Manager - 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:

Market and competitive intelligence, including knowledge management of key market, technology, customer, competitor and partner trends and sensing of potential shifts in the industry

Global 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

Strategy execution, including actioning 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 Manager, Corporate Strategy will be a key part of the Corporate Strategy team. They will manage workstream execution, drive impact, and interact with senior leaders throughout the business. Key responsibilities include:

Drive workstream execution within the larger project, taking responsibility for problem structuring, work planning, conducting key analyses, and developing recommendations for comprehensive pieces of work

Coordinate cross-functionally to gather inputs from internal (market, service line and/or functional teams) and external sources, synthesize findings, and share recommendations that help solve some of the firm’s most critical questions

Support key activities and deliverables in strategy development (corporate and individual business unit level) and subsequent communication of strategy to employees, clients, investors, and industry analysts

Effectively synthesize complex verbal and written inputs into compelling narratives and visually engaging slides

Generate knowledge and insights around key market and technology trends and support the development of internal and external thought leadership.

Actively contribute to internal Corporate Strategy team initiatives such as recruiting, knowledge management, employee engagement, and training

Required Qualifications

§ 3-5 years of experience at a leading strategy consulting firm or in similar roles such as Corporate Strategy or Business Strategy at an industry-leading firm

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

§ Proficient in leading workstreams on strategy consulting projects and managing cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., finance, sales ops, HR)

§ Ability to work with ambiguity, understand key issues, and structure analytical path forward

§ Superior analytical skills and proficiency in MS PowerPoint and Excel (e.g., financial modeling, pivot tables, advanced formulae)

§ Excellent storytelling, writing, and visual communication skills

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

§ Comfortable engaging remotely/virtually with a diverse global team

Bonus Qualifications:

§ Advanced technical skills with tools such as Power BI, Alteryx, Tableau

§ Data visualization and design skills (PowerPoint, Canva, etc)

§ Program and enterprise performance management experience

§ 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.

§ Travel Required : Occasionally to the Hyderabad office.