AVP Global Client Partner

Cognizant; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant in India seeks an AVP Global Client Partner to lead a major Life Sciences account, driving growth, profitability, and strategic client engagement.

You will partner with Markets, sales, and alliance teams to shape offerings and win large deals, including India and DACH regions.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years in a senior leadership role.
• A minimum of 15 years of complex solutioning experience, supported by broad technical experience.
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in the assigned functional or technology area, with applicable market-standard certifications.
• Demonstrated capability in account strategy, account planning, sales strategy, P&L management, revenue growth, and end-to-end deal pursuits.
• Experience translating business challenges into technology-enabled solutions and engaging senior client stakeholders in commercial and solution conversations.
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business.
• Embodiment of Cognizant Values: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the account strategy and plan, aligning customer outcomes with a clear vision for growth across the Novartis account.
• Own P&L performance and drive revenue growth in line with or above the market, while identifying and addressing account-level challenges.
• Co-own offering positioning for India and DACH Life Sciences accounts by identifying portfolio gaps, shaping offering strategy and roadmaps, and managing opportunities from ideation through sales closure.
• Lead sales and account-penetration activities by translating business problems into technology-enabled solutions, qualifying opportunities, and partnering with client relationship managers and sales teams.
• Direct deal pursuits end to end within the service line, ensuring effective pre-sales engagement through workshops, digital dialogues, demonstrations, and proofs of concept, and personally engaging priority clients to credentialize deals.
• Shape thought leadership and portfolio strategy, engage external analysts, and drive market education and commercial conversations.
• Own strategic alliance and vendor relationships, developing partnerships that improve business outcomes and support sell-with growth.
• Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead through Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Business Leadership, including building trust and inclusion, setting bold strategic direction, maintaining client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability, and operating with financial acumen.

Skills

Leadership

P&L management

Account strategy

Revenue growth

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Job description

AVP Global Client Partner

Leading at Cognizant

This is a leadership role at Cognizant. We believe how you lead is as important as what you deliver. Cognizant leaders at every level drive our business strategy and inspire teams around our future, live the leadership behaviors, uphold our Values, and nurture our people and culture to create a workplace where all can thrive.

At Cognizant, leadership transcends titles and is embodied in actions and behaviors. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.

About the role

As AVP Client Partner, you will make an impact by developing and executing account strategy, driving sustainable revenue growth, managing P&L performance, and strengthening executive client relationships. You will be a valued member of the Life Sciences account leadership team and work collaboratively with Markets, client relationship managers, sales, pre-sales, service lines, alliance partners, and client stakeholders.

In this role, you will:

• Define and execute the account strategy and plan, aligning customer outcomes with a clear vision for growth across the Novartis account.
• Own P&L performance and drive revenue growth in line with or above the market, while identifying and addressing account-level challenges.
• Co-own offering positioning for India and DACH Life Sciences accounts by identifying portfolio gaps, shaping offering strategy and roadmaps, and managing opportunities from ideation through sales closure.
• Lead sales and account-penetration activities by translating business problems into technology-enabled solutions, qualifying opportunities, and partnering with client relationship managers and sales teams.
• Direct deal pursuits end to end within the service line, ensuring effective pre-sales engagement through workshops, digital dialogues, demonstrations, and proofs of concept, and personally engaging priority clients to credentialize deals.
• Shape thought leadership and portfolio strategy, engage external analysts, and drive market education and commercial conversations.
• Own strategic alliance and vendor relationships, developing partnerships that improve business outcomes and support sell-with growth.
• Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead through Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Business Leadership, including building trust and inclusion, setting bold strategic direction, maintaining client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability, and operating with financial acumen.

Measures of success

• TCV growth and revenue growth, including relative growth compared with leading competitors.
• Portfolio mix and revenue mix across service lines.
• Client deployments of intellectual property, accelerators, and solutions.
• Partnership growth, including sell-with TCV.
• Improvement in average billing rates.
• Diversity and inclusive leadership outcomes.
• Effective ownership of strategic-priority socialization, new portfolio development within existing logos, deal pursuits, sales strategy, account planning, growth priorities, and differentiated solution design.

What you need to have to be considered

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in a senior leadership role.
• A minimum of 15 years of complex solutioning experience, supported by broad technical experience.
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in the assigned functional or technology area, with applicable market-standard certifications.
• Demonstrated capability in account strategy, account planning, sales strategy, P&L management, revenue growth, and end-to-end deal pursuits.
• Experience translating business challenges into technology-enabled solutions and engaging senior client stakeholders in commercial and solution conversations.
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business.
• Embodiment of Cognizant Values: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.

These will help you succeed

• Senior leadership experience managing a large portfolio and working with large, globally distributed teams.
• Domain expertise across verticals, with the ability to apply industry, geography, and practice-area insight to client priorities.
• A track record of bringing products and offerings to market and leveraging organizational capabilities to support differentiated offers and solutions.
• Experience developing strategic alliances, engaging external analysts, and shaping thought leadership and portfolio strategy.
• Strong executive presence, commercial judgment, and the ability to build trust across client, sales, pre-sales, service-line, and partner stakeholders.

Work model

The working arrangement for this role will be based on business and client requirements and will be communicated during the hiring process. Working arrangements may change based on the project, business, and client requirements. We will always be clear about role expectations and support a healthy work-life balance through our wellbeing programs.