1. business and industrial
2. manufacturing

Careers@Singapore:
Biomedical Sciences
May 2015
HOT JOBS
Scroll down to see the highlights
of all the Career Opportunities.
Or visit our jobs portal at
contactsingapore.sg/jobs
Choosing the path less taken
Ms Daniela Ottini
Site Director
AbbVie Operations Singapore Pte Ltd
Singapore welcomed her first female site
director, Daniela Ottini, who confessed
she had never been to Asia but gamely
picked up the gauntlet to start AbbVie’s
new manufacturing plant in the middle of
2014.
“After having worked for more than 20
years with AbbVie in Europe, I was very
excited at the prospect of coming to
Singapore to start something completely
new. It is not often that such opportunities
come by and although I loved my old job,
I was thrilled to take up the offer,” Daniela
tells us.
AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, picked Singapore for its first investment in Asia due
to its stability, educated workforce and supportive environment for manufacturing. The investment
allows AbbVie to continue delivering innovative therapies to patients by balancing and extending
its internal manufacturing network. This helps to manage costs and ensures the continuity of
supply of medicines.
In addition to building a US$320 million bulk biologics manufacturing facility, AbbVie acquired an
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient plant in Tuas. This plant, operational in 2015, will expand
AbbVie’s operations for small molecule manufacturing.
“When our bulk biologics manufacturing facility is operational in 2019, our AbbVie plant will be the
first in our network that has both bulk biologics and small molecule manufacturing. We will be
looking at recruiting more than 250 staff, so there are definitely lots of opportunities for those
interested in joining this sector,” says Daniela.
To access this flyer online, please visit: www.contactsingapore.sg/eCareers/BMS/May2015
Believe in yourself
The Italian national was a Chemical Engineering graduate who started out as a process engineer.
“At AbbVie Italy, I was fortunate to have taken on many different roles in manufacturing and
operations. One of the things I am most proud of is having started up the only small molecule
manufacturing plant that produced an anti-HIV compound more than 15 years ago. That compound
made a huge difference to HIV patients – HIV is no longer the death sentence it used to be, especially
for those in the less developed countries. There is such a great sense of satisfaction when one can be
involved in providing solutions that improve patient care.”
Asked how life had been for her here as one of the rare female site directors, Daniela says that her
transition has been smooth as people here are efficient and welcoming. Noting that her career
pathway is not common for women, she has words of encouragement for aspiring female engineers.
“Believe in yourself. If you are good at what you do, don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams even if they
are not considered traditional for you.”
It’s the same, yet different
Before coming here, Daniela recalls expecting that Singaporeans would be more reserved but has
been glad to find them warm and hospitable. In fact, she finds that there are things about Singapore
that are not so different from Rome, for example, the fast pace and liveliness of the city, the
importance of family ties, the way friends or colleagues share food, etc.
Other than sampling local food, Daniela has been exploring the city and its nature spots, and
discovering the arts and theatre scene in her free time. She is looking forward to travelling to countries
nearby, like Australia, that would have been difficult to reach from Rome.
Asked if she is still passionate about her pasta, Daniela jokes that she is so taken by the range of local
noodle dishes that she is now a fan of both noodles and pasta!
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
About
Contact
Singapore
► Facilities
Engineer
► Engineer
► Associate, Quality Assurance
► Microbiologist
► Senior Engineer II (Validation)
► Senior Associate, Manufacturing
► MQA Supervisor
► Specialist IS Business Systems
► Projects Engineer
Analyst
► Senior Engineer - Process
► Specialist Quality Control
► EHS Manager
► Chemical Engineer
► Senior EHS Engineer
► Laboratory Analyst
► Senior Laboratory Analyst
► NPI & Validation Quality Manager
► Senior Technical Analyst
► Production/Chemical Engineer
► Supervisor, Engineering Services
► QA Officer
► Biotechnologist, Manufacturing Upstream/Downstream
► Process Development
Specialist/Engineer
► Process Documentation
Specialist - MSAT
► Section Manager, Manufacturing
Upstream/Downstream
► Senior Scientist QC
► Senior Scientist,
(Development Services)
► Analytical Scientist
► Lead Chemist - Process
► Batch Record Specialist
► Downstream Specialist (MS&T)
Analytical Technology
► Lead Engineer - Engineering
► Formulation Scientist
► Galenical Steward
(CSV) Engineer
► Senior Automation Engineer
► Technical Learning Specialist
► Senior Engineer, Global
Technical Operations
► Senior Specialist - Supply
Chain Management
► Senior Technical Expert
► Computer Systems Validation
► Senior Quality Assurance Specialist
Services Processes
► HVAC Engineer
► Process Specialist, SHF
► QC Chemist
► Project Engineer
► Senior/Manufacturing Supervisor
► Senior/Validation Engineer
► Validation Engineer
Warmest regards,
The Contact Singapore Team
singapore@contactsingapore.sg
About Contact Singapore
Contact Singapore is an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower. We engage overseas
Singaporeans and global talent to work, invest and live in Singapore.
Contact Singapore actively links Singapore-based employers with professionals to support the growth of our key industries. We work with
investors to realise their business and investment interests in Singapore.
For information on working, investing and living in Singapore, please visit www.contactsingapore.sg or contact our worldwide offices.
About Singapore
In the heart of Asia lies Singapore - a bustling, world-class city state that has made waves around the world for its business excellence,
connectivity to the world and its innovation.
Singapore has been consistently acknowledged as a global business hub – one that features developed infrastructure, political stability, open
business policies, a skilled workforce, the use of English as the main working language and respect for intellectual property rights. Many
multinational companies have chosen to set up their bases in Singapore, next to 187,000 small and medium enterprises. Business owners all
over the world regard Singapore as an ideal location to grow their businesses, with many of them using the country as a springboard to tap into
other emerging markets in Asia.
Besides being ranked in the World Bank 2015 Report as the world's easiest place to do business (out of 189 countries), Singapore has, among
its many accolades, the top ranking in the Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 by the World Economic Forum as being the most
competitive economy in Asia. Singapore was also ranked by the Mercer 2015 Quality of Living Survey as the top Asian country for its quality of
life.
Global talent are attracted to Singapore’s meritocratic society that embraces diversity, and a high quality of life in a cosmopolitan environment.