Senior AI Scientist

IQVIA, Inc.; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global provider of clinical research services is seeking a Senior AI Scientist to lead the development and deployment of innovative AI solutions. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a relevant field and extensive experience in fine-tuning large language models. This role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams and mentoring junior scientists. Competitive compensation and opportunities for professional growth are offered.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science or related field with publication record.
• Experience with fine-tuning language models and methodologies.
• Proficiency in Python and AI/ML frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and deployment of AI models.
• Drive data engineering to ensure high-quality datasets.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship.

Skills

Fine-tuning large-scale language models

Data engineering

AI/ML frameworks

Communication skills

Project management

Education

PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning

Tools

Python

PyTorch

Azure

Job description

Role Summary

IQVIA's AI Scientist Group is a strategic innovation unit that delivers tailored, state-of-the-art AI solutions to pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. As a Senior AI Scientist, you will lead the design and execution of AI strategies, drive model development and experimentation, and guide both internal and external stakeholders through the implementation of scalable Generative AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the fine-tuning, distillation, and deployment of LLMs for high-impact use cases in clinical research and commercial life sciences.
• Drive data engineering processes to convert structured and unstructured data into high-quality, trainable datasets.
• Design and implement AI agents using IQVIA's Agentic AI framework to enable autonomous reasoning and task completion.
• Spearhead the development of proof-of-concept models and guide transition to production-ready systems.
• Stay at the forefront of advances in LLMs and generative techniques; evaluate and apply relevant methodologies such as SFT, PPO, and reward modeling.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior scientists and engineers.
• Serve as a key technical voice in client engagements-translating complex AI concepts into actionable business insights.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, and domain experts to ensure AI solutions align with customer needs and compliance frameworks.
• Contribute to publication strategies and represent IQVIA at leading AI/ML conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field, with a strong publication record in top-tier AI conferences.
• Extensive experience with fine-tuning/distillation of large-scale language models, with hands-on expertise in SFT, PPO, and reward modeling.
• Deep proficiency in Python and AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch, LangChain, LangGraph, GraphRAG, and AutoGen.
• Experience with modern vector and graph databases (e.g., ChromaDB, Neo4j) and LLMOps platforms (e.g., Azure, Databricks, Azure OpenAI).
• Proven track record of delivering scalable AI solutions in enterprise settings, preferably in life sciences.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead projects and consult directly with senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple projects, driving timelines, and delivering high-quality results in fast-paced environments.

Bonus

• Experience in deploying multi-agent frameworks and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines.
• Familiarity with regulatory and privacy considerations in healthcare AI applications.

IQVIA is a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries. We create intelligent connections to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments to help improve patient outcomes and population health worldwide. Learn more at https://jobs.iqvia.com