AI Field CTO and Technology Strategy Leader

Leading at Cognizant

This is a Leadership role  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.

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.

As an AI Field CTO and Technology Strategy Leader
, you will serve as the executive technology spokesperson and technology champion for Cognizant’s AI market unit, driving exponential growth and establishing the firm as a recognized leader in AI. You will be a valued member of the team, working collaboratively with cross‑functional internal stakeholders, partners, and clients to define and shape Cognizant’s AI technology strategy and offerings. In this role, you will cultivate strategic partner relationships, engage industry advisors and experts, and create a buzz about Cognizant’s AI capabilities unlocking large deal opportunities with new and existing clients, expanding the scope of potential opportunities, and championing the technical solutioning and integration of large pursuits to ensure higher success rates.

• Study and understand key technology trends, capabilities, and priorities across the AI Landscape.
• Share thought‑leadership and deep industry knowledge with C‑level staff, architects, senior leaders, and prospects at industry conferences, user groups, and partner events
• Collaborate with external entities like industry and sourcing analysts, advisors, consulting firms, design agencies, and ecosystem partners particularly hyper scalers and platform firms to identify and shape client opportunities
• Identify and champion tech debt elimination and modernization with client technology leaders to create value and enable transformation

• Identify Partners suitable for building Cognizant use cases on AI
• Connect regularly with partners to understand their offerings and how they apply across Cognizant’s industry segments.
• Educate the sales organization on key components, trends, and capabilities of AI technologies
• Primary leadership interface with the delivery components of the AI business unit for Cognizant.

• Champion AI technology choices and tradeoffs for clients as they contemplate implementing Cognizant recommended solutions.
• Collaborate with the market commercial and sales teams, during the sales cycle.
• Communicate with senior management team at appropriate junctures during the pursuit and facilitate strategic pursuit decisions to improve win probability
• Strategize solution definition and solution defense along with extended Cognizant teams to increase pursuit success

• Build a team of high‑performing Distinguished Sales Engineers and lead them to build solutions that drive differentiation for Cognizant.
• Lead a team of high‑performing individuals to build
• Continuous coaching and sponsoring of sales engineering leaders ensuring career discussions and growth

Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead
, which means operating with Personal Leadership (building trust, collaboration, and inclusion),
Organizational Leadership (driving vision and purpose, demonstrating a strategic and enterprise mindset, and creating and communicating a bold direction that inspires purpose), and Business Leadership (exemplifying client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability and results, and operating with financial acumen)

• CIO/CTO level candidate who has experience engaging, advising, and/or directly leading complex technology organizations including C‑suite interaction
• Proven strong functional and technology background and ability to deliver technology…