Resp & Qualifications
PURPOSE:
Drives enterprise optimization by introducing and maturing capabilities for the AI Platform & Operations domain, translating business needs into architectural solutions that meet performance, reliability, and security expectations. Owns the technical foundation and operational excellence required to run AI systems in productionensuring platforms are scalable, secure, cost-effective, and production-readyso delivery teams can ship AI use cases quickly and safely. Applies enterprise roadmaps, principles, standards, and practices; develops domain strategies, reference architectures, and reusable patterns (paved roads) for AI/ML and LLM/generative AI workloads across cloud environments.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Domain Architecture viewpoints, target state, and reusable, preapproved, productionready paths that teams can use safely and quickly
- Leads preparation of domain architecture viewpoints/models for current, target, and interim states, identifying pain points and opportunities.
- Architects and evolves the enterprise AI platform supporting ML, LLM, and generative AI workloads; defines reference architectures, patterns, and processes for development and deployment.
- Ensures target-state alignment and integration across architecture domains, including seamless integration with enterprise data platforms, identity, security, and legacy systems.
Engineering Assets, Implementation Partnership, and Architecture Governance
- Leads design, engineering, and implementation of reusable assets that improve solution quality; collaborates through implementation phase.
- Owns end-to-end AI production lifecycle architecture: CI/CD, packaging, deployment, versioning, rollback, and governed scale mechanisms (e.g., registries/artifacts/evaluation frameworks).
- Represents the domain in peer reviews and briefings (e.g., Architecture Review Board); maintains domain work products in the repository and dispositions stakeholder feedback.
Cross-Functional Enablement & Delivery Acceleration (Engineering Focus)
- Enables delivery teams by providing reusable infrastructure, tooling, and automation, serving as technical escalation for complex platform/ops issues.
- Leads collaboration with business and technical stakeholders to maximize architecture impact and address constraints; ensures traceability upstream to business needs and downstream to solution building blocks.
Reliability, Performance, Observability & Runbooks
- Ensures platforms meet availability, scalability, performance, and resilience requirements; implements monitoring/alerting and SRE-style runbooks for AI services.
- Drives continuous improvement to reduce operational friction and technical debt in production AI systems.
Vendor/Tooling Evaluation & Platform Service Selection
- Leads vendor evaluations/selection for domain-specific tooling; represents the domain in RFIs/RFPs and evaluation/scoring of proposals.
- Evaluates and adopts market-leading AI tools/services aligned with enterprise standards.
Methods, Standards, Security-by-Design & Operational Readiness
- Leads development/enhancement of architecture domain methods/tools; aligns domain processes with other architecture domains and SDLC disciplines; develops communications/education materials.
- Partners with cybersecurity and Trust & Risk teams to implement secure-by-design AI platforms (access control, logging, data protection, release governance) and supports production readiness reviews without duplicating governance ownership.
Domain Assessments, Roadmap Inputs, Reporting
- Leads domain assessments for complex proposed projects; provides input to project/product/enterprise technology roadmaps; provides regular reporting on progress, issues, and opportunities related to the domain.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education Level: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field OR in lieu of a Bachelor's degree, an additional 4 years of relevant work experience is required in addition to the required work experience.
Licenses/Certifications Upon Hire Preferred:
- Certified System Architect, Cloud Architect, Kubernetes/Platform Engineering, MLOps Certification.
Experience: 10 years Experience in Architecture Domain.
Preferred Qualifications:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
- Ability to motivate and influence others so that project objectives are met in a timely manner.
- Ability to collaborate with stakeholders to develop high quality solutions.
- Ability to coach, delegate, and develop architects and engineers.
- Ability to managing cross-domain architecture solutions and issues.
- Expertise with domain related architecture frameworks, methods and tools.
- Effective organizational, interpersonal/relationship management, analytical, communications (written and verbal) and collaboration.
- Must be able to meet established deadlines and handle multiple customer service demands from internal and external customers, within set expectations for service excellence. Must be able to effectively communicate and provide positive customer service to every internal and external customer, including customers who may be demanding or otherwise challenging.
Salary Range: 155,600 - 278,135
Travel Requirements
Estimate Amount: 5%
Salary Range Disclaimer
The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the work is being performed. This compensation range is specific and considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, internal peer equity, and market and business consideration. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range, as compensation decisions depend on each case's facts and circumstances, including but not limited to experience, internal equity, and location. In addition to your compensation, CareFirst offers a comprehensive benefits package, various incentive programs/plans, and 401k contribution programs/plans (all benefits/incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).
Department
Agile Transformation
Equal Employment Opportunity
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Where To Apply
Please visit our website to apply: www.carefirst.com/careers
Federal Disc/Physical Demand
Note: The incumbent is required to immediately disclose any debarment, exclusion, or other event that makes him/her ineligible to perform work directly or indirectly on Federal health care programs.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The associate is primarily seated while performing the duties of the position. Occasional walking or standing is required. The hands are regularly used to write, type, key and handle or feel small controls and objects. The associate must frequently talk and hear. Weights up to 25 pounds are occasionally lifted.
Sponsorship in US
Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without Sponsorship
#LI-LD1