Senior Forward Deployed Solutions Architect, Large Pharma

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SAS is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Solutions Architect, Large Pharma, a forward‑deployed, hands‑on technical expert dedicated to a strategic, US‑based pharmaceutical customer.

In this role, you will operate as an embedded consultant and forward‑deployed engineer, working closely with business, data science, engineering, and IT teams at the customer site in New Jersey. Your mission is to cocreate innovative analytics, AI‑driven, agent‑based, and data‑centric solutions on top of SAS technology, directly within the customer’s operational environment.

You will accelerate innovation and time‑to‑value by applying, composing, and extending SAS capabilities to address high‑impact pharmaceutical sponsor challenges.

This role is designed for longer‑term customer engagement to enable sustained capability development and deep business impact.

• Serve as a forward-deployed, customer‑embedded consultant working directly with business and technical teams within large pharmaceutical organizations.
• Lead time‑boxed innovation sprints (typically ~12 weeks), with continuity across multiple sprints, to design and deliver analytics- and AI‑enabled capabilities.
• Translate real‑world business challenges into production‑ready solutions built on SAS platforms and integrated into customer systems and workflows.
• Apply life sciences and pharmaceutical expertise to identify and solve problems across R&D, clinical development, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and commercial operations.
• Co‑develop new analytical methods, metrics, and AI‑driven approaches that deliver measurable improvements for sponsors and manufacturers.
• Bridge industry context and technical execution, ensuring solutions are innovative, compliant, and usable in regulated environments.
• Design and implement analytics pipelines, AI/ML workflows, agent‑based approaches, and decisioning solutions using SAS technologies, APIs, and enterprise integrations.
• Rapidly prototype, iterate, and operationalize solutions with customer users, progressing from proof of value to scalable, production‑ready capabilities.
• Partner closely with Sales, Industry Advisors, technical teams, Product Management and Customer Success to align embedded innovation with overall account strategy and support reuse across SAS.
• Clearly articulate business value, outcomes, and ROI, while providing structured feedback to SAS teams on customer needs, emerging use cases, and innovation opportunities.
• Embrace curiosity, passion, authenticity and accountability. These are our values and influence everything we do.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in life sciences/pharmaceutical consulting, applied analytics, data science engineering, or technical solution delivery roles.
• Strong hands‑on experience building analytics- or AI‑driven solutions in complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work embedded with customers, including on‑site collaboration in New Jersey and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑moving settings.
• Proven capability to translate business requirements into technical implementations that deliver real operational value.
• Equivalent combination of related education, training and experience may be considered in place of the above qualifications. 

• Broadening Business Value: Exploring customers’ underlying issues and needs that suggest broader solutions; maximizing the productiveness of sales interactions by building on customer cues to gain commitment to products, services, and solutions; articulating and promoting a path forward.
• Building Customer Loyalty: Meeting and exceeding internal or external customer expectations while cultivating relationships that secure commitment and trust.
• Customer Focus: Ensuring that the internal or external customer’s perspective is a driving force behind strategic priorities, business decisions, organizational processes, and individual activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs; promoting and operationalizing customer service as a value.
• Ability to work on complex problems requiring simultaneous understanding of industry, data, and technology.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and creative thinking in environments with evolving requirements.
• Capability to lead initiatives, define working approaches, and coordinate activities across business and technical stakeholders.
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain advanced analytical or AI concepts in business terms.
• Strong relationship‑building skills and comfort working across organizational boundaries.

At SAS, it’s not about fitting into our culture – it’s about adding to it. We believe our people make the difference. Our inclusive workforce brings together unique talents and inspires teams to create amazing software that reflects the diversity of our users and customers.

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status. SAS is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Read more: Know Your Rights.

Resumes may be considered in the order they are received. SAS employees performing certain job functions may require access to technology or software subject to export or import regulations. To comply with these regulations, SAS may obtain nationality or citizenship information from applicants for employment. SAS collects this information solely for trade law compliance purposes and does not use it to discriminate unfairly in the hiring process. 

The base salary range for this position is $136,948 USD - $167,380 USD per year and is a good faith estimate only.  The range does not include any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.  Actual pay will vary depending on factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  Pay is just one component of SAS’s total compensation package for employees. Employees may also be eligible for commission or discretionary bonus (based on company and individual performance) as determined by the role. In addition, SAS provides a competitive benefits package to meet different employee needs and lifestyles; including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.  For more information regarding SAS benefits, click here to view the total rewards package. 

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