Principal Technical & AI Solutions Consultant

The Principal Technical & AI Solutions Consultant is a senior practitioner and business driver who bridges deep technical implementation expertise with the strategic acumen required to generate and advance commercial opportunities within the life sciences industry. This role is uniquely hands-on. The individual must be equally comfortable architecting and implementing AI-powered solutions, configuring data pipelines, and executing system integrations as they are leading executive-level discovery sessions, crafting proposals, and driving sales cycles to close.

The Principal Technical & AI Solutions Consultant will serve as USDM’s most technically credible commercial voice at the intersection of AI, data, and life sciences IT operations, translating customer challenges into tangible, deployable solutions that deliver measurable business and compliance value.

Primary Responsibilities

Business Development and Sales Leadership

• Drive business development by identifying, qualifying, and advancing new opportunities across the life sciences industry with a focus on AI implementation, data and integration architecture, and IT-enabled operations.

• Own the end-to-end sales cycle for technical and AI engagements, from initial customer discovery and solution scoping through proposal development, SOW authoring, RFP response, and contract execution.

• Cultivate and maintain executive-level customer relationships, conducting compelling C-suite and VP-level conversations that connect technical capabilities to strategic business and regulatory outcomes.

• Advise customers on the current AI landscape, including foundation model providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS), AI platforms, and life sciences-specific AI tooling, and translate this knowledge into practical, risk-managed deployment strategies.

• Develop and deliver technically rigorous yet business-accessible presentations, demonstrations, and proof-of-concept builds that accelerate customer decision-making.

AI, Data, and Integration Delivery

• Architect, implement, and deliver AI and machine learning solutions within life sciences environments, including large language model (LLM) deployment, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, AI agents, and machine learning model integration into validated systems.

• Design, build, and manage data pipelines that aggregate, transform, and deliver structured and unstructured data across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments (e.g., Azure Data Factory, AWS Glue, Databricks, Snowflake, dbt).

• Lead system integration efforts connecting enterprise platforms, including Veeva Vault, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, MES, LIMS, and ERP systems, using RESTful APIs, message queues, and integration middleware.

• Configure and administer life sciences IT systems, supporting platform migrations, cloud infrastructure deployments, and validated system implementations in GxP-compliant environments.

Delivery Leadership and Team Development

• Lead cross-functional delivery teams through the full project lifecycle, ensuring technical quality, on-time delivery, and measurable outcomes.

• Define project scopes, technical architectures, and deliverables in alignment with customer expectations and USDM delivery standards.

• Build and mentor teams of technical consultants, establishing best practices in AI implementation, data engineering, and system integration within life sciences contexts.

Additional Responsibilities

• Contribute to USDM thought leadership by authoring technical content, presenting at industry forums, and developing reference architectures and point-of-view materials on AI and data topics.

• Stay current on the evolving AI landscape, including model releases, agentic frameworks, AI governance standards, and FDA guidance on AI/ML in regulated environments.

• Collaborate with quality, compliance, and validation practice teams to ensure AI and technical solutions meet GxP requirements and can be delivered with appropriate validation rigor.

• Support internal capability development by mentoring colleagues, contributing to technical accelerators and proven methodologies, and participating in USDM practice-building initiatives.

• Participate in strategic account planning, pipeline reviews, and capability presentations with practice leadership and sales teams.

• 10+ years of experience in technical consulting, solutions architecture, data engineering, or IT implementation, with a minimum of 3 years focused on AI or machine learning solution delivery.

• Proven track record of driving business development, managing technical sales cycles, and closing professional services or software engagements with life sciences customers.

• Demonstrated ability to lead executive-level technical conversations and translate complex architectural concepts into clear, outcome-oriented business narratives.

• Hands-on experience designing and deploying AI solutions, including LLM-based applications, RAG architectures, AI agents, and ML model operationalization (MLOps).

• Proficiency in building and managing data pipelines using modern data engineering tools (e.g., Azure Data Factory, AWS Glue, Databricks, dbt, Airflow, or equivalent).

• Strong experience with system integration patterns and technologies, including RESTful APIs, ETL/ELT frameworks, message-based architectures (Kafka, Service Bus), and enterprise integration platforms (MuleSoft, Azure Integration Services, or equivalent).

• Familiarity with life sciences platforms including Veeva Vault, Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, and/or LIMS/MES systems and their integration landscape.

• Working knowledge of GxP requirements, computer system validation (CSV/CSA), and 21 CFR Part 11 as they apply to AI and IT systems in regulated environments.

• Proficiency in at least one programming or scripting language (Python, SQL, JavaScript, or equivalent) used in data engineering or AI implementation contexts.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated ability to craft proposals, SOWs, and RFP responses.

• Strong analytical, architectural, and problem-solving skills, with a track record of designing and delivering technically sound solutions to complex operational challenges.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field required.

• Master’s degree or MBA preferred.

• Cloud platform certification (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, Google Professional Data Engineer) preferred.

• AI or machine learning certification (e.g., AWS Certified Machine Learning, Google Professional ML Engineer, or equivalent) preferred.

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.

The working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job and are not meant to be all-inclusive. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job.

Unless reasonable accommodations can be made, while performing this job the staff member shall:

• Operate primarily in a remote home-office environment with prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk and working on a computer.

• Operate standard office productivity equipment, including a computer, phone, scanner, and printer.

• Frequently communicate with customers and internal stakeholders via telephone, video conference, email, or instant message. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

• Travel to customer sites for onsite work as needed., Base Salary Range: USD $144,200 to $216,200

The salary range represents the anticipated low and high end of USDM’s compensation range for this position. Actual base salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. The compensation described above is subject to change and could be higher or lower than the range described based on market survey data or budget.

Full-time employees are eligible for health, vision, and dental insurance, life insurance, short and long-term disability, hospital indemnity, accident, and critical care coverage.

Both full and part-time employees, who are at least 21 years of age, are eligible to participate in USDM’s 401k plan. Full and part-time employees may be eligible for paid time off.

All employees are eligible for USDM’s rewards and recognition program.

USDM Life Sciences is a premier consulting company with 20+ years of experience assisting heavily regulated biotech, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies with their GxP technologies to accelerate growth. Our deep domain knowledge and technology expertise in life sciences business processes are what set us apart. From strategy to implementation and adoption, we have delivered thousands of GxP projects globally.

As part of the USDM team, you have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies through our many partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Google, Oracle, DocuSign, Box, and many more. From molecule to market, you will help connect technology, people, and data in new ways to generate real-time insights to improve business outcomes for USDM’s customers. Are you ready to make an impact and drive real digital transformation in life sciences?

Founded in Santa Barbara in 1999, USDM has grown to a progressive, global company with 300+ remote employees and offices throughout the US, Canada, and Germany.