Principal AI Architect

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Colorado.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of Aetna Technology's AI reference architectures for model serving, multi-model orchestration, retrieval, and evaluation across AWS-primary and multicloud infrastructures.

• Define the agentic architecture, which includes agent orchestration, domain agents, and reusable skill layers.

• Establish API-first integration standards and criteria for MCP exceptions.

• Design and maintain paved-road golden patterns for the creation, serving, and evaluation of models and agents.

• Integrate guardrails, evaluation, and safety controls into AI development methodologies.

• Set standards for model evaluation and benchmarking practices.

• Implement controls for regulated and sensitive data, including PHI.

• Define instrumentation that links AI investments to measurable outcomes, labor-redeployment signals, and usage telemetry.

• Collaborate with platform and finance teams on cost-aware AI architecture and unit economics.

• Create AI standards that are enforced through automated gates and paved-road defaults.

• Contribute to architecture governance, provide input for technology radar, and participate in design reviews with Enterprise Architecture.

• Assess emerging models, frameworks, and agentic tools, and recommend directions for adoption.

• Communicate AI architecture trade-offs to senior technology leaders and peer architects.

• Mentor Solution Architects and senior engineers during design reviews without direct reporting lines.

• Collaborate with strategic AI vendors and internal platform teams.

⛳️ Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in technology.

• Extensive, hands-on experience in AI/ML platform and solution architecture at Aetna Technology's scale.

• Expert-level proficiency in model serving, multi-model orchestration, retrieval, and evaluation on cloud platforms.

• Experience with AWS; familiarity with GCP/Azure is preferred.

• Proven ownership of AI reference architectures and paved-road/golden-path patterns for model and agent development.

• Practical experience in designing agentic systems, including orchestration, tool/skill layers, and API/MCP integration patterns.

• Strong foundation in responsible AI, model evaluation, and guardrail design.

• Demonstrated ability to drive technical outcomes through influence and design authority as an individual contributor.

• Experience in healthcare, health insurance, or similarly regulated industries is preferred.

• Familiarity with FinOps and cost-aware AI architecture is preferred.

• Background in instrumenting AI ROI and adoption metrics for executive audiences is preferred.

• Experience with infrastructure-as-code and automated policy/guardrail enforcement is preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field or equivalent experience.

🏝️ Benefits

• CVS Health bonus, commission, or short-term incentive program.

• Award target in the company’s equity award program.

• Medical coverage.

• Dental coverage.

• Vision coverage.

• Paid time off.

• Retirement savings options.

• Wellness programs.

• Additional resources supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being.