Executive Director, AI Engineering

What the role needs

• Serve as the senior AI technical authority for TPA and Payer Solutions Technology, setting AI engineering strategy aligned to business goals and to CVS Health and Aetna enterprise AI direction.
• Define the agentic AI framework, including agent design patterns, orchestration, tool and data integration, evaluation, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop controls, so agentic solutions are built once and reused safely.
• Establish the AI SDLC covering how AI solutions are designed, built, tested, evaluated, deployed, monitored, and retired, including AI-assisted software engineering practices that raise productivity and quality.
• Advise leaders and teams on technology selection, standards, best practices, and industry trends, with clear recommendations on models, platforms, and vendors.
• Ensure AI solutions meet ethical, privacy, and regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, partnering with legal, compliance, privacy, and security to embed governance, auditability, and risk controls.
• Measure AI effectiveness, including model quality, reliability, cost, adoption, and business impact, and report value realized and risks managed to senior leadership.
• 15 years in software engineering, data, or AI/ML, including leading AI engineering or advanced analytics teams in a large enterprise.
• Hands-on depth: has personally designed, built, and shipped production AI solutions, and can credibly review architecture, code, and model evaluation approaches.
• Production experience with generative AI and agentic systems, including orchestration, retrieval and grounding, evaluation, guardrails, observability, and cost management.
• Working command of the AI stack, including ML and LLM platforms, MLOps and LLMOps, cloud-native architecture, data pipelines, and enterprise integration.
• Experience establishing AI engineering practices, such as an AI SDLC, platform standards, and an operating model, adopted across multiple teams.
• Proven ability to lead and influence without direct authority, raising technical capability across a broad organization.

From the employer

We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time. Position Summary Are you a hands-on AI engineering leader who wants to be the technical brain behind how a large healthcare organization builds, governs, and scales AI? CVS Health is seeking an Executive Director, AI Engineering, to serve as the senior AI technical authority for the Third-Party Administrator (TPA) and Payer Solutions Technology organization, including Meritain Health, one of the nation s largest third-party administrators, and our Wholesale businesses. This is a rare opportunity to define how AI is engineered, delivered, and operated across a multi-year transformation that will reshape how millions of members, employers, brokers, and providers experience their health benefits. You will lead a highly skilled team of AI engineers and serve as the primary AI engineering partner to the transformation leader, owning the AI engineering approach, technical foundation, agentic framework, AI software development lifecycle (AI SDLC), and AI operating model. Beyond the transformation, you will act as a distinguished engineer for the broader TPA and Payer Solutions organization, raising AI acumen and infusing AI value across engineering, product, and business teams. Success requires strong partnerships across CVS Health and Aetna enterprise AI, data, architecture, security, and compliance teams, leveraging enterprise platforms while delivering business-specific outcomes. You will be credible with engineers and executives alike, able to go deep on technical design and translate it into clear trade-offs and measurable business value. Key Responsibilities Serve as the senior AI technical authority for TPA and Payer Solutions Technology, setting AI engineering strategy aligned to business goals and to CVS Health and Aetna enterprise AI direction. Partner with the transformation leader to define and deliver the AI engineering approach and technical foundation, including reference architectures, reusable components, and sequencing of AI capabilities across digital experience, service operations, and core platform modernization. Define the agentic AI framework, including agent design patterns, orchestration, tool and data integration, evaluation, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop controls, so agentic solutions are built once and reused safely. Establish the AI SDLC covering how AI solutions are designed, built, tested, evaluated, deployed, monitored, and retired, including AI-assisted software engineering practices that raise productivity and quality. Define the future-state AI operating model, including team structures, roles and skills, intake and prioritization, build-versus-buy and vendor guidance, platform and tooling standards, and interfaces with enterprise AI, data, architecture, and security teams. Lead development and implementation of AI solutions across generative AI, natural language processing, machine learning, computer vision, and intelligent automation, with a focus on production outcomes in claims, enrollment, prior authorization, and member and provider service. Advise leaders and teams on technology selection, standards, best practices, and industry trends, with clear recommendations on models, platforms, and vendors. Ensure AI solutions meet ethical, privacy, and regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, partnering with legal, compliance, privacy, and security to embed governance, auditability, and risk controls. Measure AI effectiveness, including model quality, reliability, cost, adoption, and business impact, and report value realized and risks managed to senior leadership. Provide AI leadership for the organization: build a high-caliber AI engineering team by defining the talent profile, hiring the right people, and developing technical leaders, while fostering a culture of innovation, rigor, and continuous learning. Act as a distinguished engineer and force multiplier across the broader TPA and Payer Solutions organization, coaching engineering leaders, reviewing designs, and running enablement programs that lift AI skills well beyond direct reports. Collaborate with business and technology leaders to identify where AI can improve processes, enhance member experience, or drive innovation, keeping executives, stakeholders, and technical teams aligned to business objectives. Required Qualifications 15 years in software engineering, data, or AI/ML, including leading AI engineering or advanced analytics teams in a large enterprise. Hands-on depth: has personally designed, built, and shipped production AI solutions, and can credibly review architecture, code, and model evaluation approaches. Production experience with generative AI and agentic systems, including orchestration, retrieval and grounding, evaluation, guardrails, observability, and cost management. Working command of the AI stack, including ML and LLM platforms, MLOps and LLMOps, cloud-native architecture, data pipelines, and enterprise integration. Experience establishing AI engineering practices, such as an AI SDLC, platform standards, and an operating model, adopted across multiple teams. Proven ability to lead and influence without direct authority, raising technical capability across a broad organization. Experience ensuring AI meets ethical, privacy, security, and regulatory requirements with legal, compliance, and risk partners. Strong executive presence, explaining complex technical trade-offs to VP and C-suite stakeholders and influencing investment and technology decisions. Demonstrated record of recruiting, developing, and mentoring high-performing engineers and technical leaders. Adept at execution and delivery, business intelligence, and collaboration, with mastery of problem solving, decision making, and growth mindset (agility and developing yourself and others). Preferred Qualifications Experience applying AI in healthcare payer, TPA, or managed care settings, including embedding generative AI and intelligent automation into production workflows in a regulated environment. Experience operating in a highly matrixed enterprise with shared services across Product, Architecture, Data, Security, and Infrastructure. Experience with AI-assisted software engineering and measurable gains in developer productivity and delivery quality. Recognized technical leadership, such as distinguished or principal engineer experience, patents, publications, or external speaking. Experience with natural language processing, computer vision, or document intelligence at enterprise scale. Education Bachelor s degree in computer science, engineering, data science, information systems, or a related quantitative discipline, or equivalent work experience and professional qualifications. Graduate degree preferred. Pay Range The typical pay range for this role is: $175,100.00 - $334,750.00 This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program. Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong. Great benefits for great people We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families. This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility. Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments . We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 10/30/2026 Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.