Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant R&D
ZS Associates · Princeton, United States +8 · 1mo ago
ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.
Join our growing Business Technology Solutions (BTS) team at the intersection of life sciences, technology, and innovation. We partner with leading pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations to deliver AI-enabled solutions that transform R&D functions, including clinical development, drug safety, regulatory operations, and quality management.
We're seeking Associate Consultants who are passionate about solving complex business challenges through technology. In this role, you'll work across AI/ML, generative AI, cloud platforms, data engineering, and advanced analytics to design and implement impactful solutions. This is a highly collaborative, client-facing opportunity that combines strategic problem-solving, technology solution design, and hands-on delivery in a fast-paced consulting environment.
What you’ll do: Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant in the Technology Services area will:
- 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
- Develop Python‑based analytics and AI components under the guidance of senior technical leads
- 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
- Develop a deep understanding of the business challenges and effectively translate them into technical designs
- 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
What you’ll bring:
- 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
- Experience in implementing Agentic AI solutions, preferred to have formal education or certifications in AI & ML courses
- Ability to lead project teams, drive end-to-end activities, meet milestones, and provide mentorship/guidance for the team growth
- 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
- Fluency in English
- Client-first mentality
- Intense work ethic
- Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach
Additional Skills:
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
- Capability 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
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
- Capability 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
- Travel to other offices as required to collaborate with clients and internal project teams
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:
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. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.
Hybrid working model:
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:
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. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.
Considering applying?
At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.
If you’re eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.
ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.
To complete your application:
An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.
NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.
Find Out More At:
www.zs.com
Join our growing Business Technology Solutions (BTS) team at the intersection of life sciences, technology, and innovation. We partner with leading pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations to deliver AI-enabled solutions that transform R&D functions, including clinical development, drug safety, regulatory operations, and quality management.
We're seeking Associate Consultants who are passionate about solving complex business challenges through technology. In this role, you'll work across AI/ML, generative AI, cloud platforms, data engineering, and advanced analytics to design and implement impactful solutions. This is a highly collaborative, client-facing opportunity that combines strategic problem-solving, technology solution design, and hands-on delivery in a fast-paced consulting environment.
What you’ll do: Business Technology Solutions Associate Consultant in the Technology Services area will:
- 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
- Develop Python‑based analytics and AI components under the guidance of senior technical leads
- 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
- Develop a deep understanding of the business challenges and effectively translate them into technical designs
- 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
What you’ll bring:
- 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
- Experience in implementing Agentic AI solutions, preferred to have formal education or certifications in AI & ML courses
- Ability to lead project teams, drive end-to-end activities, meet milestones, and provide mentorship/guidance for the team growth
- 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
- Fluency in English
- Client-first mentality
- Intense work ethic
- Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach
Additional Skills:
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
- Capability 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
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to structure thoughts logically during discussions and presentations
- Capability 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
- Travel to other offices as required to collaborate with clients and internal project teams
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:
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. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.
Hybrid working model:
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:
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. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.
Considering applying?
At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.
If you’re eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.
ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.
To complete your application:
An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.
NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.
Find Out More At:
www.zs.com