AI Strategy Lead - AVP

Cognizant; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 305,000 - 435,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

401(k) plan and contributions

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking an AI Strategy Lead to drive AI-led growth and transformation in a key industry domain. You will translate priorities into actionable AI strategies, roadmaps, and revenue opportunities while partnering with Sales, Marketing, Consulting, Customer Engineering, and Partner teams.

As a senior leader, you will design offerings, validate them with customers, build a team of specialists, embed AI in account plans, and shape GTM and enablement efforts.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of AI, agentic AI, ML concepts, data modernization, and business transformation.
• Strong executive presence with excellent communication and storytelling capabilities.
• Proven ability to collaborate across sales, solution engineering, delivery and partner ecosystems.
• Experience defining and executing AI GTM strategies for major industry domains.

Responsibilities

• Lead Offering Design & Customer Validation: design AI offerings mapped to high-value business problems and build a team of specialists.
• Industry Go to Market: define AI GTM plan, target accounts, and solution plays; develop industry-specific value propositions.
• Enablement & Thought Leadership: enable sales/marketing/partners on AI use cases and ROI; represent Cognizant at events.
• Demonstrate Cognizant Way to Lead: personal, organizational and business leadership; uphold Cognizant values.

Skills

Executive presence

AI strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Sales collaboration

Storytelling

Team building

Industry knowledge

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.

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 an AI Strategy Lead, you will make an impact by driving AI led growth and transformation within a specific industry segment or domain (supply chain, marketing, CX, Finops, HR). You will translate industry priorities into actionable AI strategies, use case roadmaps, and revenue opportunities, positioning Cognizant as the strategic partner of choice for clients’ AI journeys. You will be a valued member of the AI Unit and collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Consulting, Customer Engineering, and Partner teams.

In this role, you will:

Lead Offering Design & Customer Validation

• Design and shape AI offerings mapped to high value business problems within your assigned industry or domain.
• Build a team of offering specialists, who will drive scaling of these offerings.
• Partner with delivery and engineering teams to ensure offerings are technically feasible, scalable, and aligned with customer value.
• Embed AI into client account plans and strategic pursuits in partnership with markets teams.
• Identify and shape AI transformation opportunities within priority accounts, driving early engagement with CXOs, business heads, and innovation teams.

Industry Go to Market (GTM) & Sales Strategy

• Define the AI GTM plan for your assigned industry or domain, including key opportunity areas, target accounts, and solution plays.
• Partner with marketing and alliances to create industry/domain specific AI value propositions, assets, use case libraries, and thought leadership.
• Build annual sales, pipeline, and revenue plans aligned with the AI Unit’s goals.

Enablement & Thought Leadership

• Enable AI sales teams, marketing teams, and partners on AI use cases, ROI frameworks, and adoption trends.
• Represent Cognizant at industry events, conferences, and customer forums as a domain level AI expert.
• Contribute to the creation of reusable sales assets such as playbooks, use case libraries, and industry specific AI frameworks.

Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead, which means operating with Personal Leadership (building trust, collaboration, and inclusion), Organizational Leadership (driving vision and purpose, demonstrating a strategic and enterprise mindset, and creating and communicating a bold direction that inspires purpose), and Business Leadership (exemplifying client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability and results, and operating with financial acumen)

What you need to have to be considered

• 15+ years of experience in Consulting, Practice Sales, or Software GTM roles with strong exposure to digital or AI led transformation.
• Deep understanding of one or more industries (e.g., BFSI, HCLS, Retail, Manufacturing) and must have worked in selling and delivering digital or AI transformation of core functional domains in an enterprise customer.
• Strong understanding of AI, agentic AI, ML concepts, data modernization, and business transformation.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating across sales, solution engineering, delivery, and partner ecosystems.
• Strong executive presence with excellent communication and storytelling capabilities.
• Experience collaborating across sales, solution engineering, delivery, and partner ecosystems.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills with executive presence
• Proven team builder with a strong track record of building high performance teams.
• Strong communication, storytelling, and technical synthesis abilities
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, & Leading the Business
• 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

• Proven experience defining and executing AI GTM strategies for a major industry or domain.
• Experience shaping AI roadmaps, use cases, and business cases for strategic pursuits.
• Strength in aligning cross functional teams around client value narratives.
• Strong network within industry ecosystems, talent networks, and success in Csuite suite conversations.
• Contributions to reusable sales and industry assets such as playbooks, frameworks, and IP.

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is an onsite position requiring 3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office.

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.

Salary and Other Compensation:

Applications will be accepted until August 16, 2026.

The annual salary for this position is between $305,000 - $435,000 depending on the experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program and stock awards, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits:

Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer:

The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.