Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant R&D

About the role

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. We transform ideas into impact by combining data, science, technology, and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. You'll work alongside a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers, and consumers worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy production-grade AI/ML solutions to solve complex R&D and life-sciences problems
• Develop and maintain end-to-end AI pipelines, including data ingestion, feature engineering, model training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring
• Implement generative AI and agentic AI solutions, including orchestration frameworks, prompt engineering, and model integration into enterprise workflows
• Collaborate with data engineering and cloud teams to operationalize AI models at scale
• Apply software engineering best practices (versioning, testing, CI/CD) to AI systems
• Monitor model performance, data drift, and reliability; iterate based on real-world usage and feedback
• Contribute directly to the implementation of AI/ML solutions, including data preparation, model development, and deployment support
• Support testing, validation, and performance evaluation of AI models in real-world scenarios
• Collaborate with ZS internal teams and client teams to shape and implement high-quality technology solutions that address critical business challenges
• Lead modules and workstreams within projects while actively participating in hands-on implementation
• Work with technical architects to validate the technical design and implementation approach
• Apply appropriate development methodologies and best practices to ensure exceptional client and project team experience
• Support the project lead in project delivery, including project planning, people management, staffing, and risk mitigation
• Manage a diverse team with various skill sets while providing mentorship and coaching to junior members
• Lead task planning and distribution among team members for timely completion of projects with high-quality results
• Lead the project deliverables such as business case development, solution vision and design, user requirements, prototypes, technical architecture, test cases, deployment plans, and operations strategy

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Analytics, Computer Science, MIS, or related field with academic excellence
• 3-5+ years of relevant professional experience in delivering small/medium-scale technology solutions
• Experience in R&D technology projects including large-scale clinical transformation programs
• Good knowledge of R&D business processes enhancements based on experience/best practices, business knowledge, and gaps in current vs. future state in one or more of the following R&D domains: Clinical, Quality, Regulatory, and/or Safety
• Hands-on experience with Python-based data science or AI development through coursework, projects, or professional work
• Exposure to deploying or supporting AI solutions on cloud platforms
• Interest in growing into full-stack AI engineering and solution delivery roles
• Strong understanding of RDBMS concepts, SQL, data warehousing, and reporting
• Experience with big data concepts, data management, data analytics, and cloud platforms
• Proficiency in programming languages like Python
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including expertise in algorithms and data structures
• Client-first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
• Ability to simplify complex concepts into easily understandable frameworks and presentations
• Proficiency in working within a virtual global team environment, contributing to the timely delivery of multiple projects
• Willingness to travel to other offices as required to collaborate with clients and internal project teams

Skills

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
• Ability to simplify complex concepts into easily understandable frameworks and presentations
• Proficiency in working within a virtual global team environment, contributing to the timely delivery of multiple projects
• Willingness to travel to other offices as required to collaborate with clients and internal project teams

Benefits

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community.

Pay

Details on pay can be found on ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Schedule

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 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.