Senior Manager - Legal

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation; Chennai; Hybrid; INR 1,500,000 - 2,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant seeks a Senior Manager - Legal to drive strategic, high-impact transactions across technology contracts and vendor agreements. You will oversee negotiation, review, and management of client and partner contracts, acting as a trusted advisor to protect Cognizant's interests while balancing risk and business objectives.

You will lead a high-performing team, collaborate with business and procurement stakeholders, and champion AI fluency and process improvements within the legal function.

Qualifications

• Extensive contracting knowledge, especially technology contracts.
• Strong legal and business acumen to assess risks and mitigation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead and mentor a team of legal professionals.
• Demonstrated ownership and accountability as single point of contact.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Passion for delivering meaningful outcomes aligned with Cognizant values.
• AI fluency and process improvement mindset.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on global commercial agreements including software licenses, subscriptions, and NDAs.
• Identify legal, commercial, regulatory, and compliance risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Collaborate with procurement, finance, tax, information security, privacy, and leadership.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing legal team and manage escalations.
• Develop and deliver training to enhance contracting capability and risk management.

Skills

Contracting knowledge

Technology contracts

Legal business acumen

Written & verbal communication

Leadership

Ownership & accountability

Interpersonal skills

AI fluency

Education

LLB / LLM in Law

Job description

About Cognizant Corporate

Cognizant Corporate is a global community united by a shared purpose: to make a meaningful impact. We are committed to excellence and driven by outcomes that matter. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work, and our forward-thinking mindset fuels continuous learning, innovation, and growth.

At Cognizant, careers transcend titles. We empower our people to think strategically, inspire others, and lead with purpose - always guided by our core values. Join us in shaping future of business.

About the role

As a Senior Manager - Legal, you will drive impactful contributions and focus on outcomes. You will be a key member of the Technology Transactions team, collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders including business, finance, procurement etc. The candidate will oversee the negotiation, review, and management of vendor and partner agreements, together with client contracts related to third party provisioning for Cognizant's business operations. The candidate will serve as a trusted legal advisor to the business, ensuring the protection of Cognizant's interests through the assessment of legal and commercial risks and the implementation of appropriate contractual safeguards and mitigation measures.

As a team of self-starters, you can work with impact with our vibrant people and culture all while enjoying unmatched learning opportunities.

In this role, you will:

• Support strategic transactions and business opportunities by proactively engaging with deal teams, evaluating contractual and commercial risks, and providing timely visibility of material issues and potential exposures to senior management.

• Partner with Cognizant's business, procurement, alliances, and delivery teams to develop and implement contractual frameworks that support business objectives and enable sustainable growth.

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a broad range of global commercial agreements, including software license and subscription agreements, alliance and teaming agreements, subcontracting arrangements, vendor services agreements, RFPs, statements of work, and non-disclosure agreements.

• Identify, assess, and advise on legal, commercial, operational, regulatory and compliance risks arising from contractual arrangements, and develop pragmatic mitigation strategies that balance risk and business objectives.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including procurement, finance, tax, information security, privacy , compliance, and business leadership teams, to obtain subject matter input and appropriately incorporate such requirements into contractual documentation.

• Foster knowledge sharing and collaboration within the legal function to drive consistency, operational efficiency, and continuous enhancement of legal service delivery.

• Champion AI Fluency and continuous improvement initiatives, including process optimization, standardization, automation, and the adoption of best practices to enhance the effectiveness of the legal organization.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of legal professionals , ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal support, effective management of escalations, and meaningful career development for direct reports.

• Develop and deliver training, coaching, and mentorship programs to enhance contracting capability, legal awareness, and risk management acumen across the legal team and broader business organization.

• Embrace our vibrant culture by striving for excellence, focusing on meaningful outcomes , and collaborating effectively. Take ownership , build relationships , and focus on personal growth to drive business strategy and foster an inclusive culture , creating unmatched career opportunities and impactful work.

What you must have to be considered

• Having extensive contracting knowledge and experience especially handling technology contracts

• Having a strong legal and business (understanding of transactional nuances) acumen to assess risks and recommend possible mitigations.

• Articulation of the highest order both written and verbal

• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment

• Demonstrating leadership and having strong organizational skills.

• Demonstrating complete ownership and accountability by being the single point of contact for resolution of issues.

• Exceptional interpersonal skills to effectively communicate and coordinate complex issues with diverse levels of management and to collaborate and guide the junior attorneys

• A strong sense of ownership, desire to create meaningful outcomes, and passion for work that serves a greater good for customers , communities, or global challenges.

• The embodiment of Cognizant's Values of: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do The right Thing, & Own It

These will help you succeed

• NA

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 at least 3 days a week in Cognizant office in Bengaluru, Karnataka (or any other city in India). Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though 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.

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.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.