Principal Software Development Engineer - AI Innovation

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

The Principal Software Development Engineer will drive innovative, enterprise-wide solution designs at the business unit level for highly complex, strategic initiatives. In this high-impact role, you will serve as both a hands-on leader and the primary problem-solving contact, spearheading proofs-of-concept and technology advancements. You will build and nurture a technology incubation function, partnering closely with business, engineering, data science, product management, and key IT stakeholders to develop and launch groundbreaking solutions that address critical business challenges, enhance patient outcomes, and deliver significant value for CVS Health. Additionally, you will champion cloud enablement strategies, DevSecOps practices, and seamless cross-functional collaboration to shape the future of pharmacy benefits.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the architecture team to lead the design of scalable, enterprise-level systems using microservices, micro frontends, and portable application frameworks.

• Lead engineering teams while maintaining a hands-on role as the primary point of contact for problem-solving to ensure high-quality, performant solutions.

• Lead and drive proofs-of-concept and technology advancements to explore and validate emerging solutions.

• Drive cloud-agnostic strategies by architecting and deploying applications across multiple cloud platforms.

• Integrate and scale AI/ML models to enhance products with intelligent, data-driven features.

• Champion DevSecOps practices by establishing CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and robust security measures.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business requirements into effective technical solutions.

• Partner with business, tech, and product leaders to advance innovative initiatives.

• Mentor and inspire engineering teams to foster innovation and continuous improvement 

Required Qualifications

10+ progressive years of experience in designing and implementing scalable software architectures, including microservices-based solutions and enterprise-scale platforms including the following:

• Proven hands-on development expertise using Java, Python and Angular, with a strong background in coding, debugging, and performance tuning.

• Experience with Enterprise RAG patterns, vector databases, embeddings, prompt engineering, AI orchestration, and AI application integration

• Deep understanding of domain-driven architecture, ensuring that complex business domains are effectively modeled and integrated into robust software solutions.

• Demonstrated expertise in cloud platforms and cloud-agnostic solutions, with the ability to design and deploy applications that are portable across providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

• Advanced proficiency with UI frameworks, micro frontends, web components, and portable application architecture, enabling the creation of flexible, responsive, and maintainable user interfaces.

• Proficiency in AI/ML, with hands-on experience in building, integrating, and scaling machine learning models and intelligent systems using state-of-the-art frameworks.

• Solid expertise in solution engineering, delivering comprehensive end-to-end system design and seamless integration across diverse platforms.

• Proficiency in DevSecOps practices—including automated testing, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and proactive vulnerability management—to ensure secure, high-quality code delivery.

• Demonstrated experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases, ensuring optimal performance, data integrity, and scalable data management.

• Proven track record in leading and mentoring engineering teams, driving technical strategy, and fostering a culture of innovation and high performance.

• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, enabling effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Health Care Industry domain knowledge

• Experience in enterprise development tools and SDLC methodologies

Education

Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience, advanced degrees strongly preferred

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is:

$144,200.00 - $288,400.00

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: 12/28/2026

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.