Deputy Director / Senior Assistant Director, IP & Intelligence

A*STAR's Innovation & Enterprise (I&E) Group helps companies turn research into business results.

As part of Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, we work with local and global businesses to accelerate innovation, scale growth, and strengthen competitiveness in high-value sectors.

I&E enables companies to move faster from lab to market through:

• Partnerships with industry, investors, and researchers to co-develop solutions for real business challenges.
• Licensing and commercialisation of breakthrough technologies and intellectual property into market-ready products and services.
• Venture building that nurtures deep-tech start-ups from early concepts to global growth.

Through I&E, companies gain access to cutting-edge technologies, world-class research talent, and trusted pathways to market-helping them innovate with confidence, compete globally, and create long-term value.

Job Description

We are seeking a driven and experienced professional to join our IP & Intelligence team within Innovation & Enterprise. This role provides functional leadership in shaping and overseeing the development and execution of IP strategies to enable research excellence and drive sustainable commercialisation outcomes.

• Lead and oversee patent, scientific literature, and internet-based prior art searches across diverse technical domains, ensuring quality, rigour and strategic relevance.
• Guide the analysis and interpretation of search results and technology disclosures to recommend appropriate and commercially aligned IP protection strategies.
• Direct and review of IP landscaping, freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses, and due diligence assessments, and deliver clear, actionable reports and presentations to stakeholders.
• Develop and advise on optimal IP protection and exploitation strategies aligned with research objectives, intended applicatipons and commercialisation pathways.
• Provide strategic oversight and stewardship of IP portfolios, including portfolio shaping, prosecution management, maintenance and lifecycle optimisation of patents and other IP rights (e.g. copyrights).
• Support A*STAR's research and commercialisation goals through effective IP portfolio management and strategic deployment of IP assets.
• Partner closely with Tech Biz Sector Leads, researchers, academic and industry collaborators, and external patent agents/law firms to drive IP strategy, protection and value creation initiatives.
• Advise on IP-related provisions in agreements, including research collaborations, licensing, and project agreements to safeguard A*STAR's interests and enable downstream utilisation..
• Design and deliver capability-building programmes and training to upskill the research, and Tech Biz community on IP concepts, including patenting and copyright considerations.
• Lead, coach, and mentor managers within the IP & Intelligence team, fostering a high-performing culture grounded in collaboration, professional excellence, and continuous learning.

Educational Background

• Degree in a relevant discipline, preferably with a postgraduate qualification (Masters/PhD) in one of the following areas:
  • Mechanical Engineering, with specialisation in mechatronics, robotics, artificial intelligence
  • Materials Science and Engineering, with specialisation in additive manufacturing
  • Computing / Data Science, with specialisation in artificial intelligence
• Graduate Certificate in IP Law, Postgraduate Diploma or Masters of IP and Innovation Management will be an added advantage.

Experience and Domain Knowledge

• Substantial experience in IP-related work with a strong and demonstratable understanding of the end-to-end patenting process is essential.
• Strong experience in patent search and analysis, IP strategy development, and portfolio management.
• Sound understanding of IP-related agreements and commercialisation processes.

Technical and Research Skills

• Proficient in web-based research, including the use of patent and scientific databases.
• Experience with IP analytics tools and data analysis is advantageous.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Power BI for data visualisation and analytics will be an advantage.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Core Competencies

• Deep strategic and analytical thinking, writing, and presentation skills.
• Meticulous and detail-oriented, with a structured and disciplined approach to analysing information and making sound recommendations.
• Ability to influence, advise, and engage senior stakeholders across diverse functional and disciplinary backgrounds.
• Effective organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks effectively.

Interpersonal and Communications Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex IP concepts clearly to senior and technical audiences.
• Ability to engage and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including researchers and industry partners.
• Ability to communicate in more than one language is an advantage.

Personal Attributes

• Demonstrates executive presence, professional maturity, and confidence in engaging at senior leadership levels.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and confident in navigating complexity and ambiguity.
• Able to work both independently while fostering strong teamwork, trust, and shared accountability.
• Adaptable to changing priorities, with the ability to exercise initiative and sound judgment.