Overview

Join Cognizant as an inspiring leader within the Program & Project Management community. This key role is responsible and accountable for Program Management activities associated with large-scale, complex, multi-service (Application Development and Maintenance, Infrastructure, Business Process, and Digital) programs. Successful candidates will not only manage delivery objectives but will also have responsibility for customer satisfaction and the client relationships required for successful program delivery.

Role

This role acts as a trusted advisor and force multiplier across clients, teams, and delivery models, shaping how agentic AI programs are structured and executed. Core program leadership discipline – scope, schedule, budget, risk, and governance – remains foundational; AI augments how that work is done, not whether it is done.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-end leadership of Vector 1 AI engagements leveraging core program management processes: scope, schedule, budget, risk, and governance
Executive-level client engagement; acting as trusted advisor across planning, execution, and delivery optimization
Decomposing ambiguous business problems and translating client objectives into structured delivery backlogs and execution plans
Applying AI and agentic capabilities across planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting; leveraging AI-assisted insights for risk, schedule, and delivery optimization
Orchestrating humans and autonomous agents in human-in-the-loop delivery models
Drive productivity outcomes, tracking AI-generated code contribution targets, and managing transitioning a client from traditional SDLC practices to an agentic-first operating model
Continuous governance, risk, and ethics oversight
Multi-service line coordination and decision making

Required Qualifications

20+ years in strategy, operations, process consulting, stakeholder management, and complex project / program delivery at scale
Strong consulting mindset: ability to decompose ambiguous business problems, bridge process / technology / data, and translate client objectives into delivery plans
Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguity-heavy environments and learn new domains quickly; industry experience preferred but not required
AI-governance literacy; exposure to responsible AI and agentic delivery concepts (experience preferred, not required on day one)
PMI-CPMAI preferred

Program Director (Agentic AI )