Lead Forward-Deployed AI Engineer

Our client is a fast-growing, VC-backed AI company building the next generation of services delivery: AI agent workforce's that do knowledge work inside a customer’s own environment, paid for on outcomes rather than seats. Life sciences is their largest sector, and they’re doubling down on it.

• Millions in ARR, with flagship pharma and CRO customers, including two of the five largest CROs
• 3x ARR growth and 160% net revenue retention last year
• $51M raised from top-tier VCs and angels
• Proprietary reliability technology and causal reasoning IP that regulated enterprises trust

They’re now establishing local technical delivery in the US and need a hands-on lead to own it.

You’ll lead technical delivery for US pharma and life sciences customers. You’ll work onsite and independently, coordinating with UK engineers and the internal Value Engineering team.

• Lead customer discovery and turn real workflows into feasible scope, technical designs and measurable acceptance criteria
• Build and integrate agentic systems with enterprise data and APIs, owning evaluation, failure handling, testing and deployment
• Own delivery through to production and customer acceptance
• Guide engineers, review code and designs, and turn delivery lessons into reusable approaches

This is not lab R&D, and it is not product or platform development (a separate team does that).

• Personal ownership of production AI systems using Python, LLMs and agentic workflows, with measurable business impact
• Independent client delivery: leading onsite discovery, resolving blockers and communicating risk with minimal supervision
• A track record of leading a small engineering team or enterprise delivery workstream while staying hands-on
• Experience evaluating and operating reliable systems; pharma, life sciences or regulated-enterprise experience preferred
• Based within practical reach of a major US pharma hub, and willing to work regularly at customer sites