Lab Head, Ophthalmology

Job Responsibilities

1. Pipeline Strategy & Project Initiation Planning Based on unmet clinical needs for posterior segment and orbital diseases (nAMD, DME, DR, thyroid‑eye disease, glaucoma, uveitis, dry‑eye disease, etc.), conduct research on cutting‑edge targets, technologies and competitive landscape of global ophthalmic biologics. Formulate the overall R&D pipeline strategy for the company’s ophthalmic biologics, deliver project initiation assessment reports, lead argumentation for new‑project initiation, and provide technical decision‑making suggestions to senior management.
2. Overall Technical Lead for Projects Serve as the technical lead for ophthalmic biologic programs; oversee target validation, molecular screening and optimization, in‑vitro pharmacodynamics, ophthalmic in‑vivo pharmacodynamic evaluation, and mechanism‑of‑action studies. Design key experimental protocols; resolve ophthalmology‑specific technical challenges including intravitreal/subretinal administration, ocular pharmacodynamic models, ocular‑tissue drug distribution, and local safety profiles. Control project technical routes, milestones and technical risks to ensure on‑schedule project delivery.
3. Technical Platform Development Build and refine the R&D technical system for ophthalmic biologics, covering in‑vitro and in‑vivo pharmacodynamic evaluation systems for ophthalmic diseases, ophthalmic disease animal models (CNV, TED, retinal degeneration, intraocular hypertension, etc.), ocular‑administration evaluation, and analytical‑assessment methods for ocular tissue samples. Establish SOPs to standardize experimental workflows and data management, ensuring authentic and traceable experimental data.
4. Intellectual Property & Technical Deliverables Support patent mining and drafting of technical disclosure documents for ophthalmology programs; collaborate with patent agents to file invention patents. Prepare technical reports, project summaries and pre‑clinical sections of regulatory submission documents. Track cutting‑edge international literature, compile technical reviews, and organize internal technical seminars.
5. Team Management & Talent Development Lead the ophthalmology R&D team; define team work plans and task allocation. Guide research scientists in experimental work, develop core technical talents, deliver technical training to improve overall team research capability, and build a talent pipeline for ophthalmic‑biologic R&D.
6. Internal‑External Collaboration & Academic Exchange Internally, align with molecular biology, CMC, pharmacology‑toxicology, regulatory affairs and clinical teams to connect the full technical chain from molecular discovery to IND filing. Externally, engage ophthalmology clinical experts, CROs and research institutes for technical communication and partnerships. Participate in industry academic conferences to keep abreast of domain‑wide technical trends.
7. Technical Risk Management Identify risks in ophthalmic biologic R&D, including target‑related risks, developability risks, animal‑model translational risks, and administration‑safety risks; formulate risk mitigation plans. Conduct technical reviews at key project gateways and issue timely risk alerts.
8. Industry Intelligence & Technology In‑licensing Continuously monitor global advances in ophthalmic biologics and competitor developments. Evaluate and drive the introduction and implementation of new technologies, external collaborative projects and advanced tools, providing decision‑making inputs to maintain the company’s ophthalmology platform’s technical competitiveness.

Job Requirements

Education & Experience

1. Full‑time PhD degree in Biology, Medicine, Pharmacy or other relevant disciplines.
2. Preference for candidates with ≥5‑year R&D experience in ophthalmic biologics; hands‑on end‑to‑end ophthalmology project experience from target discovery to IND filing is highly preferred.

Professional Competencies

1. Sound knowledge of pathological mechanisms and unmet clinical needs for major ophthalmic diseases (nAMD, DME, DR, thyroid‑eye disease, glaucoma, uveitis, dry‑eye disease, etc.).
2. End‑to‑end ophthalmic drug development experience; proficient in in‑vitro and in‑vivo assays related to angiogenesis, immunity and neurobiology.
3. Familiar with ophthalmology‑specific technologies: intravitreal/subretinal administration, ocular pharmacodynamic models, ocular‑tissue drug distribution and local‑safety evaluation.
4. Prior experience developing ocular modalities including mAbs, bispecific antibodies, fusion proteins, AAV‑based gene therapy or cell therapy is preferred.

Project Track‑Record & Achievements

1. First‑author or corresponding‑author high‑impact SCI publications in ophthalmology, or core patents related to ophthalmic therapeutics.
2. Industrial hands‑on experience in full‑cycle ophthalmic drug development (mAbs / bispecific antibodies / fusion proteins / AAV gene therapy / cell therapeutics); practical experience with dual‑US‑China IND filings is a plus.

General Competencies

1. Capacity for independent cutting‑edge scientific research with rigorous scientific mindset.
2. Strong team leadership, talent‑development and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
3. Result‑oriented, with excellent capabilities in project planning, technical‑risk identification and decision‑making。