Associate Director, Corporate Strategy

About the Corporate Strategy Team

Cognizant’s Corporate Strategy team works directly with and on behalf of senior executives to shape and execute the company’s strategic agenda across three key areas:

§ Global enterprise strategy definition and stewardship, including defining “where to play” and “how to win”, competitive and long-term growth strategy, and commercial portfolio prioritization & planning

§ Strategy support and guidance at the industry, service line, function, or country/geo level, including identification of key trends & client needs, assessment of current performance & competitive positioning, prioritization of growth plays, and development of investment needs & supporting business case

§ Strategic project delivery, including executing on Board-level priorities and initiatives, shaping transformation initiatives, identifying and driving operational efficiencies, and providing M&A strategy support

Cognizant executives view the Corporate Strategy team as an incubator for future leaders within the organization. Former Corporate Strategy team members serve as market and service line leaders, as well as geo-aligned operations and transformation leaders. Culturally, we are proactive, impact-oriented, collaborative, merit-based, and low ego. A diverse range of projects provides our team members with exciting opportunities to accelerate both their professional development and the company’s growth trajectory.

Role Description

The Associate Director, Corporate Strategy will be an important contributor and leader on the Corporate Strategy team. Key responsibilities include:

§ Leading key workstreams on high-impact, complex projects or targeted projects end-to-end, including project structuring and execution with a team of 1-3 junior staff and engaging internal & external stakeholders

§ Effectively communicating complex ideas using frameworks that provide clarity on issues & the path forward and align key stakeholder groups

§ Driving high-impact problem solving and analyses, including setting analysis approach, identifying and problem solving around areas of weakness, and guiding the team to rigorous, client-ready results

§ Establishing a thought partnership relationship with senior leadership across Cognizant by fostering a sense of trust and credibility

§ Actively contributing to the continued development of the Corporate Strategy team through mentorship & coaching of junior staff and by leading larger team initiatives (e.g., learning & development, recruiting, knowledge management)

Required Qualifications

§ Significant experience at a leading strategy consulting firm or in Corporate or Business Strategy role(s) at an industry-leading firm

§ Strong academic credentials (e.g., degree from a top tier MBA program)

§ Experience leading strategy consulting projects and managing teams (both junior staff and SMEs from supporting groups across the organization)

§ Proficiency in data analysis and financial modeling

§ Comfortable engaging remotely/virtually with a diverse global team

§ Low ego, collaborative, direct, and impact-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

§ IT services or technology experience in Data/AI, Cloud, SaaS, Software Engineering, IoT, etc.

§ Experience in Banking & Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Logistics, Energy & Utilities, Retail & Hospitality or Communications, and/or Media & Telecom industries