AI Strategist, Associate Director

Cognizant; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant in Singapore seeks an Assistant Director, AI Builder to lead defined AI strategy, transformation and solution-shaping engagements. Translate executive priorities into actionable AI roadmaps, prioritized use cases, investment cases and governed implementation plans, working across clients, account teams and partners in APJ.

You will manage small teams, deliver executive-ready artefacts, develop ROI models and value-realisation measures, and shape proposals and PoCs while contributing to

Qualifications

• 12–16 years in consulting, business transformation or digital transformation with AI advisory or delivery experience.
• Ability to lead client workstreams, run senior stakeholder workshops and translate AI topics into practical recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of Generative AI, LLMs, RAG, context engineering, governance and cloud AI platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead client discovery sessions, executive briefings and AI strategy workshops with senior leaders.
• Assess AI maturity, identify value pools, prioritise use cases and develop roadmaps and governance.
• Develop investment cases, ROI models and value-realisation measures across productivity, cost and customer experience.
• Orchestrate cross-functional inputs, contribute to proposals and PoCs, and support outcome-based commercial models.
• Lead small consulting or PoC teams, manage risks and produce executive-ready deliverables.
• Coach junior members and contribute to thought leadership and reusable assets.

Skills

AI strategy

Client engagement

Leadership

Executive storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

AI platforms

Job description

Role Summary

The Assistant Director, AI Builder is a senior client-facing advisor who leads defined AI strategy, transformation and solution-shaping engagements. The role translates executive priorities into actionable AI roadmaps, prioritized use cases, investment cases and governed implementation plans. Working across clients, account teams, consulting, industries, service lines and ecosystem partners, the Assistant Director independently manages workstreams and small teams while supporting the Director in shaping strategic opportunities and scaling repeatable offerings across APJ.

Key Responsibilities

• Client and executive engagement: Lead discovery sessions, executive briefings and AI strategy workshops; build trusted relationships with business and technology leaders; translate AI concepts into clear business outcomes.

• AI strategy and roadmap: Assess AI maturity and readiness, identify value pools, prioritize use cases, and develop roadmaps, operating-model recommendations, governance controls and adoption plans.

• Business case and value: Develop investment cases, ROI models, benefit baselines and value-realisation measures covering productivity, cost, growth, service quality and customer experience.

• Solution shaping and commercial support: Orchestrate cross-functional solution inputs, define scope and delivery approach, contribute to proposals and RFPs, and support PoC and outcome-based commercial models.

• Delivery leadership: Lead small consulting or PoC teams, manage quality, risks, dependencies and stakeholder expectations, and produce executive-ready deliverables and demonstration narratives.

• Growth and capability building: Develop industry use-case narratives and reusable assets, support pipeline conversion and influenced bookings, coach junior team members, and contribute to thought leadership and AI fluency initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators

• Bookings TCV / influenced bookings TCV and qualified pipeline supported

• Conversion of discovery engagements into funded PoCs, consulting assignments or scaled programmes

• Quality, timeliness and client satisfaction for assigned engagements

• Reusable assets, industry narratives and team capability developed

• Billability: 30%

Experience & Skills

• Typically 12-16 years of experience in consulting, business transformation, technology strategy or digital transformation, including significant AI-related advisory or implementation experience.

• Demonstrated ability to lead client workstreams, facilitate senior stakeholder workshops and convert complex AI topics into practical recommendations.

• Strong working knowledge of Generative AI, Agentic AI, LLMs, RAG, context engineering, Responsible AI, governance, enterprise data and leading cloud AI platforms.

• Proven experience in use-case prioritisation, AI roadmaps, business cases, value tracking, operating models and change or adoption planning.

• Strong proposal development, solution-shaping, analytical, storytelling and executive-presentation skills.

• Relevant industry depth in one or more priority sectors, with the ability to connect business processes, regulatory considerations and AI opportunities.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; postgraduate, cloud, AI, data, governance or consulting credentials are advantageous