Staff, Forward Deployed Engineer

Overview

Lead GSK's Forward Deployed Engineering function within Enterprise AI, owning strategy, team development and BU sponsor relationships while continuing to contribute technically on the most strategic engagements.

What you'll do

• Lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function, including strategy, structure, hiring, development, and standards.
• Hire, mentor, and develop the FDE team, creating development paths from G8 through to G5.
• Set standards for AI-native engineering practice within the function, including agent workflows, prompt and pattern libraries, and handoff hygiene.
• 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, including those that set precedents for the function.
• Make and defend portfolio-level kill/continue decisions across FDE engagements with BU and Enterprise AI leadership.
• Coordinate with the Solutions Engineering and Operations Engineering functions on the delivery pipeline, and represent FDE in Enterprise AI leadership forums.
• Influence vendor strategy and tooling choices for AI-native engineering practice within Enterprise AI.
• Ensure the FDE function operates within Code Orange, Responsible AI, and Accountability Report governance from the prototype stage onward.
• Provide regular reporting to Enterprise AI leadership on FDE function performance, including engagement pipeline, outcomes, team development, and capacity.

What you'll need

• At least 18+ years of experience in software engineering and AI/ML engineering, with significant time leading senior engineering teams or functions.
• Demonstrated experience taking AI ideas from sketch to working software at speed, in customer-facing engineering roles.
• Strong technical depth in GenAI patterns: agents, multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and evaluation.
• Daily use of AI coding agents (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Databricks AI Assistant) as the primary mode of development.
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and developing senior engineering talent.
• Track record of representing engineering functions to senior business stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

• Prior leadership experience at an AI-native company (Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI, or similar), such as Head of Forward Deployed Engineering, Director of Solutions, or equivalent.
• Experience in regulated industries (pharma, healthcare, financial services).
• Experience setting AI engineering standards at organisational scale.
• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.

Details

• Location: Bengaluru Luxor North Tower.
• Direct line management of the FDE team (Lead, Senior, and Forward Deployed Engineers, flat reporting structure).