Leading at Cognizant
This is a Leadership role at Cognizant. We believe how you lead is as important as what you deliver. Cognizant leaders at every level:
- Drive our business strategy and inspire teams around our future.
- Live the leadership behaviors, leading themselves, others and the business.
- Uphold our values, role modeling them in every action and decision.
- Nurture our people and culture, creating a workplace where all can thrive.
This includes leading with strategic ability, architecting client value, driving AI-led innovation, executing with discipline, building a collaborative ecosystem, and amplifying human potential.
At Cognizant, leadership transcends titles and is embodied in actions and behaviors. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.
About the role
As a Client Partner, you will make an impact by owning end-to-end account relationships, driving rapid business expansion, and growing the revenue, profitability, and overall health of your assigned accounts. You will be a valued member of the account leadership team and work collaboratively with delivery, operations, finance, service line, innovation, and business teams across Cognizant, as well as senior CxO-level client stakeholders.
In this role, you will
- Drive profitable growth by identifying and leading the closure of new, renewal, and expansion opportunities while owning overall account P&L and senior client relationships.
- Develop client engagement strategies, quantify costs of pursuit, and lead accountability against measurable revenue and profit growth within set timelines.
- Review account metrics regularly with delivery, operations, and finance teams, and contribute to senior management reviews of account performance.
- Collaborate across multiple service lines, innovation teams, and business teams to formulate and implement an account-level business plan.
- Develop and execute plans to increase the visibility and strategic value of Cognizant within the account relationship.
- Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead through strategic agility, client value creation, AI-led innovation, disciplined execution, collaborative ecosystem building and amplifying human potential through a culture of growth, inclusion and effective human-AI collaboration.
Work model
At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3-4 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in New Jersey. 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. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.
What you need to have to be considered
- Minimum 15+ years in a client-facing or account leadership role within an IT professional services or management consulting firm, including a strong track record leading diverse portfolios across sales, new sales, programs, and existing annuity business.
- Proven ability to lead a client P&L of at least $50-70 million, including reporting and metric assessment, with outstanding CxO-level relationship-building skills and an extensive executive network.
- In-depth understanding of the business problem domain, technology, and services solution domains for the targeted industry vertical, with strong experience of the global service delivery model.
- Ability to navigate a large, matrixed organization, persuade through content and confidence, and conceptualize, analyze, and build blueprints for business transformations.
- Bachelor's Degree.
- Demonstrated ability to lead with strategic vision, client-centric thinking, innovation, disciplined execution, collaboration and a commitment to developing people in line with the Cognizant Way to Lead.
- Proven track record of building trust, demonstrating ownership, exercising sound judgment and fostering an inclusive culture that supports growth and associate success.
These will help you stand out
- MS or MBA degree.
- Strong background in a project environment and application development, with proven ability to contribute to new business development efforts and manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.
- Demonstrable problem-solving abilities with the aptitude to identify strategic solutions to business problems with enterprise-wide implications.
- Flexibility to work across diverse corporate environments, industries, and technical and non-technical audiences while managing all facets of complex assignments.
- Experience thriving in complex, fast-evolving environments by translating strategy into action, fostering cross-functional collaboration and championing continuous learning and curiosity.
We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.
Salary and Other Compensation
Applications will be accepted until October 15, 2026
- The annual salary for this position is between $200,000 - $230,000 depending on the experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
- This position is also eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program and stock awards, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant's applicable plans.
Benefits
- Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
- Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
- 401(k) plan and contributions
- Long-term/Short-term Disability
- Paid Parental Leave
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Things to know before you apply
- Work authorization: Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
- Accommodations: 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.
- AI in hiring: We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help us screen and assess applications more efficiently. Our team performs additional human review and ultimately decides who moves forward in our hiring process.
- Open position: Unless otherwise stated, this job posting is for an open position on our team.
- Language proficiency: 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.
- Inclusion: 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.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap 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, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
