Lead AI Architect

McKesson; United States; On-site; USD 122,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

McKesson seeks a Lead AI Architect to define enterprise-grade AI and data architectures for mission-critical platforms. You will translate business strategy into scalable designs, approve end-to-end AI architectures, and help teams operationalize AI/ML securely and responsibly.

You will partner with product, engineering, security, and operations leaders to shape target-state roadmaps, drive governance, and ensure regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in solution or enterprise architecture.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience designing enterprise-scale architectures for cloud-based, distributed, and integrated systems.
• Demonstrated experience with AI/ML architecture, lifecycle operationalization, and production deployment patterns.
• Hands-on knowledge of cloud architecture; experience with Microsoft Azure required, with Azure AI Foundry strongly preferred.
• Experience defining and enforcing architecture governance, standards, and design review processes.
• Ability to communicate architecture decisions, risks, and trade-offs clearly to executive and cross-functional audiences.

Responsibilities

• Design and approve end-to-end AI, data, and application architectures for enterprise platforms and high-impact initiatives.
• Lead AI/ML lifecycle operationalization, including deployment readiness, observability, and ongoing optimization.
• Define architecture standards, governance guardrails, and exception processes that support security, reliability, performance, compliance, and operability.
• Guide cloud-native and hybrid solution strategy across cloud platforms, with Azure AI Foundry preferred.
• Direct data preparation and feature engineering approaches that support scalable, production-ready AI solutions.
• Evaluate platforms, integration patterns, APIs, event-driven architectures, and data flows to align current-state systems to target-state roadmaps.
• Partner with product, engineering, security, and operations leaders to manage technical risk, accelerate delivery, and communicate trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor architects and engineers while promoting modern ways of working, continuous improvement, and enterprise systems thinking.

Skills

AI Architecture

Cloud Architecture

Stakeholder Communication

Mentoring

Azure Cloud

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Azure AI Foundry

APIs

CI/CD tooling

Job description

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people.

We are seeking a Lead AI Architect to define and guide enterprise-grade architecture for AI-enabled, mission-critical products and platforms. In this role, you will translate business strategy into scalable solution designs, approve end-to-end AI architectures, and help teams operationalize AI/ML capabilities securely and responsibly. You will partner across engineering, data, security, and business teams to shape target-state architecture, simplify the technology landscape, and deliver measurable outcomes in a regulated enterprise environment.

What You’ll Do

• Design and approve end-to-end AI, data, and application architectures for enterprise platforms and high-impact initiatives.
• Lead AI/ML lifecycle operationalization, including deployment readiness, observability, and ongoing optimization.
• Define architecture standards, governance guardrails, and exception processes that support security, reliability, performance, compliance, and operability.
• Guide cloud-native and hybrid solution strategy across cloud platforms, with Azure AI Foundry preferred.
• Direct data preparation and feature engineering approaches that support scalable, production-ready AI solutions.
• Evaluate platforms, integration patterns, APIs, event-driven architectures, and data flows to align current-state systems to target-state roadmaps.
• Partner with product, engineering, security, and operations leaders to manage technical risk, accelerate delivery, and communicate trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor architects and engineers while promoting modern ways of working, continuous improvement, and enterprise systems thinking.

Minimum requirements

Degree or equivalent and typically requires 10+ years of relevant experience. Less years required if has relevant Master’s or Doctorate qualifications.

Basic Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in solution architecture, enterprise architecture, software engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience designing enterprise-scale architectures for cloud-based, distributed, and integrated systems.
• Demonstrated experience with AI/ML architecture, AI/ML lifecycle operationalization, and production deployment patterns.
• Hands-on knowledge of cloud architecture; experience with Microsoft Azure required, with Azure AI Foundry strongly preferred.
• Experience defining and enforcing architecture governance, standards, and design review processes.
• Strong knowledge of APIs, event-driven integration, data architecture, security-by-design, and operational resilience.
• Ability to communicate architecture decisions, risks, and trade-offs clearly to executive and cross-functional audiences.

Preferred Skills / Experience

• Experience with TOGAF, C4 model, ITIL 4, OWASP Top 10, or similar enterprise architecture and security frameworks.
• Experience with multi-cloud environments, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, observability, backup/disaster recovery, and high-availability patterns.
• Background in data preparation, feature engineering, MLOps, model monitoring, and AI governance.
• Experience supporting regulated, complex, or large-scale enterprise environments.
• Track record of leading modernization initiatives, portfolio roadmaps, or M&A-related architecture integration.
• Experience influencing across domains and coaching architects or engineering teams.

Our Base Pay Range for this position

$122,100 - $162,800

We are proud to offer a competitive compensation package at McKesson as part of our Total Rewards. This is determined by several factors, including performance, experience and skills, equity, regular job market evaluations, and geographical markets. The pay range shown below is aligned with McKesson's pay philosophy, and pay will always be compliant with any applicable regulations. In addition to base pay, other compensation, such as an annual bonus or long-term incentive opportunities may be offered. For more information regarding benefits at McKesson, please click here.

McKesson is an Equal Opportunity Employer

McKesson provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other legally protected category. For additional information on McKesson’s full Equal Employment Opportunity policies, visit our Equal Employment Opportunity page.

McKesson is committed to being an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers including job seekers with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, please contact us by sending an email to (United States) [e-mail] or (Canada) [e-mail]. Resumes or CVs submitted to this email box will not be accepted.

Join us at McKesson!