AI Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

About the role

As an AI Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you will make an impact by shaping and delivering innovative AI-driven solutions that help clients unlock business value. You will partner with sales, engineering, and industry experts to translate client challenges into scalable AI solutions, driving both technical design and commercial success.

You will be a valued member of the AI Sales Engineering team and work collaboratively with account teams, offering specialists, and client stakeholders to bring cutting-edge GenAI/AI use cases to life.

In this role, you will:

• Participate in early-stage discovery and ideation sessions with clients and account teams to explore the art of the possible with GenAI/AI
• Conduct structured discovery to identify pain points, opportunity areas, and high-value AI use cases
• Translate ambiguous client questions into solution hypotheses, conceptual flows, and initial narratives
• Build 'North Star' AI scenarios that demonstrate business impact, differentiation, and value
• Define end-to-end solution architecture options, including data/ML needs, integration patterns, and partner components
• Develop multiple solution pathways (good/better/best) with clearly defined trade-offs and feasibility considerations
• Produce client-ready artifacts including proposals, SoWs, architecture decks, value frameworks, and demo narratives
• Lead client walkthroughs, deep-dive sessions, and technical Q&A to progress opportunities
• Refine solution positioning based on client feedback and competitive context
• Orchestrate cross-functional pursuit collaboration across sales, industry, engineering, and ecosystem partners
• Ensure alignment with delivery teams, validating feasibility, risks, and implementation readiness

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 hybrid position requiring 2–3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in the United States.

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.

What you need to have to be considered

• Experience in AI/ML, GenAI, or solution architecture, with hands-on exposure to LLMs and enterprise AI solutions
• Proven experience in solution shaping and technical presales, including proposals, SoWs, and architecture design
• Strong ability to lead client discovery, ideation sessions, and technical discussions
• Experience designing end-to-end solutions across data, AI/ML, integration, and cloud ecosystems
• Ability to collaborate across sales, engineering, and delivery teams to drive deal progression

These will help you stand out

• Experience building POCs, MVPs, or prototypes in AI-led sales cycles
• Exposure to hyperscalers, GenAI ecosystem partners, and co-sell motions
• Experience supporting or leading complex pursuits and multi-stakeholder deals
• Strong storytelling skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business value narratives
• Familiarity with AI governance, risk, and enterprise deployment considerations

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:

The annual salary for this position is between $190,000-$240,00,000 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Benefits

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: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to apply

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, based on applicable law.

Over Cognizant  
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is een bouwer van AI-oplossingen en een leverancier van technologiediensten. Wij slaan de brug tussen AI-investeringen en ondernemingswaarde door het bouwen van full-stack AI-oplossingen voor onze klanten. Onze diepgaande kennis van sectoren, processen en engineering stelt ons in staat om de unieke context van een organisatie te verankeren in technologische systemen. Deze systemen versterken het menselijk potentieel, realiseren tastbare resultaten en geven wereldwijde ondernemingen een voorsprong in een snel veranderende wereld. Ontdek hoe op cognizant.ai of @cognizant.

Aanvullende arbeidsinformatie
De informatie over de beloning is correct op de datum van deze vacature. Cognizant behoudt zich het recht voor om deze informatie op elk moment te wijzigen, met inachtneming van de toepasselijke wetgeving.

Van sollicitanten kan worden verwacht dat zij gesprekken bijwonen, persoonlijk of via een videogesprek. Daarnaast kan van kandidaten worden gevraagd om tijdens elk gesprek een geldig, door de overheid uitgegeven identiteitsbewijs (zoals een identiteitskaart of paspoort) te tonen.

Cognizant is een werkgever die gelijke kansen biedt. Je sollicitatie en kandidatuur worden niet beoordeeld op basis van ras, huidskleur, geslacht, religie, levensovertuiging, seksuele geaardheid, genderidentiteit, nationale afkomst, handicap, genetische informatie, zwangerschap, veteranenstatus of enige andere eigenschap die wordt beschermd door federale, regionale of lokale wetgeving.