Data Excellence Delivery & BD Lead - ZS Discovery

About the role

ZS's Insights & Analytics group partners with clients to design and deliver solutions to help them tackle a broad range of business challenges. Our teams work on multiple projects simultaneously, leveraging advanced data analytics and problem-solving techniques. Our recommendations and solutions are based on rigorous research and analysis underpinned by deep expertise and thought leadership.

What You’ll Do

• Lead data and technology advisory engagements for pharma and biotech discovery organizations, covering data strategy, architecture visioning, governance design, and transformation roadmapping
• Stay involved through design and implementation. You will structure workplans, manage project risks, oversee analyses and workshops, and ensure high-quality deliverables as programs shift from strategy into execution
• Partner with senior client stakeholders across research, discovery informatics, computational sciences, data, and IT to understand their challenges and translate scientific and operational pain points into actionable programs
• Lead multidisciplinary teams that span strategy, technology, analytics, and scientific domains. You will coordinate with offshore delivery teams on implementation workstreams
• Contribute to business development: identify growth opportunities within accounts, shape proposals and scopes of work, and bring informed perspectives on where discovery organizations are headed
• Help build ZSD’s Drug Discovery practice by developing offerings, IP, case examples, and market-facing thought leadership
• Factor AI and data-readiness into your recommendations. You will not build AI models, but you will need to translate emerging AI and data trends into practical client action

What You’ll Bring

• Advanced degree preferred in life sciences, chemistry, biology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, data science, or a related field. An MBA or equivalent is also valued. Not required if domain depth is evident from experience
• Roughly 8-10+ years of relevant experience in consulting, pharma/biotech R&D, research IT, discovery informatics, or a combination
• Direct experience working in or with drug discovery and/or preclinical research organizations
• Familiarity with scientific data domains relevant to discovery, such as assay data, omics, chemistry, biology, imaging, DMPK, or translational data
• Experience with platforms and ecosystems used in research organizations, such as ELN/LIMS, scientific workflow tools, cloud data platforms, knowledge graphs, AI/ML workflows, or bioinformatics environments
• Experience leading transformation programs in research settings (not just administering platforms). Ability to manage stakeholder alignment between IT and research functions, adoption challenges, workflow design
• Understanding of data architecture, platform selection, integration patterns, and data governance well enough to evaluate technical trade-offs and guide delivery teams. Ability to connect discovery workflows with data and platform decisions
• Demonstrated ability to bridge the language of scientists, informaticians, and business leaders. Comfortable presenting to heads of discovery, research informatics, computational sciences, and digital/data leadership
• Client-first mentality
• Rigorous 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

• A comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development
• Robust skills-building programs
• Multiple career progression paths
• Internal mobility
• A deeply collaborative culture

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.