Group Leader, Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery Full-time

Group Leader, Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery

Job Title: Group Leader, Bioconjugation & Targeted RNA Delivery

Organization: Platform Technology

Location: Singapore

Job Type: Full Time

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. NATi focuses on key RNA modalities such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering RNA (siRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). To drive this vision, NATi is building a biotech-like translational engine focused on asset and technology development spanning discovery to clinical development. 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.

Position Overview:

We seek a highly innovative and results-driven scientific leader with deep expertise in bioconjugation and targeted delivery to pioneer ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates (LOCs) for extrahepatic RNA delivery. This role is instrumental in establishing scalable conjugation platforms and driving asset generation from discovery to translational development. The successful candidate will build a small group and establish an automated/scalable conjugation platform that can leverage diverse targeting ligands (e.g., small molecules, sugars, peptides, VHH, Fab, antibodies, lipids) to engineer LOCs that efficiently target skeletal/cardiac muscles, adipose tissues, and ocular compartments with high selectivity. The candidate will closely partner with oligonucleotide chemists, in vitro assay scientists, and in vivo pharmacologists to rapidly assess diverse conjugation approaches and linker chemistries to identify LOCs with optimized tissue-/cell-specific functional delivery, which is key for platform expansion and development of Drug Candidate(s).

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a clear strategy to design, evaluate, and optimize diverse LOCs capable of achieving functional delivery in multiple extrahepatic tissues with high selectivity.
• Design, optimize, and implement automated conjugation workflows for scalable LOC synthesis, purification, and analytical characterization.
• Drive CRO partnerships for rapid generation/SAR of ligand libraries supporting high-throughput LOC screening
• Standardize SOPs to ensure reproducibility and analytical rigor across conjugation, purification, and characterization processes.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team including oligonucleotide chemistry, in vitro biology, in vivo pharmacology, and DMPK to develop a seamless workflow to support the discovery of efficient and selective LOCs that lead to the development of Drug Candidate(s).
• Lead innovation in LOC engineering to expand NATi's intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
• Coordinate technical documentation and patent filings in collaboration with legal and scientific teams.
• Prepare appropriate summary reports and presentations to update NATi leadership and stakeholders.
• With the growth of Oligonucleotides Platform, train and/or build a small team of scientists and research associates to support bioconjugation capabilities.

Qualifications & Experience:

• A doctorate degree in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Organic/Medicinal Chemistry, or a related field.
• A minimum of +6 (Sr. Scientist), +10 (Principal Scientist), +13 (Associate Director) years of industry experience with bioconjugation chemistry applied to LOCs; Candidates with relevant experience in development of ADCs, PDCs, or targeted radionuclides are also encouraged to apply.
• Prior experience establishing a bioconjugation group in Discovery/Platform organizations and demonstrating a strong track record of productivity is highly desirable.
• Hands-on experience establishing conjugation chemistries (e.g., Click, lysine-/cysteine-based coupling, enzymatic ligation, stimuli-sensitive linkers) workflows for development of LOCs.
• 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 associated instruments.
• Deep understanding of 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 LOCs.
• Experience with CRO management and cross-functional program coordination.
• Demonstrated innovation through IP, publications, IND filings, or other public disclosures.
• 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.