Principal, Forward Deployed Engineer

GSK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GSK's Enterprise AI team seeks a leader to run Forward Deployed Engineering, shaping strategy, hiring, and engagement with BU sponsors. You will stay hands-on at the frontier of AI-augmented engineering while guiding a growing team through complex AI initiatives.

You will own the FDE function, define standards for agent workflows, partner with Solutions and Operations, and ensure governance under Code Orange and Responsible AI, while reporting progress to Enterprise AI leadership.

Qualifications

• PhD or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering and AI/ML engineering with leadership.
• Experience taking AI ideas from sketch to working software in customer-facing roles.
• Strong technical depth in GenAI patterns: agents, multi-agent orchestration, RAG, evaluation.
• Daily use of AI coding agents (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Databricks AI Assistant).
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and developing senior engineering talent.
• Track record of presenting engineering function value to senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on experience with Openclaw/Hermes agents.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function — strategy, structure, hiring, development, and standards for the function.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

A/B Testing

AI Workflow Integration

Algorithms

Back-End Development

Computer Programming

Database Management

Data Collection Methods

Data Security

DevOps

Front-End Development

Model Evaluation

Performance Optimizations

Scalable Architectures

Software Design

User Experience (UX) Design

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Tools

Openclaw

Hermes agents

Job description

Business Introduction

GSK remains committed to achieving bold commercial ambitions for the future. By 2031, we aim to deliver £40 billion in annual sales, leveraging our existing strong performance momentum to significantly increase our positive impact on the health of billions of patients globally. Our Ahead Together strategy is centered on early intervention to prevent and alter the course of disease, thereby protecting people and supporting healthcare systems. Our diverse portfolio consists of vaccines, specialty medicines, and general medicines.

Through continuous innovation and a dedicated focus on scientific and technical excellence, we strive to develop and launch new, groundbreaking treatments that address critical health challenges.

Position Summary

GSK's Enterprise AI team builds AI solutions that prove value fast and scale to production. You will lead the Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) function — the front of the Enterprise AI delivery pipeline that proves AI ideas with the business through PoCs, PoVs, MVPs and, where appropriate, first production versions, before handing proven solutions off to the Solutions Engineer for scale-up. This pattern is proven by AI-native companies such as Anthropic, Palantir and OpenAI, and this role brings that model to GSK. You will hold direct line management of the FDE team (Staff, Lead, Senior, and Forward Deployed Engineers), setting FDE strategy and engagement priorities, owning Director-level BU sponsor relationships, and representing Enterprise AI on FDE matters to GSK leadership — while continuing to contribute technically at the frontier of AI-augmented engineering, where humans steer and agents execute. Enterprise AI's credibility with the business depends on engineers who can land inside BU problems, prove value quickly, and hand off cleanly; you will build and lead the function that makes this happen.

Responsibilities

This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career. These responsibilities include some of the following:

• Lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function — strategy, structure, hiring, development, and standards for the function.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Why You?

Basic Qualification

• PhD or master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12 or more years of 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 technical depth in GenAI patterns: agents, multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and evaluation.
• 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.
• Hands-on experience with Openclaw/Hermes agents.

Preferred Qualification

• Prior leadership experience at an AI-native company (Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI, or similar) — Head of Forward Deployed Engineering, Director of Solutions, or equivalent.
• Experience in regulated industries (pharma, healthcare, financial services).
• Experience setting AI engineering standards at organizational scale.
• Clinical development experience.

Skills

A/B Testing, AI Workflow Integration, Algorithms, Back-End Development, Computer Programming, Database Management, Data Collection Methods, Data Security, DevOps, Front-End Development, Model Evaluation, Performance Optimizations, Scalable Architectures, Software Design, User Experience (UX) Design

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.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities, contact us at [e-mail] where you can also request a call. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments, we will not be able to support you through these channels. However, we have created a Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the link where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive

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