Regional R&D Head AMEA

Job Title: Regional R&D Head AMEA

Reports To: Science Head AMEA

Primary Location: Singapore

Alternative locations: Shanghai, CN or Mumbai, India

Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally .

Our mission: to bring health in people’s hands by making self-care as simple as it should be for over half a billion consumers worldwide.

At the core of this mission is our 100+ loved brands , our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and four specialized science and innovation development centers.

Headquartered in France, Opella is the proud maker of many of the world’s most loved brands, including Allegra, Buscopan, Doliprane, Dulcolax, Enterogermina, Essentiale and Mucosolvan. B Corp certified in multiple markets , we are active players in the journey towards healthier people and planet.

Find out more about our mission to bring health in your hands at www.opella.com.

Job Purpose

The job holder will be responsible for leading the R&D team within the AMEA region. He/She will lead a team of R&D brand leads who are responsible for end-to-end delivery of brand pipelines and superior science relevant to innovation.

The job holder will be expected to be a strong R&D business leader with the ability to translate science and technology into brand-led strategies. He/She will be expected to drive business growth through brand-led science strategies and act as a business partner for Brand and Innovation leaders to prioritize the portfolio for our CHC business and deliver on the enterprise ambition of putting health in the hands of our consumers.

Responsibilities:

• Accountable for delivering the R&D pipeline for regional and local brands to meet agreed innovation sales targets in line with the strategic growth plan, while ensuring consistency of delivery and sharing best practices across brands.

• Accountable for delivering a balanced portfolio of short-, medium-, and long-term R&D projects using claims, NPD, clinical studies, packaging innovation, and sustainability.

• Ensure delivery of fewer, bigger, better innovation projects in partnership with B&I leads, strengthened by consumer-based insights.

• Work closely with local science teams, regulatory, and medical leads to ensure successful regulatory registration, approvals, and robust scientific formulation of innovations.

• Deliver a patent pipeline for regional brands based on differentiated science.

• Strong partnership with IPM to ensure execution on time and in full.

• Define R&D capability needs for the future pipeline and propose them to the leadership team.

• Ensure innovative, consumer-centric, and science-based R&D approaches.

• Ensure a future-facing approach for regional and local brands across R&D, regulatory, and medical, aligned with global trends and health authority requirements.

• Strong cross-functional teamwork to ensure delivery of the innovation pipeline.

• Accountable for identifying and prioritizing base business protection projects for global brands based on risk.

• Work closely with global R&D teams, packaging teams, and development centre heads to ensure development plans are aligned with internal and external capabilities.

• Ensure a strong external technology network is leveraged to deliver and accelerate differentiated innovation opportunities.

• Zone Science Hub Heads; Brand and Innovation Heads/Leads; New Product Development (NPD) centres; IPM, M&S including EM; Packaging Innovation; Regional R&D Leads; Global R&D Heads/Leads

Education: Degree in Science or higher degree (PhD) in pharmaceutical science or relevant academic qualification is desirable.

Required knowledge and/or experience:

• At least 15 years of experience in R&D, science innovation, pharmaceutical, FMCG, consumer healthcare, and/or nutritional industries.

• Experience across cross-category innovation including health food, personal care, OTC, and new product development is an advantage.

• Strong R&D leadership experience with a proven track record of delivering innovation to brands.

• Experience in developing integrated plans and budgets for regional innovation programs.

• Experience in identifying and leveraging external partnerships, suppliers, providers, and KOLs to drive innovation.

• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and leadership teams on industry trends and opportunities for local brands.

• Experience in end-to-end innovation delivery from ideation to launch in collaboration with project managers.

• Familiar with innovation scope including BD opportunities, NPD, clinical-backed claims, novel ingredients, formulation technologies, and sustainable solutions.

• Strong ability to translate consumer insights into science-based solutions and sustainable pipelines.

• Strong ability to operate in a matrix environment with strong communication skills.

Language skills:

• Fluent spoken and written English

Cultural traits / Challenger Mindset:

• Push to go beyond current ways of operating and continuously challenge the status quo to deliver better outcomes.

• Focus on priorities that matter and eliminate what does not add value.

• Be intolerant of mediocrity and always aim higher while staying aligned with company values.

Required Leadership Competencies:

• Business Acumen – Ability to use financial, market, and industry insights to improve business outcomes.

• Judgement – Ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous or incomplete situations.

• Interpersonal Relationships – Treat others with respect, sensitivity, and professionalism.

• Personal Leadership – Demonstrates accountability, courage, and integrity, placing organizational and stakeholder interests above personal interests.

• Drive – Strong motivation to achieve ambitious goals and continuously improve performance.

• Learning Agility – Ability to adapt quickly and apply knowledge in unfamiliar situations.

KEY DIMENSIONS.

Reports to the Opella AMEA Science Head (Acting Regional R&D Head)

Why us?

At Opella, you will enjoy doing challenging, purposeful work, empowered to develop consumer brands with passion and creativity. This is your chance to grow new skills and be part of a bold, collaborative, and inclusive culture where people can thrive and be at their best every day.

We Are Challengers.

We are dedicated to making self-care as simple as it should be. That starts with our culture. We are challengers by nature, and this is how we do things:

All In Together: We keep each other honest and have each other's backs.

Courageous: We break boundaries and take thoughtful risks with creativity.

Outcome-Obsessed: We are personally accountable, driving sustainable impact and results with integrity.

Radically Simple: We strive to make things simple for us and simple for consumers, as it should be.