Director, AI Products and Strategy

What the AI Center of Excellence contributes to Cardinal Health The AI Center of Excellence (CoE) advances healthcare by applying artificial intelligence to the enterprise's highest-value problems. At Cardinal Health, the AI CoE drives Enterprise AI Strategy, Enterprise AI Enablement, AI Governance, and Enterprise AI Products in close partnership with technology and business leaders across the company. Through these pillars, we collaborate to build and scale reusable patterns, internal accelerators, and responsible AI practices—turning data into solutions that improve patient and customer outcomes, streamline operations, reduce cost, and strengthen the overall healthcare experience. Reporting to the Head of the AI Center of Excellence, this role sits at the heart of our Enterprise AI Products pillar, partnering across the organization to transform advanced capabilities into supported, and broadly adopted tools for the business and customers. We are looking for a seasoned AI product leader who thrives in ambiguity and brings a startup mentality to an enterprise environment. This leader must be willing to move fast, remain highly flexible as priorities shift, and possess a relentless appetite for continuous learning as the AI landscape evolves. Location - Open to candidates based nationwide (with willingness to travel quarterly into our global headquarters in Dublin, Ohio) Responsibilities Drive Product Vision & Enterprise Strategy Guide the vision and roadmap for the most advanced Enterprise AI Products, ensuring close alignment with the overarching Enterprise AI Strategy and stakeholder needs. Make collaborative build/buy/partner decisions, working with stakeholders to determine which emerging AI capabilities are ready for production and which should be deferred. Lead the full product lifecycle (ideation, launch, iteration, support) for a portfolio of internal AI products. Accelerate time-to-value by moving fast, prioritizing testable iterations, and gathering early pilot feedback to build scalable, production-ready solutions. Partner closely with Principal Engineers to establish and run an "AI Labs" function, building a dedicated, forward-looking roadmap for cutting-edge innovation, rapid prototyping, and advanced experimentation. Direct a senior team applying generative and agentic AI to explore differentiated, next-generation capabilities. Bridge the gap between lab and launch: ensure that technical exploration translates into a structured path toward shipped, sustainable products rather than open-ended experimentation. Drive AI Enablement by partnering with business units to facilitate the adoption and reuse of AI products, reducing duplication and accelerating delivery. Secure funding for high-value AI initiatives by pitching business cases directly to executive sponsors. Connect every product to measurable outcomes (e.g., productivity, cost reduction, revenue, patient experience) and establish rigorous value-tracking disciplines. Work lockstep with the CoE's AI Governance arm and risk teams to ensure products adhere to responsible AI standards, data protection, security, and compliance—without slowing down delivery velocity. Build trusted relationships with cross-functional stakeholders, guiding executive reviews and championing scalable enterprise standards. AI products are shipped, adopted, and sustained across the enterprise in partnership with the business. Roadmaps are delivered rapidly against committed value and timelines. A durable, well-supported portfolio of Enterprise AI Products—not a backlog of pilots. Responsible for driving growth in AI Enablement, measured by the reuse of AI patterns and concrete business value delivered to Cardinal Health. Qualifications Ideally targeting individuals with 12+ years of progressive experience in technology, data, AI, or product delivery, with 5+ years leading AI/ML product teams or driving AI product lifecycles. Targeting candidates with a demonstrated track record of taking AI products from concept to broad scale. Targeting an expert in product discovery, roadmap management, prioritization, and lifecycle management. This leader must now how to instrument success metrics, apply Organizational Change Management (OCM) best practices, and drive real, sustained adoption. Technical Literacy & Tech Stack: Conversant with generative AI, agentic AI, machine learning, and data platforms enough to set product direction and lead senior engineers. Familiarity with the Google Cloud ecosystem (GCP, GCS, Vertex AI, Gemini suite of products) is highly desirable. Deep, hands-on coding is not required, but strong technical intuition is essential. Agility & Growth Mindset: This leader must be highly adaptable, biased toward action, and comfortable pivoting when data, technical realities, or business needs dictate. Targeting a quick learner who will stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing ecosystem. Stakeholder & Communication Skills: This leader must be able to seamlessly engage business and IT leaders, translate complex AI concepts into clear business direction, and build compelling business cases to secure funding. Team Leadership: Proven ability to direct cutting-edge innovation, develop senior product and engineering talent, and coordinate matrixed resources (offshore teams, vendors, and partners). #LI-LP #LI-Remote Anticipated salary range: $135,400 - $208,100 Bonus eligible: Yes Benefits: Cardinal Health offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being. Medical, dental and vision coverage Paid time off plan Health savings account (HSA) 401k savings plan Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) Short- and long-term disability coverage Work-Life resources Paid parental leave Healthy lifestyle programs Application window anticipated to close: 07/15/2026 *if interested in opportunity, please submit application as soon as possible. The salary range listed is an estimate. Pay at Cardinal Health is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographical location, relevant education, experience and skills and an evaluation of internal pay equity. Candidates who are back-to-work, people with disabilities, without a college degree, and Veterans are encouraged to apply. Cardinal Health supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. Cardinal Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. To read and review this privacy notice click here