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 Oper