Consulting Manager

Cognizant; Mumbai; Hybrid; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant's Consulting Manager role in a global financial services practice is responsible for delivering payment transformation and messaging optimization programs using SWIFT MT messages and ISO XML 20022 standards. The role focuses on advisory solution design and implementation oversight in a hybrid work model during day shifts, ensuring secure, efficient, and compliant cross-border payment operations.

You will lead engagements with financial institutions, oversee end-to-end assessments,

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in SWIFT MT messages and core financial message types.

Responsibilities

• Lead consulting engagements to modernize cross-border payment flows using SWIFT MT messages and ISO XML 20022 standards.
• Oversee end-to-end assessment of current payment messaging landscapes to identify gaps against industry regulations.
• Provide advisory on migration strategies from SWIFT MT to ISO XML 20022 formats.
• Drive design of target state payment messaging architectures integrating SWIFT services with core banking systems.
• Coordinate with product owners, architects, and operations to define requirements for payment and messaging solutions.
• Develop documentation for SWIFT MT and ISO XML 20022 to support implementation and testing.
• Guide testing strategies for payment messaging transformations and defect resolution.
• Analyze metrics to recommend process improvements.
• Collaborate with risk and compliance stakeholders to adhere to regulatory standards.
• Present findings and recommendations to client management.
• Share knowledge on SWIFT/ISO messaging standards and best practices.
• Contribute to proposal development and engagement planning.
• Improve delivery templates and accelerators to reduce time to value.

Skills

SWIFT MT messages

ISO 20022

Consulting experience

Stakeholder communication

Regulatory compliance

Hybrid coordination

Analytical skills

Job description

Job Summary

Consulting Manager role in a global financial services practice responsible for delivering payment transformation and messaging optimization programs using SWIFT MT messages and ISO XML 20022 standards. The role focuses on advisory solution design and implementation oversight in a hybrid work model during day shifts ensuring secure efficient and compliant cross border payment operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex consulting engagements for financial institutions focused on modernizing cross border payment flows using SWIFT MT messages and ISO XML 20022 standards to achieve measurable gains in efficiency and compliance.
• Oversee end to end assessment of current payment messaging landscapes including processing workflows and system interfaces to identify gaps against evolving industry regulations and scheme requirements.
• Provide detailed advisory on migration strategies from existing SWIFT MT based processes toward ISO XML 20022 formats ensuring continuity of business operations and minimal disruption to clients.
• Drive design of target state payment messaging architectures that integrate SWIFT services core banking systems and downstream applications to support scalable and resilient transaction processing.
• Coordinate with product owners architects and operations teams to define functional and nonfunctional requirements for new or enhanced payment and messaging solutions aligned to client priorities.
• Develop clear and structured documentation including business process maps data models and message specifications for SWIFT MT and ISO XML 20022 to support implementation and testing activities.
• Guide testing strategies for payment messaging transformations including creation of test scenarios validation of message mapping and resolution of defects impacting transaction quality or timeliness.
• Analyze operational and financial metrics related to payment volumes straight through processing rates and exception handling to recommend targeted process improvements.
• Collaborate with risk and compliance stakeholders to ensure that SWIFT payment and messaging solutions adhere to regulatory expectations information security standards and industry best practices.
• Present concise and insightful findings to client management teams highlighting business impacts associated with messaging changes and providing clear recommendations for phased implementation.
• Support internal capability development by sharing knowledge on SWIFT MT standards ISO XML 20022 message structures and leading practices in payment transformation across consulting teams.
• Contribute to proposal creation and opportunity shaping by translating client needs in payment and messaging domains into well structured engagement plans and value propositions.
• Engage in continuous improvement of delivery methods by refining templates accelerators and reusable assets that reduce time to value for payment messaging consulting projects.

Qualifications

• Possess a strong foundation in SWIFT MT messages including understanding of core financial message types their fields and associated processing flows across correspondent banking networks.
• Demonstrate practical experience with ISO XML 20022 messages covering payment initiation clearing settlement and reporting structures as applied to real world implementations for financial institutions.
• Apply working knowledge of SWIFT payment and messages platforms including connectivity options and interface mechanisms to advise on optimal integration approaches with client systems.
• Bring proven consulting experience within financial services or payments domains spanning at least nine years with responsibility for delivering complex client projects and achieving defined outcomes.
• Show capacity to communicate technical messaging concepts in clear business oriented language enabling client stakeholders to make informed decisions about payment transformation journeys.
• Exhibit familiarity with hybrid work models and demonstrate ability to coordinate onsite and remote collaboration effectively during day shifts to maintain project momentum.
• Display strong analytical and problem solving skills with the ability to interpret payment data transaction flows and exception patterns to recommend practical remediation steps.
• Value inclusive and collaborative ways of working that encourage diverse perspectives and foster transparent interactions with client and internal teams throughout engagement lifecycles.