{"id":118591,"url":"https://alion.io/job/thecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering","title":"Principal Architect – PBM Modernization & AI Engineering","company":{"id":13928,"name":"The Cigna Group","domain":"thecignagroup.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/thecignagroup","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":90,"open_postings":82,"ghost_share":0.024,"stale_share":0.488,"repost_share":0.085,"time_to_fill_p50_days":20,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"AI/ML","role_family":"AI/ML","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Austin, United States","Dallas, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":149000,"max_usd":310000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":782},"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AI Agents","optional":false},{"name":"Claude Code","optional":false},{"name":"Copilot","optional":false},{"name":"Cursor","optional":false},{"name":"Go","optional":false},{"name":"Java","optional":false},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":false},{"name":"Node JS","optional":false},{"name":"Platform Engineering","optional":false},{"name":"React.js","optional":false},{"name":"JavaScript","optional":true},{"name":"LLM","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-24","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T07:51:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":71,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":71},"description":"Principal Architect - PBM Modernization & AI Engineering\nThe Principal Architect - PBM Modernization & AI Engineering is a senior architecture leader responsible for designing and delivering modern technology solutions that accelerate the transformation of the Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) ecosystem.\nAs a key member of the PBM modernization program, this individual will partner closely with product, engineering, data, and business teams to modernize legacy platforms and enable scalable, cloud-native, API-first, and event-driven architectures. The Principal Architect will bring deep technical expertise developed through a progression from software engineering into architecture leadership and will serve as a trusted advisor on application architecture, engineering excellence, technology modernization, and AI adoption.\nThe successful candidate will possess extensive experience designing, building, and modernizing enterprise platforms utilizing modern technology stacks, including React, Java, Go, Node.js, cloud-native services, and modern data architectures. This role requires expertise across application architecture, data engineering, integration strategies, distributed systems, and software delivery practices, with the ability to guide engineering teams through complex transformation initiatives.\nArtificial Intelligence will be a critical component of this role. The Principal Architect will help define and implement architectures that leverage Generative AI, Agentic AI, and intelligent automation to streamline business processes, improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and unlock new business capabilities. This leader will champion practical AI adoption across the software development lifecycle while ensuring solutions remain scalable, secure, compliant, and aligned with enterprise standards.\nKey Responsibilities\nModernization, AI & Engineering Leadership\nLead the design and implementation of architecture solutions supporting strategic PBM modernization initiatives.\n\nDrive the transformation of legacy applications into modular, cloud-native, API-first, and event-driven platforms.\n\nEstablish architecture standards, reference patterns, and engineering best practices that improve scalability, resiliency, maintainability, and speed to market.\n\nProvide hands-on technical leadership through architecture reviews, solution design, proof-of-concept development, and critical engineering initiatives.\n\nPartner with engineering teams to modernize application platforms using React, Java, Go, Node.js, Kubernetes, cloud-native services, and modern integration patterns.\n\nDefine and implement data architecture, data modeling, and data engineering strategies that support operational, analytical, and AI-driven business capabilities.\n\nDrive adoption of DevSecOps, platform engineering, architecture automation, and AI-assisted software development practices.\n\nIdentify and implement opportunities to embed Generative AI, Agentic AI, and intelligent automation capabilities within PBM products and business workflows.\n\nDefine architectural patterns that support AI-enabled workflow automation, intelligent decision support, knowledge management, and operational excellence.\n\nLeverage AI-powered engineering platforms and development copilots, including Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and emerging technologies, to accelerate modernization efforts, improve developer productivity, enhance software quality, and reduce delivery timelines.\n\nDesign and implement AI-enabled software engineering capabilities, including SDLC agents, reusable skills, prompt frameworks, and specification-driven development practices that automate architecture, coding, testing, documentation, and modernization workflows.\n\nEnsure all solutions are secure, scalable, observable, compliant, and aligned with enterprise architecture principles and governance standards.\n\nMentor architects and engineers while fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, continuous learning, and modernization.\n\nPreferred Qualifications\n8+ years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, and technology leadership.\n\nDemonstrated progression from hands-on software engineering roles into architecture leadership positions.\n\nDeep expertise designing and building cloud-native applications utilizing Java, Go, Node.js, React, APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures.\n\nStrong background in data architecture, data modeling, data engineering, and modern data platforms.\n\nExperience implementing Generative AI, Agentic AI, large language model (LLM)-based solutions, and intelligent automation capabilities in enterprise environments.\n\nExperience within healthcare, pharmacy benefit management (PBM), payer, or pharmacy technology domains preferred.\n\nProven ability to influence senior technology and business leaders while driving large-scale modernization initiatives.\n\nStrong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.\n\nBachelor degree in Computer Science or related fields\n\nWhy This Role Matters\nThe Principal Architect serves as a key technical leader in the PBM modernization journey, translating strategic architecture vision into practical, scalable solutions. This role will help reduce technical debt, accelerate innovation, enable AI-driven transformation, and establish the technology foundation for the next generation of PBM platforms and digital capabilities. Through a combination of architectural leadership, engineering excellence, and AI innovation, this individual will play a critical role in shaping the future of the PBM technology landscape.\nThis version elevates the role to a more executive-level, strategic Principal Architect position while maintaining the hands-on modernization and AI engineering expectations.\nIf you will be working at home occasionally or permanently, the internet connection must be obtained through a cable broadband or fiber optic internet service provider with speeds of at least 10Mbps download/5Mbps upload.\nAbout The Cigna Group\nDoing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives. At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients. Join us in driving growth and improving lives.Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.\nIf you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application process, please email  for assistance. Please note that this email inbox is dedicated to accommodation requests only and cannot provide application updates or accept resumes.\nThe Cigna Group has a tobacco-free policy and reserves the right not to hire tobacco/nicotine users in states where that is legally permissible. Candidates in such states who use tobacco/nicotine will not be considered for employment unless they enter a qualifying smoking cessation program prior to the start of their employment. These states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington State.\nQualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8005,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Continuous learning"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Health Insurance & Benefits","Pharmacies"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":10,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.346,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":71,"expected_fill_days":20,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/thecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/thecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T10:33:31Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":14697,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":13928},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=13928"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fthecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fthecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fthecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/thecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fthecignagroup-principal-architect-pbm-modernization-ai-engineering"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":118591}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"thecignagroup.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":118591},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}