Deputy General Manager

About Cognizant and This Opportunity

Cognizant is a large IT consulting firm that leverages modern technologies to transform a variety of business operations. We are looking for a Deputy General Manager for our contact center in Plano, Texas.

Please note that this role is fully onsite.

Role Overview

The Deputy General Manager (DGM) owns day-to-day delivery for Cognizant's Plano site supporting Waymo rider support across voice, chat and email. The DGM is accountable for meeting client targets on customer experience, handle time, quality and time to response, and for running the site's performance governance with Waymo.

This is a senior, client-facing leadership role in a 24x7 operation. The DGM leads 200+ FTE through Operations Managers and Team Leads and is expected to build their capability on KPI and SLA ownership.

Please note: Customer experience, handle time, quality and time to response are the primary SLAs for this role, but they are not the complete set of KPIs. KPIs are defined by the client and may change with client priorities. The DGM is expected to deliver against the full, current KPI set as directed by the client.

Key Responsibilities

Client Delivery and Performance

• Own site-level achievement of Waymo targets for CX/CSAT, average handle time (AHT), quality and time to response across voice, chat and email.

• Monitor intraday and daily performance with Workforce Management and Quality, and direct containment actions before SLA breach.

• Hold Operations Managers and Team Leads accountable for lane-level KPI and SLA outcomes.

Root Cause Analysis and Client Governance

• Lead RCA and CAPA on metric shortfalls, separating symptom, contributing factors and root cause, with named owners, due dates and measurable success criteria.

• Present performance, RCA and CAPA status in client meetings on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly cadence.

• Deliver client presentations with a clear point of view (trends, drivers, risks and recommended actions), not data readouts only.

• Manage escalations and client relationships at Waymo operations level, protecting the contract through factual, accountable communication.

Coaching and Leadership Capability

• Coach Operations Managers and Team Leads on KPI and SLA ownership, data-driven floor management, and effective coaching and feedback.

• Build a succession bench for Operations Manager and Team Lead roles.

• Upskill leaders on people management processes defined by Cognizant policy, including performance management, disciplinary process and grievance handling.

People and Capacity Management

• Own site capacity planning with Workforce Management and Talent Acquisition: hiring plans, ramp and training throughput, and attrition backfill.

• Drive absence and attendance management to protect shift coverage and service levels.

• Run performance management for the site, from calibration to improvement plans to exits.

• Own employee retention: attrition analytics, exit-trend action, engagement, recognition and career paths.

Site Leadership

• Hold budget, cost and utilization accountability for the site in partnership with Finance.

• Ensure compliance with client security, data privacy and contractual requirements, and with US labor and company policy.

• Partner with Training, Quality, WFM, HR, IT/Tools and the Manila and Cebu sites on consistent delivery.

• Champion continuous improvement, automation and tooling opportunities with Waymo.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

• 5-7 years in a senior operations leadership role managing teams of 200+ FTE onsite in a BPO or customer support contact center.

• Proven track record of employee retention: demonstrated attrition reduction or sustained low attrition at scale, with examples.

• Deep working knowledge of contact center metrics: customer experience (CSAT/NPS), average handle time, quality scores and time to response (first response and resolution), and how they interact.

• Hands-on experience running RCA and CAPA on KPI and SLA misses and reporting them in client-facing governance forums.

• Experience managing multichannel operations (voice, chat and email) under SLA-linked contracts.

• Demonstrated experience coaching Operations Managers and Team Leads to deliver against client targets.

• Working knowledge of capacity management: hiring, ramp, absence and performance management.

• Experience presenting to client leadership with an actionable point of view.

• Strong command of people management processes, including performance management, disciplinary action and employee relations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication; strong analytical skills (Excel, BI dashboards, WFM and QA tools).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a technology, mobility or autonomous vehicle client, or a trust and safety or rider/driver support environment.

• Experience leading in a multi-site, global delivery model with offshore counterparts (for example, the Philippines).

• Lean Six Sigma, PMP or equivalent certification.

• Experience with Customer Experience (CX) tooling, workforce management platforms and AI/automation initiatives in support operations.

• MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

Leadership Competencies

• Client ownership: Credible, calm and accountable with client leadership, including during escalations.

• Data-driven judgment: Weighs operational drivers (staffing, tooling, process, volume mix) before attributing performance to agent behavior.

• Talent builder: Develops leaders, runs calibration with rigor and builds bench strength.

• Change and crisis leadership: Manages volume spikes, policy changes and incidents without loss of control.

• Cross-functional influence: Works through HR, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Training and IT without direct authority.

• Integrity and compliance: Upholds client data security, labor law and company policy.

Work Conditions

• Onsite only at the Plano, Texas site. Remote and work-from-home arrangements are not authorized for this role.

• Rotational shifts: the business operates 24x7, and the role requires availability across rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays, as the operation requires.

• Availability to engage with Waymo and offshore sites (Manila, Cebu) across time zones, including outside standard hours for escalations.

• Occasional travel to client or other Cognizant sites.

• Must be authorized to work in the United States. Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is between $114,500 - $134,500 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• 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

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring company sponsorship now or at any time in the future.