‑throughput analytical capabilities to achieve high synthetic throughput.
• Familiarity with regulatory expectations for analytical method validation and CMC documentation in support of IND‑enabling studies is strongly desired.
• A dependable contributor to cross-functional teams who embraces a collaborative culture while demonstrating the autonomy and initiative required to deliver on assigned scientific and operational responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex scientific problems and adapt to shifting priorities in a fast‑paced, quality‑driven environment.
• Excellent organizational, 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 pharmaceuticals 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.