Associate Director – AI/Gen AI Platform – (Remote)

Cognizant; Salem (OR); Remote; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant seeks a Principal Enterprise Architect to define enterprise AI strategy and architect scalable GenAI platforms. You will lead governance, advise executives, and drive cloud-native AI adoption across AWS, Azure, and GCP.

You will mentor teams and support pre‑sales and architecture reviews, delivering measurable business value for clients. The role emphasizes hands-on architectural leadership in GenAI, RAG, and distributed systems, with remote work flexibility and collaboration across

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Enterprise/ Solution Architecture or Technology Consulting.
• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale AI, cloud, and digital transformation programs.
• Expertise in Generative AI, Agentic AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG, and AI Governance.
• Strong experience with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP cloud platforms.
• Experience designing microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, Docker, and event-driven architectures.

Responsibilities

• Define enterprise AI architecture strategy, roadmaps, standards, and governance frameworks.
• Architect scalable GenAI, Agentic AI, ML, and cloud-native solutions across complex enterprise environments.
• Design AI platforms utilizing LLMs, RAG, vector databases, APIs, and modern cloud services.
• Build rapid proofs of concept and prototypes to accelerate innovation and validate business use cases.
• Establish Responsible AI practices, model governance standards, and production readiness criteria.
• Drive cloud-native architecture adoption across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
• Integrate AI solutions with enterprise platforms including Salesforce, ServiceNow, ERP, finance, and payments systems.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to client executives, business stakeholders, and delivery leadership.
• Support pre-sales, solutioning, architecture reviews, and strategic client workshops.
• Mentor architects and engineering teams while promoting reusable AI patterns and accelerators.

Skills

Enterprise Architecture

Solution Architecture

Generative AI

LLMs

Executive Stakeholder Mgmt

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

APIs

LangChain

Vector Databases

Job description

Associate Director – AI/Gen AI Platform – (Remote)

Location: Remote

Employment Type: Full-Time

Job ID: 00070572731

About Cognizant

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, helping clients modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences through digital innovation. We partner with leading enterprises across SaaS, fintech, payments, and high-tech industries to accelerate business transformation through cloud, data, and AI.

Role Overview

Cognizant is seeking a Principal Enterprise Architect – AI & GenAI Platforms to serve as the senior AI architecture authority across a portfolio of strategic Platforms & Services and Hi-Tech clients.

This role will define enterprise AI strategy, architect scalable GenAI and Agentic AI solutions, establish governance standards, and drive the adoption of cloud-native AI platforms that deliver measurable business value. The ideal candidate combines deep enterprise architecture expertise, hands‑on AI experience, and strong executive stakeholder management skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Define enterprise AI architecture strategy, roadmaps, standards, and governance frameworks.
• Architect scalable GenAI, Agentic AI, ML, and cloud-native solutions across complex enterprise environments.
• Design AI platforms utilizing LLMs, RAG, vector databases, APIs, and modern cloud services.
• Build rapid proofs of concept and prototypes to accelerate innovation and validate business use cases.
• Establish Responsible AI practices, model governance standards, and production readiness criteria.
• Drive cloud-native architecture adoption across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
• Integrate AI solutions with enterprise platforms including Salesforce, ServiceNow, ERP, finance, and payments systems.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to client executives, business stakeholders, and delivery leadership.
• Support pre-sales, solutioning, architecture reviews, and strategic client workshops.
• Mentor architects and engineering teams while promoting reusable AI patterns and accelerators.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, or Technology Consulting.
• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale AI, cloud, and digital transformation programs.
• Expertise in Generative AI, Agentic AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG, and AI Governance.
• Strong experience with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP cloud platforms.
• Experience designing microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, Docker, and event-driven architectures.
• Strong executive communication, consulting, and client engagement experience.
• Demonstrated success leading AI initiatives from strategy through production deployment.
• Domain expertise in one or more of the following:
• SaaS Platforms
• FinTech & Payments
• Enterprise Software
• Financial Operations
• High-Tech / Semiconductor

Preferred Qualifications

• TOGAF Certification.
• AWS, Azure, or GCP Architecture Certifications.
• Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, MLflow, Vector Databases, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems, data platforms, and real‑time decisioning architectures.

Salary and Other Compensation

Applicants will be accepted till 11/07/2026

Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.

Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future

The annual salary for this position will be in the range of $140,000 - $160,000 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, 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.

Our strength is built on our ability to work together. Our diverse backgrounds offer different perspectives and new ways of thinking. It encourages lively discussions, creativity, productivity, and helps us build better solutions for our clients. We want someone who thrives in this setting and is inspired to craft meaningful solutions through true collaboration.

If you are content with ambiguity, excited by change, and excel through autonomy, we’d love to hear from you!

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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.