AI Strategist - Director

Cognizant; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant seeks an AI Builder / Strategist to guide AI-led transformations for clients, bridging business strategy with AI execution. You will engage C-suite executives, develop AI operating models, investment roadmaps, and value-driven programs, collaborating with data scientists and consulting teams to scale AI adoption.

The role blends management consulting, AI strategy, and industry expertise to move clients from experimentation to enterprise-wide value realization across APJ.

Qualifications

• Proven AI strategy expertise across enterprise AI initiatives.
• Extensive CXO engagement experience with executive workshops.
• Strong business case and ROI modelling for AI programs.
• Experience building enterprise AI roadmaps and governance models.
• Knowledge of GenAI, AI Agents, RAG and AI platforms.

Responsibilities

• Engage CXOs to identify AI-driven opportunities and shape engagement.
• Develop enterprise AI roadmaps aligned to business goals and adoption plans.
• Create AI investment cases, ROI models, and value realization frameworks.
• Craft end-to-end AI solutions mapped to Cognizant’s AI Builder strategy.
• Lead PoCs and consulting deliverables, producing client-ready narratives.
• Define go-to-market plans and contribute to thought leadership for AI offerings.

Skills

AI strategy

CXO engagement

ROI modeling

AI roadmaps

Governance

GenAI & LLMs

AI platforms

Tools

Azure AI

OpenAI

AWS Bedrock

Vertex AI

Job description

About the AI Market Unit

The AI Market Unit unifies Cognizant’s AI expertise and best practices to turn our strongest capabilities into repeatable, packaged offerings for clients – positioning us to compete more effectively, win larger AI opportunities, and deliver stronger outcomes across the APJ region.

It is not a delivery factory or a generic centre of excellence. It is a lean, elite, purpose-built squad whose charter is to enable Cognizant to become the most credible AI Builder in the APJ market and to win a higher share of AI-first deals. The Market Unit focuses on:

• Engaging business leaders across our clients’ organisations, not only IT
• Shaping demand through packaged AI solutions and outcome-based commercial models
• Targeting opportunities across the three Vectors – driving productivity, modernising core systems, and agentifying workflows
• Strengthening Cognizant’s AI brand through showcases, client narratives, and thought leadership
• Bringing regional depth across ANZ, Japan, ASEAN+, and India, respecting each market’s distinct AI dynamics, and driving AI fluency uplift across APJ

Role Summary

The AI Builder / Strategist is a senior client-facing advisor responsible for helping clients identify, prioritise, justify, and scale AI-led transformation initiatives. The role acts as the bridge between business strategy and AI execution, engaging C-suite executives to develop AI vision, operating models, investment roadmaps, business cases, and transformation programs.

The role combines management consulting, AI strategy, industry expertise, and commercial acumen to help clients move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide value realisation. The consultant works closely with clients, industry leaders, AI ecosystem partners, hyperscalers, solution architects, data scientists, AI engineers, and consulting teams to shape strategic AI opportunities and accelerate adoption.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive & CXO Engagement

• Engage CXOs to identify AI-driven business opportunities
• Facilitate AI strategy workshops and executive briefings
• Translate AI capabilities into measurable business outcomes

2. AI Strategy & Roadmap Development

• Assess AI maturity, readiness, and organisational capabilities
• Develop enterprise AI roadmaps aligned to business objectives
• Define AI operating models, governance frameworks, and adoption strategies
• Prioritise AI initiatives based on business value, feasibility, and risk

3. Business Case & Value Realisation

• Develop AI investment cases, ROI models, and value-realisation frameworks
• Quantify benefits including productivity, cost reduction, revenue growth, and customer experience improvements
• Identify high-value use cases across business functions and industries

4. Solution Shaping & Deal Orchestration

• Craft and orchestrate end-to-end AI solutions for clients across service lines and industries, mapped to Cognizant’s AI Builder strategy
• Create appropriate AI commercial and pricing models for PoCs and RFPs

5. Solution Delivery

• Lead small teams to deliver PoCs and consulting assignments
• Produce client-ready materials – business cases, value propositions, and demo narratives

6. Sales, Growth & Thought Leadership

• Define the AI go-to-market plan for the assigned industry – opportunity areas and solution plays
• Research industry trends, pain points, and adoption drivers; craft industry AI use-case narratives
• Contribute to market thought leadership and AI consulting offerings
• Drive AI-enabled revenue growth and strategic client relationships

Key Performance Indicators

• Bookings TCV / Influenced Bookings TCV
• Billability: 30%

Experience & Skills

The capability profile below is common to both levels. Levelling is differentiated solely by depth and breadth of experience, as set out in the levelling matrix that follows.

• Proven AI strategy expertise, including Generative AI, Agentic AI, AI operating models, governance, Responsible AI, enterprise adoption, and AI-led transformation programs
• Extensive CXO engagement experience, with the ability to facilitate executive workshops, influence senior stakeholders, and present complex AI concepts in business terms
• Strong business case and value-realisation skills, including development of ROI models, investment cases, cost-benefit analyses, and executive funding proposals
• Experience developing AI roadmaps and transformation strategies – from opportunity identification and use-case prioritisation through to enterprise-scale implementation
• Strong understanding of modern AI technologies, including LLMs, GenAI, AI Agents, RAG, AI platforms (Azure AI/OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI), and enterprise data ecosystems
• Dominant industry expertise in one or more sectors such as Insurance, Mining, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Retail, Transport, Hospitality, Public Sector, or Healthcare