Director, Forward Deployed Engineer

GSK

• Enterprise AI

Director, Forward Deployed Engineer (CMC R&D)

About the Role

GSK’s Enterprise AI team builds AI solutions that prove value fast and scale to production. The Director, Forward Deployed Engineering leads the FDE function for the research engine of the Chemical Manufacturing Controls (CMC) and will drive the front of the Enterprise AI delivery pipeline that proves AI ideas with the business through first production versions, before handing proven solutions off to the Solutions Engineer for scale-up. The pattern is proven by AI-native companies - Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI - and this role brings that model to GSK.

This Staff role leads the Forward Deployed Engineering function with direct line management of the FDE team. The Staff sets FDE strategy and engagement priorities, owns Director-level BU sponsor relationships, and represents Enterprise AI on FDE matters to GSK leadership. The role continues to contribute technically at the frontier of AI-augmented engineering - humans steer, agents execute.

CMC is the GSK function that turns a validated molecule into a reliably manufactured, quality-assured medicine; its mission is to get safe, effective, consistently manufactured medicines to patients, faster. To support GSK's ambition to double new product introductions, the CMC Acceleration program is composed of three engines: the Development Engine, which fosters molecule and process development (R&D); the Tech Transfer Engine, which expedites the path from R&D to market (GSC); and the Data & Automation Engine (across CMC), which provides the foundational knowledge system and agentification of the full CMC process.

This role will build and scale the digital twin, physical AI, and self-driving lab capability that connects virtual process models to real-world process signals and closed-loop experimentation, underpinning real-time process modeling and accelerated process development for drug substance and drug product manufacturing. You bring deep, hands-on AI/engineering expertise and the judgement to turn ambiguous CMC R&D problems into shipped, production-grade systems, while mentoring the engineers around you.

Why This Role Exists

Enterprise AI’s ability to build credibility with the business depends on engineers who can land inside BU problems, prove value quickly, and hand off cleanly. The Director, Forward Deployed Engineering builds and leads the function that makes this happen.

• Leads the FDE function - setting strategy, building the team, and owning the standards that determine whether the function delivers credibly.
• Owns the BU senior relationships that bring AI use cases to Enterprise AI and sustain engagement through the delivery cycle.
• Continues to contribute technically on the most strategic FDE engagements - keeping the Director’s judgement grounded in current AI engineering reality.

Key Responsibilities

FDE Function Leadership

• Lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function - strategy, structure, hiring, development, and standards.
• Hire, mentor, and develop the FDE team - creating development paths from G8 through to G5.
• Set the standards for AI-native engineering practice within the function - agent workflows, prompt and pattern libraries, handoff hygiene.

BU Engagement & Strategic Delivery

• Own relationships with Director and Senior Director-level BU sponsors across business units that bring AI use cases to Enterprise AI.
• Take on the most strategic FDE engagements personally - the ones that set precedents for the function.
• Make and defend portfolio-level kill/continue decisions across FDE engagements with BU and Enterprise AI leadership.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Coordinate with the Solutions Engineering and Operations Engineering functions on the delivery pipeline; represent FDE in Enterprise AI leadership forums.
• Influence vendor strategy and tooling choices for AI-native engineering practice within Enterprise AI.

Governance & Reporting

• Ensure the FDE function operates within Code Orange, Responsible AI, and Accountability Report governance from the prototype stage onward.
• Provide regular reporting to Enterprise AI leadership on FDE function performance - engagement pipeline, outcomes, team development, and capacity.

What You Bring

Required Experience

• Extensive experience in software engineering and AI/ML engineering, with significant time leading senior engineering teams or functions.
• Demonstrated experience taking AI ideas from sketch to working software at speed, in customer-facing engineering roles.
• Strong depth in at least 3 of the following: digital twins, predictive modeling, document generation, multi-agent orchestration & automation, Physical AI
• Daily use of AI coding agents (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Databricks AI Assistant) as the primary mode of development.
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and developing senior engineering talent.
• Track record of representing engineering functions to senior business stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Prior leadership experience at an AI-native company (Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI, or similar) - Head of Forward Deployed Engineering, Director of Solutions, or equivalent.
• Experience with physical devices AI automation (PLCs, robotic arms), Isaac Sim, virtual commissioning, foundation models for manufacturing, self-driving labs, etc
• Experience in regulated industries (pharma, healthcare, financial services).
• Experience in the process development in a pharmaceutical research environment.
• Experience setting AI engineering standards at organisational scale.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field are advantageous.

Skills Profile

The following skills define what strong performance looks like in this role. Each descriptor reflects the scope, autonomy, and impact expected at this Director level.

Technical Leadership

• AI Engineering Practice: Sets the standards for AI-native engineering within the function. Maintains hands-on technical depth on strategic engagements and evaluates the team’s technical decisions.
• Portfolio Judgement: Makes and defends portfolio-level kill/continue decisions with multi-year business consequences. Translates AI engineering possibility into business outcomes for senior stakeholders.

People & Team Development

• Hiring & Development: Hires, mentors, and develops senior engineering talent. Creates development paths from G8 through to G5 with clear milestones and active coaching.
• Function Building: Builds and leads an engineering function - structure, standards, culture, and ways of working - in a fast-moving AI landscape. Stakeholder Engagement
• Senior BU Relationships: Owns Director and Senior Director-level BU sponsor relationships. Navigates complexity across business units to sustain the FDE engagement pipeline.
• Enterprise AI Representation: Represents the FDE function in Enterprise AI leadership forums. Influences cross-functional strategy and vendor decisions at organisational scale.

Governance & Standards

• Governance Leadership: Ensures responsible AI governance is embedded in FDE practice from the prototype stage - not bolted on afterward.
• Function Performance: Maintains clear reporting on FDE pipeline, outcomes, and team development for Enterprise AI leadership.

What Success Looks Like

In the first 12 months, the person in this role will have:

• The FDE function is operating with a clear engagement pipeline, defined standards, and a team that is delivering at pace and developing toward greater seniority.
• Director and Senior Director-level BU sponsors describe Enterprise AI’s FDE function as a credible, high-value partner - not a vendor relationship.
• At least one portfolio-level kill/continue decision has been made and defended, with Enterprise AI and BU leadership aligned on the outcome.
• AI-native engineering standards - agent workflows, prompt and pattern libraries, handoff hygiene - are documented and actively used by the team.

Work Location: This role is based at GSK HQ, London and offers a hybrid working model, combining on-site and remote work.

Closing date for applications: 10th November 2026

Enterprise AI is GSK’s centre of gravity for applied artificial intelligence. We pair forward deployed engineers and full-stack engineers with scientific, clinical, and business teams to build AI products that get used - not pilots that get archived. We work fast, ship in production, and measure ourselves on outcomes that matter to patients.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team - we welcome candidates from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups in technology, science, and pharma.

#AGTech

Skills

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases - to impact health at scale.

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

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