Consulting Manager, Product Management (BFSI Payments)

Cognizant; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 81,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Extended Health Care and Prescription

Paid holidays and PTO

RRSP with company contributions

Paid parental leave

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

Cognizant Consulting in Toronto is seeking a Consulting Manager, Product Management (BFSI Payments) to shape vision, strategy, and roadmaps for financial institution payments solutions, including SWIFT messaging, clearing, and settlement capabilities.

You will lead large, multi-workstream programs, partner with architects and delivery teams, and translate business needs into concrete product requirements while guiding discovery and ensuring timely delivery in a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of product management/digital/payments delivery experience, including at least 3 years in financial services / BFSI payments.
• Strong background in financial institution payments, with hands-on experience across SWIFT and clearing/settlement ecosystems.
• Demonstrated ability to run large programs with multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and delivery partners.
• Proven client-facing experience leading discovery, strategy, or delivery activities and translating business needs into product requirements and specifications.
• Strong product management capability across vision, strategy, roadmap development, stakeholder alignment, performance analysis, and agile methodologies.
• Experience facilitating workshops and structured discovery sessions with excellent communication and advisory skills.
• Working knowledge of payments platforms and standards (ISO 20022, MT/MX) and resilient payments operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead product vision, strategy, roadmap, and high-level design for payments and clearing solutions.
• Guide client discovery and strategy engagements by facilitating workshops and interviews.
• Partner with solution architects and engineering to align business needs with technical direction.
• Shape delivery plans across strategy, packaged payments solutions, and build-run-scale engagements.
• Run large, multi-workstream programs end-to-end with cross-functional teams.
• Maintain repeatable discovery materials, product documents, and delivery guides.

Skills

Product vision & strategy

Payments domain

Agile product development

Stakeholder alignment

Communication

Leadership

Education

Master's degree

Tools

ISO 20022

MT/MX messaging

SWIFT

Job description

Cognizant Consulting is more than Cognizant's consulting practice. We're a global community of 5,000+ experts dedicated to helping clients reimagine their business. Blending our deep industry and technology advisory capability, we create innovative business solutions for Fortune 500 clients. And now, we're looking for our next colleague who'll join us in shaping the future of business. Could it be you?

About the role

As aConsulting Manager, Product Management (BFSI Payments), you will make an impact by shaping product vision, strategy, and roadmaps for financial institution payments solutions that address measurable business needs. You will be a valued member of the consulting team and work collaboratively with client stakeholders, solution architects, engineering teams, and cross-functional delivery teams to run large, complex payments programs.

In this role, you will:

• Lead product vision, strategy, roadmap, high-level design, quality, and key product decisions for payments and clearing solutions, including SWIFT-based messaging and clearing/settlement capabilities.
• Guide client discovery and strategy engagements by facilitating workshops and interviews, translating business objectives into practical payments use cases, and defining measurable outcomes and next steps.
• Partner with solution architects and engineering teams to align business needs with technical direction and deliver solutions with a strong focus on quality and speed to market.
• Shape delivery plans across strategy, packaged payments solutions, and build-run-scale engagements, while advising clients on adoption needs, capability gaps, readiness, and safe, compliant payments modernization.
• Run large, multi-workstream programs end-to-end, managing stakeholders across business, technology, operations, risk, and compliance.
• Maintain repeatable discovery materials, product documentation, specifications, playbooks, and delivery guides; track early value indicators and incorporate lessons learned into continuous improvement.

What you must have to be considered

• 10-15 years of relevant experience in product management, digital, or payments delivery, including at least 3 years of hands‑on product management experience in financial services / BFSI payments.
• Strong background in financial institution payments, with hands‑on experience acrossSWIFT and clearing/settlement ecosystems.
• Demonstrated ability to run large programs with multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and delivery partners.
• Proven client-facing experience leading discovery, strategy, or delivery activities and translating business needs into clear payments use cases, product requirements, documentation, and specifications.
• Strong product management capability across vision, strategy, roadmap development, stakeholder alignment, performance analysis, and agile product development methodologies.
• Experience facilitating workshops and structured discovery sessions, with excellent communication, influencing, and advisory skills for diverse business and technical audiences.
• Working knowledge of payments platforms, messaging standards (e.g., ISO 20022, MT/MX), and practical considerations for compliant and resilient payments operations.

These will help you succeed

• Experience in payments transformation, core banking modernization, or clearing/settlement platform delivery at Tier 1 banks or financial institutions.
• Strong analytical skills to assess product performance, user feedback, early value indicators, and market or competitor trends.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across client, product, solution architecture, engineering, and delivery teams.
• A highly organized, detail-oriented approach to maintaining clear and repeatable delivery materials.
• A Master's degree and experience being evaluated by senior product and technology leaders in financial services.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

Work model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring three days a week in a client or Cognizant office in Toronto, ON. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

Compensation

The annual salary for this position is between $81,000 and $128,000 CAD, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position is eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant's applicable plans.

Benefits

Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Extended Health Care and Prescription Drug coverage
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with company contributions
• Paid parental leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellbeing programs
• Employee stock purchase plan

Diversity & Inclusion / AODA Statement

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you require accommodation, please let your recruiter know.