PR/096048 | Vice President, New Product Development

Company and Job Overview

It’s a leading advanced material company with a long-standing focus on surface treatment for the electronics and semiconductor industries. 

As part of their global expansion and the establishment of an innovation center in APAC, they are seeking a Vice President of New Product Development to lead a worldwide team, including APAC, Europe, and North America. 

The role

The Vice President of New Product Development will oversee global product innovation, starting with expanding the R&D team in Singapore. They will define the long-term innovation roadmap, ensuring new products balance manufacturing, performance, and cost efficiency. This role is vital for transforming R&D capabilities, driving execution, and fostering long-term value through innovation. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on leadership, experience in materials science or electronics industries, and a proven track record in leading R&D transitions or establishing new innovation centers.

Responsibilities

Lead the ramp-up of R&D team in Singapore, including infrastructure, talent, and knowledge transfer.

Develop and execute long-term product strategies focused on high-margin, customer-relevant, and manufacturable platforms.

Build an agile, innovative R&D team, fostering a culture of speed and cross-functional collaboration.

Work directly with global customers and sales teams to identify needs and translate them into prototypes and roadmaps.

Collaborate with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure smooth product industrialization and scalable launches.

Drive an innovation pipeline, balancing incremental and breakthrough technologies, and safeguard IP.

Maintain high standards in technical rigor, reliability, testing, and regulatory compliance, leading milestone reviews.

Qualifications

At least 20 years of experience in R&D, innovation, or new product development within high-reliability sectors such as advanced materials, semiconductors, or electronics.

MS or PhD in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

Proven success leading global or multi-regional R&D teams, with experience establishing or scaling R&D operations, preferably in APAC.

A strong track record of launching products that deliver measurable commercial impact and competitive advantage.

Skilled at leading change in complex environments with legacy systems or in North America–APAC integration.

Demonstrates strong technical leadership, business acumen, and the ability to inspire teams.

Collaborative, decisive, and able to influence across functions and regions.

Hands-on, talent-focused, with high cultural agility—especially in U.S.–Asia dynamics.

Must hold a passport allowing flexible travel at short notice.

Fluency in Mandarin preferred; fluency in English required.

Additional Notes: 

This is a global hiring initiative. Candidates must be willing and able to live and work full-time in Singapore and lead international teams across multiple time zones and cultures.

This is a confidential search for a succession role. Only shortlisted candidates will be shared with the company information before the first-round interview.

Catherine Qu 
JAC Recruitment Pte Ltd 
EA Personnel: R22104823 
EA Personnel Name: QU QIUSHI

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