HR Lead - GCC

Cognizant; Chennai District; Hybrid; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Cog nizable Cognizant HR Lead - Global Capability Centers will shape, mobilize and scale HR solutions that enable GCC launches and ongoing performance. You will collaborate with senior leaders, client stakeholders, and HR teams across Recruitment, Total Rewards, HR M&A, and Talent Management.

You will translate strategic objectives into integrated HR solutions, act as an executive HR advisor, and design a scalable GCC HR playbook with governance and success measures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Deep enterprise HR expertise across hire-to-retire processes and scalable solutions.
• Strong business acumen linking talent strategy, operating model design, and delivery.
• Executive communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience with global service delivery models and GCC environments.
• Proven ability to lead strategically, foster collaboration, and develop people.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior business leaders and client stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into integrated HR solutions.
• Serve as an executive-level HR advisor on leading HR practices and governance approaches.
• Design and continuously improve a scalable GCC HR playbook and governance routines.
• Mobilize and lead a high-performing cross-functional HR task force to deliver milestones.
• Establish robust governance mechanisms and provide executive updates on progress.
• Demonstrate Cognizant's leadership values and foster growth, inclusion, and human-AI collaboration.

Skills

Leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Strategic vision

Cross-functional collaboration

People development

Client value creation

Governance & governance routines

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

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, leading themselves, others and the business.
• Uphold our values, role modeling them in every action and decision.
• Nurture our people and culture, creating a workplace where all can thrive.

This includes leading with strategic ability, architecting client value, driving AI-led innovation, executing with discipline, building a collaborative ecosystem, and amplifying human potential.
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 a HR Lead - Global Capability Centers, you will make an impact by shaping, mobilizing, and scaling HR solutions that enable the successful launch and ongoing performance of Cognizant's Global Capability Centers (GCCs). You will be a valued member of the HR leadership team and work collaboratively with senior business leaders, client stakeholders, and HR functional teams across Recruitment, Career Architecture, Total Rewards, HR M&A, and Talent Management.

In this role, you will

• Partner with senior business leaders and client stakeholders to translate strategic objectives, GCC scope, and operating model expectations into integrated HR solutions, while anticipating people, capability, and governance risks and providing commercially grounded mitigation.
• Serve as a trusted, executive-level HR advisor to clients on leading HR practices, country-specific talent considerations, HR operating models, and governance approaches, showcasing Cognizant's differentiated GCC experience.
• Design and continuously improve a scalable GCC HR playbook—covering stage gates, governance routines, functional deliverables, escalation paths, and success measures—and codify best practices to accelerate implementation and strengthen repeatability.
• Mobilize and lead a high-performing, cross-functional HR task force and network of functional experts to deliver against critical milestones and sustain effective GCC people practices.
• Establish robust governance mechanisms, including steering committees and operating reviews, and provide clear, executive-ready updates on progress, risks, decisions, and talent outcomes.
• Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead through strategic agility, client value creation, AI-led innovation, disciplined execution, collaborative ecosystem building and amplifying human potential through a culture of growth, inclusion and effective human-AI collaboration.

What you need to have to be considered

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience, ideally spanning HR business partnering, HR Centers of Excellence, transformation, and large-scale service delivery environments.
• Deep enterprise HR expertise across hire-to-retire processes, with the ability to integrate multiple functional disciplines into practical, scalable, and client-relevant solutions.
• Strong business acumen with a demonstrated ability to connect talent strategy, operating model design, financial considerations, and delivery execution.
• Proven success in client-facing, consultative, or advisory roles, with exceptional executive communication skills and the ability to build trust and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of global service delivery models, GCC operating environments, and the talent practices required to enable scale, quality, and sustained performance across a complex, matrixed, multi-time-zone environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with strategic vision, client-centric thinking, innovation, disciplined execution, collaboration and a commitment to developing people in line with the Cognizant Way to Lead.
• Proven track record of building trust, demonstrating ownership, exercising sound judgment and fostering an inclusive culture that supports growth and associate success.

These will help you stand out

• Experience leading, influencing, and developing diverse, multicultural teams and cross-functional stakeholder groups.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity, shaping new solutions, and bringing clarity, governance, and momentum to rapidly evolving business priorities.
• A commitment to promoting an ethical workplace culture and supporting compliance processes and programs.
• Experience thriving in complex, fast-evolving environments by translating strategy into action, fostering cross-functional collaboration and championing continuous learning and curiosity.

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 4 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in Bangalore, India. 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.