Utility AI Consultant – Consulting Manager
Cognizant Consulting – Energy & Utilities Consulting Practice
Location: Houston, TX
About Cognizant Consulting
Cognizant Consulting is a global consulting organization delivering strategic and domain consulting through industry and technology expertise. With more than 6,000 consultants worldwide, we help clients improve business performance, drive technology-enabled transformation, and create sustainable value. Our consulting capabilities span Strategy, Enterprise Architecture, Process Transformation, and Domain Solutions, helping clients solve complex business challenges and accelerate innovation.
About the Role
Our Energy & Utilities Consulting Practice is seeking a Utility AI Consultant – Consulting Manager to join our growing team. In this role, you will combine deep utility industry expertise with modern AI engineering capabilities to help clients transform ambitious concepts into scalable, cloud-native solutions.
You will work at the intersection of utility operations and emerging AI technologies, leveraging agentic AI frameworks, generative AI tools, and modern software engineering practices to address complex business challenges across the energy and water value chain. As a Consulting Manager, you will support client engagements, contribute to solution strategy and implementation, and help drive innovation through the application of AI-powered technologies.
Work Model
We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this position requires travel to client locations as needed and may require time spent in a Cognizant or client office. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance through our wellbeing programs.
Responsibilities
- Apply deep understanding of utility business processes, including metering/AMI, meter-to-cash, billing, outage management, grid operations, distributed energy resources (DER), and customer care, to shape and contextualize AI-driven solutions.
- Ensure prototypes and production solutions align with utility operational realities, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
- Support Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and client teams in shaping the technical architecture and feasibility of AI-driven solutions.
- Gather requirements, define user stories, and present prototypes and solutions to stakeholders.
- Contribute to client deliverables with a focus on technical implementation and roadmap development.
- Stay current with advancements in Agentic AI frameworks, Large Language Models (LLMs), and cloud development platforms.
- Optimize solutions for performance, user experience, and visual fidelity.
- Rapidly develop functional front-end and back-end solutions using AI-assisted development tools such as Gemini, Copilot, Claude, and direct coding techniques.
- Translate conceptual designs and mockups into scalable, cloud-hosted applications.
- Develop solutions that address real-world utility business challenges and operational requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field required.
- MBA or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
- 8–15 years of overall professional experience.
- Utility industry expertise is the primary requirement, complemented by experience in software development, cloud engineering, or another highly technical role.
- Strong utility industry knowledge across electric, gas, and/or water sectors.
- Thorough understanding of utility business processes, including AMI/metering, meter-to-cash, billing, customer information systems (CIS), outage management, grid operations, DER, and customer experience.
- Experience utilizing AI coding tools such as Gemini, Copilot, Claude, or similar technologies to accelerate development and demonstrate AI-native development practices.
- Familiarity with creating interactive, data-driven user interfaces.
- Strong understanding of modern software development methodologies and cloud-hosted application architectures.
- AI-native approach to problem solving, leveraging generative AI tools to increase productivity, quality, and innovation.
- Strong communication, presentation, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a client-facing consulting environment.
Travel
- Willingness to travel as required by client and business needs.
Work Model
We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a On-Site position requiring 4-5 days per week in a client office in Downtown, Houston Office. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting and may change based on business and client requirements.
Work Authorization
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship now or in the future.
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What we offer
- The chance to work with impact. Here, you’re empowered to bring your biggest thinking to help our company and clients improve everyday life.
- Ownership over your career. Stay at the top of your game through our award-winning learning and development ecosystem. And when your ambitions change or we offer new opportunities, we help you pivot by providing reskilling, on-the-job learning and guidance to find new roles that might be a better fit.
- The opportunity to thrive on a high caliber team with heart. We celebrate each other’s experiences and perspectives and promote a sense of belonging through our affinity groups and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- A comprehensive total rewards package, including a competitive salary and a pension plan with matching contributions.
- Flexible health and financial benefits to support you and your eligible dependents—from day one.
- True work-life balance. Be at your best through paid time off, flexible work arrangements, volunteering opportunities, social events, and so much more.
About us
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, building the bridge between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, realize tangible returns and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
Other employment-related information
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial or local laws.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] with your request and contact information.
Language requirements vary depending on roles, but we ask that all candidates have basic English proficiency for company-wide communications purposes. For roles based in Quebec, professional English proficiency is required, as you’ll deliver services to and collaborate with stakeholders outside the province who may not speak French.
