Vice President (VP), Licensing

EXELA BIOSCIENCE PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Exela Bioscience PTE. LTD. in Singapore seeks an exceptional Vice President (VP), Licensing to steer external growth through in-licensing and out-licensing initiatives across Hematology, Oncology, and specialty therapeutics.

You will own end-to-end deal leadership—from scouting and due diligence to complex financial modeling, contract negotiation, and executive approval—while building a high-performing global licensing team. Advanced scientific fluency and commercial acumen are essential.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in biological sciences or related field.
• MBA desirable for strategic alignment.
• 15+ years in biotech/pharma with licensing leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead global in-licensing and out-licensing programs.
• Oversee due diligence, valuation, and risk assessment.
• Negotiate terms including milestones, royalties, and IP protections.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing licensing team.

Skills

Licensing strategy

Deal execution

Due diligence

Negotiation

Leadership

Education

Biological sciences (MS/PhD)

MBA (Desirable)

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

ABOUT US

Welcome to Exela Bioscience. Headquartered in Singapore, Exela Bioscience is an SME specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to elevating well-being through strategic excellence. We are driven by a philosophy that actively searches for and develops a value portfolio of innovative and orphan drugs. Exela Bioscience specializes in key therapeutic areas that have high unmet medical needs, including Oncology, Hematology, OB-GYN, and Orphan Drugs. We focus on bridging gaps in healthcare by bringing crucial, high-value medical solutions and partner value to serve patients and the medical community across Southeast Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. At Exela, we believe that true innovation requires collaboration. Our success is rooted in our ability to forge powerful partnerships that accelerate the journey from drug discovery to patient access. We are a dynamic, fast-growing organization committed to quality, excellence, and improving life. For more information, please visit www.exelabio.com.

POSITION SUMMARY

Exela Bioscience is seeking an exceptional, results-driven leader to fill the role of Vice President (VP), Licensing. As the VP, Licensing, you will be the primary architect of our corporate growth strategy through external business development. You will hold end-to-end responsibility for our globally reaching in-licensing and out-licensing programs, with a heavy emphasis on in-licensing innovative assets, platforms, and commercial rights within our core areas of Hematology, Oncology, and specialty therapeutics for our target markets. You will lead all aspects of the deal lifecycle: from aggressive, global asset scouting and landscape analysis to scientific evaluation, rigorous due diligence, complex financial modeling, contract negotiation, and executive-level deal execution. The ideal candidate will possess a rare combination of scientific fluency, commercial acumen, legal knowledge, and an extensive global network of industry contacts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership & Planning

   Develop and execute a comprehensive, long-term licensing strategy that aligns with Exela’s corporate vision, therapeutic focus, and commercial objectives in our target territories.

   Identify, analyze, and prioritize therapeutic areas, technology platforms, and specific assets (pre-clinical to commercial stage) that represent high-value in-licensing opportunities.

2. Due Diligence, Evaluation, & Valuation

   Lead a cross-functional Due Diligence (DD) team, coordinating input from Research & Development (R&D), Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Manufacturing (CMC), and Legal to ensure a 360-degree risk/reward assessment of every opportunity.

   Synthesize findings into high-quality due diligence reports and business cases, clearly communicating investment theses and mitigating strategies to the executive leadership.

3. Negotiation & Deal Execution

   Define and structure all commercial and financial terms, including upfront payments, development/regulatory milestones, commercial milestones, royalties, and profit-sharing arrangements.

   Partner closely with internal and external legal counsel to manage contract drafting and negotiation, ensuring all agreements protect Exela’s intellectual property, minimize liability, and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

4. Team & Organizational Development

   Build, lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing global licensing team, fostering a culture of urgency, transparency, analytical rigor, and collaborative success.

   Establish best-in-class processes, templates, and tools for licensing, including a robust CRM system for deal tracking and documentation.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• An advanced degree in biological science, biomedical engineering, pharmacy, or medicine (Master's, Ph.D. or M.D.) is strongly preferred to enable deep scientific dialogue.
• A Master of Business Administration (MBA) from a top-tier business school is highly desirable.

Experience:

• A minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with a minimum of 10 years dedicated to leading Licensing or Business Development roles.
• A proven track record of having successfully sourced, negotiated, and closed multiple transformative licensing deals, particularly in-licensing of pre-clinical to late-stage pharmaceutical assets.
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of the current biopharma licensing and deal landscape within the Hematology and Oncology fields.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Extensive experience in licensing orphan drugs or therapeutics for specialty markets.
• A strong network and understanding of the pharmaceutical commercial landscape in Exela's target regions: Southeast Asia, CIS, and MENA.
• Previous experience in alliance management.

WHAT WE OFFER

The opportunity to play a core role in building a globall