Consulting Principal, Program Management

Cognizant is always looking for top talent. We are searching for candidates to fill future needs within the business. This job posting represents potential future employment opportunities with Cognizant. Although the position is not currently available, we want to provide you with the opportunity to express your interest in future employment opportunities with Cognizant. If a job opportunity that you may be qualified for becomes available in the future, we will notify you.

At that time you can determine whether you would like to apply for the specific open position. Thank you for your interest in Cognizant career opportunities.

As a Consulting Principal – Enterprise Transformation & Delivery, you will make an impact by leading large, complex, interdependent programs that span business and technology domains. You’ll establish robust program governance, integrated planning, and execution control—while coordinating multiple work streams, vendors, and stakeholders—to drive alignment between business objectives, technology delivery, and operational readiness.

• Lead and govern multi-workstream programs under a unified structure; set program cadence and decision forums, with clear escalation paths.
• Build and maintain an integrated program plan covering milestones, dependencies, and critical path; proactively manage risks, issues, and change control with timely escalation and resolution.
• Oversee program financials (budgeting, forecasting, cost tracking) and ensure fiscal discipline across phases.
• Coordinate delivery across cross‑functional teams and vendors in multi‑partner environments; drive accountability and execution quality.
• Provide clear, concise, insight‑driven reporting to senior leadership and executives.

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 3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in New Jersey, NJ. 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 the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. We will always be clear about role expectations.

• Proven Program Management (PgM) experience leading large, complex, interdependent initiatives across business and technology.
• Expertise in program governance and integrated planning, including decision forums, escalation paths, and delivery cadence.
• Risk, issue, and dependency management with strong change control and escalation judgment.
• Financial ownership of programs (budgeting, forecasting, cost controls) and benefits tracking. (From JD.)
• Executive‑level communication and stakeholder management across clients, vendors, and internal leadership. (From JD.)

• Management consulting or global SI experience delivering enterprise transformation programs.
• Certifications such as PMP, SAFe/Agile, Prosci (or equivalent) and fluency with tools like MS Project/Planview, Jira, Confluence.
• Experience operating in multi‑vendor ecosystems and complex governance environments.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution with data‑driven insights and KPI reporting.
• Industry knowledge aligned to your client portfolio (e.g., BFSI, Life Sciences, Manufacturing).

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.

The annual salary for this position is between $122,400 - $194,000 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.

• 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