ZS Associates

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.

ZS Engineering Lab is seeking highly skilled professionals to design, develop, and deliver sophisticated technical solutions, including products, applications, reporting systems, and data-driven platforms. This role emphasizes deep technical expertise, rigorous problem-solving, and mastery of engineering practices across cloud, data, and ML/AI domains. We offer competitive compensation, a structured progression framework, and opportunities to enhance technical capabilities at each level. Ideal candidates are committed to technical excellence and continuous learning in a long-term, challenging, and rewarding environment.

Sr. Associate Engineer – AI Full Stack Developer

The Sr. Associate Engineer will support the design, deployment, and scaling of Large Language Model (LLM)-based solutions in a Pharma R&D environment. This role sits at the intersection of AI Engineering, Data Science, and Business stakeholders, partnering with Research, IT, and Digital teams to build production-grade AI applications that drive scientific value. The ideal candidate combines strong software engineering skills with experience in machine learning/LLM systems and thrives in a client-facing, regulated enterprise environment.

What you’ll do:

LLM Application Engineering & POC Development

• Partner with Data Scientists, Scientific SMEs, and IT stakeholders to design and develop LLM-enabled POCs for Research use cases (e.g., literature mining, target assessment, study insights).
• Translate scientific and business requirements into scalable AI application architectures.
• Design and implement retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines.
• Optimize LLM performance for large datasets and complex domain queries.
• Ensure enterprise-grade scalability, security, and performance of deployed applications.
• Drive transition from prototype to production-ready systems.

Production Support

• Provide Tier 1–3 support for LLM-based applications in production.
• Monitor system performance and proactively identify issues.
• Perform root cause analysis for recurring issues and implement preventive measures.
• Collaborate across engineering, cloud, and security teams to resolve complex technical challenges.
• Maintain detailed technical documentation, support runbooks, and knowledge artifacts.
• Ensure adherence to enterprise data security, privacy, and regulatory standards (GxP, 21 CFR Part 11 awareness preferred).

Automated Testing & DevOps Enablement

• Design and implement automated testing frameworks for LLM-based systems.
• Build unit, integration, and end-to-end test suites (including LLM evaluation testing).
• Develop evaluation frameworks for:
  • Hallucination detection
  • Output consistency
  • Prompt robustness
  • Latency & performance benchmarking
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
• Contribute to DevSecOps best practices in a regulated environment.

Cloud & Architecture Engineering

• Develop and deploy applications on AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, ECS, etc.).
• Implement containerized deployments (Docker, ECS).
• Design optimized database architectures (Postgres, Elasticsearch, Redshift).
• Support secure API development and enterprise integration patterns.
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture and cybersecurity teams.

Client-Facing & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Engage directly with Pharma Data Science, Research, and IT stakeholders.
• Lead technical working sessions and whiteboarding discussions.
• Present solution architectures and trade-offs to business audiences.
• Contribute to roadmap planning and technical design documentation.
• Balance rapid innovation with governance, compliance, and change management requirements.

What you’ll bring:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.

Technical Skills:

Core Engineering

• Proficiency in Python (required), SQL; experience with R or JavaScript a plus.
• Experience building web applications (Streamlit, Shiny, React, Vue, etc.).
• Strong understanding of REST APIs and microservices architecture.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and Agile SDLC practices.

Cloud & Infrastructure

• Hands-on experience with AWS (EC2, S3, RDS required; ECS preferred).
• Experience with Docker and container orchestration.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Understanding of distributed system design principles.

Machine Learning & LLMs

• Experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn).
• Experience working with Large Language Models in production settings.
• Experience implementing RAG pipelines and vector databases preferred.
• Experience with testing frameworks (pytest, Selenium, JUnit).

Experience:

• 4+ years of experience in software engineering, ML engineering, or AI application development.
• Experience supporting enterprise applications in production environments.
• Argentic AI & Orchestration experience preferred.
• Pharma R&D Domain experience preferred.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical mindset.
• Ability to understand underlying scientific questions and translate them into technical solutions.
• Strong communication and presentation skills (technical and non-technical audiences).
• Experience working in cross-functional teams (Data Science, IT, Business).
• Ability to operate in a dynamic, fast-paced, enterprise environment.
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail.
• Ownership mindset and ability to work independently.
• Fluency in English
• Client-first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

ZS offers a comprehensive total rewards package including health and well-being, financial planning, annual leave, personal growth and professional development. Our robust skills development programs, multiple career progression options and internal mobility paths and collaborative culture empowers you to thrive as an individual and global team member.

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

Considering applying?

At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.

If you’re eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

To complete your application:

Candidates must possess or be able to obtain work authorization for their intended country of employment. An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.

NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.

Find Out More At:

www.zs.com

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