Director, Multiomic Sciences, Quantitative Biosciences

MSD•Singapore, NJ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Multiomic Sciences will build and lead a molecular biomarker and multiomics group at Merck & Co. The group will integrate immunoassays, mass spectrometry, genomics, flow cytometry, single-cell technologies, and AI-enabled analytics to advance understanding of disease biology, validate therapeutic targets, and support medicine development. Its work will generate actionable biological insights, enable biomarker-driven decisions, de-risk drug development programs, and inform portfolio decisions across discovery and clinical development. Based at the company's research facility in Biopolis, Singapore, the role operates at the intersection of molecular biology, biomarker sciences, multiomic technologies, translational medicine, and data science. The Director will shape scientific strategy, build capabilities and teams, and advance molecular biomarker and multiomic approaches across the R&D pipeline. The position is a member of the Singapore Quantitative Biosciences Leadership Team. It carries responsibility for group strategy, organizational performance, budgets, workforce and resource planning, compliance, and operational outcomes. The Director will work with therapeutic-area leaders, internal functions, external research institutions, contract research organisations, healthcare systems, and technology providers, and represent the organization through scientific publications, presentations, collaborations, and thought leadership.

Requirements

PhD in Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Life Sciences, Translational Medicine, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Systems Biology, Analytical Sciences, or a related discipline, with at least 8 years of relevant industry experience; alternatively, a Master's degree in a related field with at least 12 years of relevant industry experience.
Proven industry experience in drug discovery and development.
Substantial scientific and leadership experience in molecular biomarker discovery, development, validation, and deployment in support of drug discovery and development.
Expertise in one or more of immunoassays, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, single-cell technologies, biomarker sciences, translational medicine, computational biology, or related disciplines.
Strong understanding of disease biology, mechanisms of action, biomarker qualification, translatability, clinical pharmacology, and translational medicine, with an ability to translate scientific insights into impactful R&D outcomes.
Strong strategic thinking, business acumen, and decision-making capabilities, including the ability to navigate business complexity, assess risks and trade-offs, and balance short-term execution with long-term organizational, portfolio, and capability goals.
Ability to anticipate scientific, technological, regulatory, and organizational trends and translate them into differentiated capabilities and portfolio impact.
Strong leadership, influence, and communication skills, with the ability to build cross-functional partnerships and maximize the impact of people, capabilities, and investments.
Demonstrated ability to align diverse stakeholders around strategic priorities, secure commitment to initiatives, and deliver meaningful scientific and business outcomes.
Capacity for change leadership and innovation, including inspiring new approaches and translating ideas into practical solutions that create measurable value.

Nice To Haves

Broad therapeutic-area exposure across Oncology, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Cardiometabolic diseases is strongly preferred.
Expertise applying multidisciplinary molecular biomarker and multiomic approaches to elucidate biological mechanisms, validate therapeutic hypotheses, support biomarker strategies, and advance drug discovery and development is strongly preferred.
Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing multidisciplinary scientific teams, including coaching, talent development, organizational change, capability building, workforce planning, and resource management, is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the Singapore Quantitative Biosciences Leadership Team, partnering with the Site Lead and other leaders on site strategy, priorities, partnerships, and an innovative, compliant research environment.
Lead and develop multiple inter-related teams within the Multiomic Sciences group, fostering collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and shared ownership.
Build organizational capability through talent development and workforce planning; maintain accountability for group performance, resources, and operational outcomes.
Develop and execute group objectives, business plans, and Multiomic Sciences strategies aligned with Singapore Quantitative Biosciences and divisional priorities.
Lead budgeting, forecasting, workforce planning, and resource allocation while meeting scientific, operational, and financial objectives and complying with company policies, quality and regulatory requirements, data integrity standards, and EHS practices.
Influence senior scientific and business leaders to align investment, portfolio priorities, and resources with organizational and business objectives.
Define and execute the Multiomic Sciences strategy, establish investment priorities, and build a differentiated portfolio of molecular biomarker and multiomic capabilities.
Evaluate, adopt, and advance emerging biomarker technologies, next-generation omics platforms, and AI/ML-enabled analytical approaches.
Deploy molecular biomarker and multiomic strategies to support target discovery and validation, mechanism-of-action studies, biomarker qualification, patient stratification, pharmacodynamic assessments, translational research, and data-driven decisions across discovery and development programs.
Partner with therapeutic-area leaders and Singapore Quantitative Biosciences scientific leaders or points of contact to inform go/no-go decisions, target engagement and proof-of-biology, dose selection, and patient stratification, and to advance the portfolio across discovery and clinical development.
Build strategic partnerships with internal functions, external research institutions, contract research organisations, healthcare systems, and technology providers.
Represent the organization as a scientific leader through publications, presentations, external collaborations, and scientific thought leadership; influence scientific dialogue and enhance the visibility and reputation of its science.