About Cognizant Consulting
Cognizant Consulting is more than Cognizant’s consulting practice. We’re a global community of 5,000+ experts dedicated to helping clients reimagine their business. Blending our deep industry and technology advisory capability, we create innovative business solutions for Fortune 500 clients. And now, we’re looking for our next colleague who’ll join us in shaping the future of business. Could it be you?
About the role
As a Senior Manager, Consulting - Program Management, you will make an impact by helping clients translate business needs into structured projects and successful delivery outcomes. You will work closely with business, project, IT, Cognizant, and client stakeholders to shape project concepts, initiate delivery activities, manage execution, and ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and within scope.
This role is ideal for a proactive consulting leader who can operate across business and technology teams, manage ambiguity, build trusted stakeholder relationships, and drive project delivery with strong governance, financial ownership, and risk management.
In this role, you will:
- Lead program and project delivery from initiation through execution, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and within agreed scope.
- Partner with business, project, IT, Cognizant, and client stakeholders to understand business needs, shape them into project concepts, and support project initiation activities.
- Own project financial management, including project P&L, change tracking, budget control, and timely reporting of progress, issues, concerns, and risks.
- Identify, manage, and escalate project risks and issues to the appropriate stakeholders in a timely and transparent manner.
- Build strong stakeholder relationships and collaborate across business and technology teams to translate business requirements into practical delivery plans and work products.
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 based in Tokyo, Japan, with work expected at a client or Cognizant location as required by the project.
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 must have to be considered
- 15+ years of relevant professional experience, ideally in consulting, program management, project management, technology delivery, or client-facing transformation work.
- Proven experience managing complex projects or programs, including delivery scope, timeline, budget, financials, project changes, issues, risks, and stakeholder communications.
- Strong ability to engage business stakeholders, understand business needs, and translate those needs into project concepts, delivery plans, and executable work products.
- Experience working with IT, project, client, and business teams in a cross-functional environment, with the ability to influence, align, and manage expectations across stakeholders.
- Native-level Japanese proficiency and strong English capability for reading, writing, meetings, presentations, phone/web meetings, documentation, and email correspondence.
These will help you succeed
- PMP or Certified ScrumMaster certification is preferred.
- Business-level English proficiency, including the ability to participate in meetings, deliver presentations, create documents, read business materials, and correspond by email in English.
- A proactive consulting mindset, with the ability to work independently, bring structure to ambiguous business needs, and move stakeholders from idea to delivery.
- Strong governance orientation, including timely reporting, escalation discipline, risk management, and transparent communication with stakeholders.
- Ability to build trusted relationships with business, client, IT, project, and Cognizant teams in a fast-moving consulting environment.
Candidate encouragement paragraph
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. This paragraph is included in the global consulting job posting template.
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.
Additional employment information
Compensation 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.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
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, state 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] for roles based in the Americas or [email protected] for roles based in India.
