AI Business Partner

The AI Business Partner (AIBP) is a technical, AI-native product operator embedded with senior business leaders. This role identifies high-value business problems, architects AI solutions, and drives them from concept through early production.

This is not a coordination or translation role. The AIBP operates comfortably across the executive table, solution architecture, and hands-on early-stage build work, requiring executive presence, product judgment, and real technical depth in AI-first development.

AI is core to how top candidates work, already practicing spec-driven development, using agentic tools as standard, and capable of moving from executive problem framing to solution architecture to hands-on build.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Problem Framing & Prioritization

• Partner with SBU and functional leadership to identify fundamental business problems with transformative AI potential.
• Frame AI opportunities with financial, strategic, and technical rigor, enabling confident investment decisions.
• Stack-rank AI initiatives based on value potential, feasibility, and execution risk.

AI Solution Architecture

• Work directly with CIOs and technology leaders as a credible AI solution architect, not simply as a strategy or relationship lead, contributing to architectural decisions, trade-off analysis, and solution design.
• Pattern-match business problems to existing AI solutions, reusable frameworks, and prior implementations.
• Shape build vs. buy vs. adapt decisions with an enterprise-scale mindset.

Product & Specification Leadership

• Apply strong product thinking to define AI use cases with execution-ready depth.
• Write clear specs, requirements, and acceptance criteria in direct partnership with engineering and data science teams.
• Evaluate solutions for user value, viability, and iteration path — not just strategic fit.

POC & Early-Stage Execution

• Work at a product-builder level alongside engineering, SMEs, and operations to develop and iterate on POCs, prototypes, pilots, and early-stage production solutions.
• Practice AI-first development as standard. Spec-driven development and agentic tools like Cursor and Claude Code are operating procedure, not optional additions.
• Guide business units through the AI lifecycle from ideation to value realization.

Portfolio & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with the PMO and AI Enablement teams to manage a prioritized AI portfolio and track value realization.
• Communicate progress, risk, and impact to executive stakeholders.
• Champion adoption of enterprise AI frameworks and best practices across business and technology teams.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Demonstrated technical foundation with at least two of the following:
  • Formal education in engineering, computer science, data science, or related field
  • Professional training in AI/ML
  • Hands-on experience building AI or data-intensive systems
• Proven experience working in an AI-first way, actively using modern agentic development tools.
• Strong product management or product engineering experience with the ability to move from executive narrative to detailed specs to shipped solutions.
• Experience partnering with engineering and data science teams as a technical peer.
• Financial and analytical acumen to assess value and execution risk.
• Executive presence with credibility at both C-suite and CIO/engineering leadership levels.

Preferred

• Experience in enterprise product development, consulting, or software with significant AI/ML components.
• Familiarity with LLM application design, enterprise AI architecture patterns, and responsible AI principles.
• Track record of taking AI initiatives from POC to production in complex organizations.

Core Competencies

• AI-Native Technical Depth: Practitioner-level understanding of how AI systems are built and deployed.
• Product Engineering Mindset: Thinks in specs, prototypes, and iterations.
• Executive Problem Framing: Identifies the problem worth solving and structures AI opportunities with both clarity and a value orientation.
• Solution Architecture: Engages engineering leaders as a peer, not an intermediary.
• Strategic Prioritization: Balances value, feasibility, and risk.
• Trusted Advisor: Earns trust through depth, delivery, and integrity.

What Success Looks Like

• Business leaders view the AIBP as a technical and strategic advisor, not a coordinator.
• A prioritized portfolio of high-value AI initiatives is actively progressing.
• POCs and pilots move into production with measurable business impact.
• Engineering teams see the AIBP as a credible partner who accelerates delivery.
• AI-first tools and practices become normalized across business units.

If 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.

For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary of 175,100 - 291,800 USD / yearly, depending on relevant factors, including experience and geographic location.

This role is also anticipated to be eligible to participate in an annual bonus and long term incentive plan.

At The Cigna Group, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, with a focus on supporting your whole health. Starting on day one of your employment, you’ll be offered several health-related benefits including medical, vision, dental, and well-being and behavioral health programs. We also offer 401(k), company paid life insurance, tuition reimbursement, a minimum of 18 days of paid time off per year and paid holidays. For more details on our employee benefits programs, click here.

About The Cigna Group

Doing 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application process, please email seeyourself@thecignagroup.com for assistance.  Please note that this email inbox is dedicated to accommodation requests only and cannot provide application updates or accept resumes.

The 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.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.