ZS Associates

Discovery Client Lead

ZS Associates$120K — $150K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Advanced degree (PhD or PharmD) in a relevant scientific field or equivalent research experience.
  • Strong client relationship and communication skills with credibility among scientific and senior stakeholders.
  • Experience in business development, including opportunity identification and proposal drafting.
  • Ability to identify and address client needs beyond one's own expertise.
  • Broad knowledge of drug discovery with depth in at least one area (bioinformatics, AI, etc.).
  • Experience leading client-facing teams and scaling team delivery.
  • Prior experience in consulting, CRO, pharma services, or pharma/biotech R&D environments preferred.
  • Proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the Discovery Client Lead (DCL) managing client relationships and account strategy.
  • Develop account plans based on a deep understanding of the client's R&D priorities.
  • Build trusted relationships across client stakeholders from scientists to R&D leaders.
  • Identify growth opportunities across the Discovery portfolio and drive integrated solutions.
  • Connect clients with ZS expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to align work with overall account strategy.
  • Lead ZSD delivery teams to ensure high-quality execution and client engagement.
  • Support business development efforts including proposal contribution and opportunity shaping.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive total rewards package for health, well-being, and financial future.
  • Robust skills-building programs and multiple career progression paths.
  • Internal mobility opportunities for career growth and role expansion.
  • Hybrid working model offering flexibility to work from home and on-site.
  • Supportive culture emphasizing collaboration and meaningful work.
  • Commitment to inclusion and belonging, fostering diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Full Job Description
What you'll do:
  • Serve as the named Discovery Client Lead (DCL) for assigned accounts, owning the client relationship, ZSD revenue, and overall account strategy
  • Develop and execute account plans based on a deep understanding of the client's R&D organization, priorities, and decision-making structure
  • Build trusted relationships across client stakeholders, from working-level scientists to senior R&D leaders
  • Identify opportunities across the full Discovery portfolio (scientific strategy, bioinformatics, AI, data, and technology) and drive integrated growth across service lines
  • Proactively connect clients with the right ZS expertise, including in areas outside your own domain, to deliver coordinated solutions
  • Collaborate within the broader account structure (e.g., Client Service Leads, capability leaders) to align Discovery work with overall account strategy
  • Lead and coordinate ZSD delivery teams within accounts, ensuring high-quality execution and continuity of client engagement
  • Support business development efforts, including shaping opportunities, contributing to proposals, and expanding existing engagements


What you'll bring:
  • Advanced degree in a relevant scientific field (e.g., PhD, PharmD) or equivalent applied experience in research and translational sciences
  • Strong client relationship and communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with scientific and senior stakeholders
  • Experience contributing to or leading business development, including opportunity identification and proposal development
  • Demonstrated cross-service orientation, identifying client needs beyond your domain and bringing in the right capabilities
  • Broad familiarity with drug discovery, with depth in at least one area (e.g., bioinformatics, AI, data, scientific strategy, or technology)
  • Experience leading or contributing to client-facing teams, including scaling delivery and developing team members
  • Experience in a consulting firm, CRO, pharma services organization, or pharma/biotech R&D environment preferred
  • 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 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.

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

About ZS Associates

ZS is a professional services firm that works side by side with companies to help develop and deliver products that drive customer value and company results. From R&D to portfolio strategy, customer insights, marketing and sales strategy, operations and technology, we leverage our deep industry expertise and leading-edge analytics to create solutions that work in the real world. Our most valuable asset is our people?a fact that?s reflected in our values-driven organization in which new perspectives are integral and new ideas are celebrated. ZSers are passionately committed to helping companies and their customers thrive in industries ranging from healthcare and life sciences, to high-tech, financial services, travel and transportation, and beyond.
Learn more about ZS Associates
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1983

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