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