Senior Associate Engineer - AI Full Stack Developer

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.
ZS Engineering Lab is seeking highly skilled professionals to design, develop, and deliver sophisticated technical solutions, including products, applications, reporting systems, and data-driven platforms. This role emphasizes deep technical expertise, rigorous problem-solving, and mastery of engineering practices across cloud, data, and ML/AI domains. We offer competitive compensation, a structured progression framework, and opportunities to enhance technical capabilities at each level. Ideal candidates are committed to technical excellence and continuous learning in a long-term, challenging, and rewarding environment.
Sr. Associate Engineer - AI Full Stack Developer
The Sr. Associate Engineer will support the design, deployment, and scaling of Large Language Model (LLM)-based solutions in a Pharma R&D environment. This role sits at the intersection of AI Engineering, Data Science, and Business stakeholders, partnering with Research, IT, and Digital teams to build production-grade AI applications that drive scientific value. The ideal candidate combines strong software engineering skills with experience in machine learning/LLM systems and thrives in a client-facing, regulated enterprise environment.
What you'll do:
Build & Scale AI Applications

• Develop LLM-powered applications (e.g., literature search, insights generation)
• Design scalable architectures (APIs, microservices, data pipelines)
• Implement RAG-based solutions and optimize performance for complex queries
• Take solutions from POC → production

Own Reliability & Performance

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and improve production systems
• Build automated testing and evaluation frameworks for LLM outputs (quality, latency, consistency)
• Ensure performance, scalability, and security in enterprise environments

Cloud & Engineering

• Deploy applications on AWS (e.g., EC2, S3, RDS, ECS)
• Build containerized services (Docker) and integrate with CI/CD pipelines
• Work with structured and unstructured data systems

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• 5+ years in software engineering, ML engineering, or AI applications
• Strong Python + experience building production applications
• Experience with APIs, microservices, and modern web frameworks/applications (e.g., React, Streamlit)
• Hands-on cloud experience (AWS or similar)
• Experience with ML or LLM-based systems
• RAG pipelines, vector databases, or LLM evaluation techniques preferred
• Pharma, healthcare, or regulated industry experience preferred
• DevOps (Docker, CI/CD) and distributed systems preferred
• Agentic AI / orchestration frameworks preferred
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and delivering end-to-end solutions
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills
• Ability to understand underlying scientific questions and translate them into technical solutions.
• Strong communication and presentation skills (technical and non-technical audiences).
• Experience working in cross-functional teams (Data Science, IT, Business).
• Ability to operate in a dynamic, fast-paced, enterprise environment.
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail.
• Ownership mindset and ability to work independently.
• Fluency in English
• Client-first mentality
• Intense 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:
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 Canada , visit ZS Canada 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:
Candidates must possess or be able to obtain work authorization for their intended country of employment. 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
Salary: $110,000.00 - $125,000.00