General Manager

The Role This is a senior position with a mission, that is to establish and execute a joint research program in Singapore to develop a system for microbial identification using MALDI mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The individual will provide scientific and technical leadership, develop and evaluate fit-for-purpose workflows for system development and validation, and generate reliable evidence to support future research, industrial, clinical, and business applications. Key Responsibilities • Plan and execute the joint research program to develop a MALDI-MS system for microbial identification in line with agreed objectives, milestones, and deliverables. • Define target microbial species and strains, sample sources, reference materials, and priorities based on research and potential clinical needs. • Develop and optimize standardized workflows for microbial culture, sample preparation, MALDI-MS measurement, spectral acquisition, data processing, and data analysis. • Verify microbial isolates using appropriate reference methods and curate high-quality reference spectra and associated metadata for database inclusion. • Establish database inclusion criteria, quality-control procedures, data traceability, and version-control processes. • Validate the system using independent isolates, evaluate identification performance and limitations, and investigate discrepancies through follow-up experiments. • Coordinate research activities with collaborators, laboratories, and internal stakeholders, including sample access, schedules, equipment use, and data sharing. • Maintain traceable experimental records, prepare protocols and reports, and ensure compliance with applicable safety, biosafety, ethics, confidentiality, and data-governance requirements. • Assess potential research, clinical, and business applications of the system and recommend next steps for continued development and validation. Job Requirements • Master’s degree or higher in microbiology, analytical chemistry, agricultural sciences, life sciences, biomedical science, or a related discipline. • Practical experience with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for microbial analysis; experience with Microbial Track or an equivalent microbial identification workflow is strongly preferred. • Demonstrated ability to design experiments, optimize analytical methods, evaluate performance, and interpret complex spectral and microbiological data. • Working knowledge of microbial culture and sample-preparation practices, contamination control, laboratory safety, and biosafety requirements. • Experience preparing protocols, technical reports, presentations, and scientific publications in English and Japanese. • Ability to work independently in Singapore while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary and cross-cultural teams in Singapore and Japan. • Professional proficiency in English and a high level of proficiency in Japanese is required. Required Competency • Scientific and technical expertise. • Cross-cultural communication and stakeholder management skills. • Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. • Research planning and project execution capability. • Collaboration and teamwork. • Knowledge transfer and coaching. • Quality, compliance and attention to detail.