Consulting Principal, Manufacturing Consulting Practice

Cognizant; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual incentive

Stock awards

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Cognizant is hiring a Consulting Principal (Manufacturing exp.) at Associate Director level for a Hybrid role in Minneapolis, MN or Chicago, IL. This senior leadership position focuses on industrial manufacturing, automotive and transportation strategies at the intersection of business and technology, with responsibility for selling, leading, and delivering consulting engagements.

Ideal candidates bring extensive manufacturing domain experience, strong program management, and experience working

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Strong customer facing capabilities with a track record of selling and delivering engagements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver consulting engagements with senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Strong program management expertise – collaborate with clients and Cognizant teams to deliver improvements.
• Lead business transformation for manufacturing clients to grow footprint and revenue.
• Sell, lead, and deliver consulting engagements while influencing executives and building teams.
• Lead end-to-end engagements including strategy, operating model transformation, and digital initiatives.
• Drive AI-led discussions and workshops to help clients navigate AI solutions.
• Provide tailored manufacturing solutions for Industrial/Process/Diversified sectors.
• Manage client relationships to ensure successful project delivery.
• Lead thought leadership through papers, workshops, and webinars; mentor teams.

Skills

Program management

Client engagement

Executive stakeholder mgmt

Manufacturing domain

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or Master’s degree

Job description

Title: Consulting Principal (Manufacturing exp.)

Designation: Associate Director level

Hybrid – Minneapolis, MN or Chicago, IL

About Us:

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant, a member of the NASDAQ-100, is ranked 195 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com.

Cognizant Consulting:

Within Cognizant is Cognizant Consulting, a global consulting organization delivering strategic and domain consulting through industry and technology expertise. With over 6,000 consultants worldwide, Cognizant offers high-value consulting services that improve business performance and operational productivity, lower operational expenses and enhance overall performance. Clients draw upon our deep industry expertise, program and change management capabilities, and analytical objectivity to help improve business productivity, drive technology-enabled business transformation and increase shareholder value. We provide a number of Business/IT Consulting Services including Business Strategy, IT Strategy & Roadmap Development, Process Re-Engineering & Transformation, Enterprise Architecture & Technology Selection, and Domain Solutions. The Cognizant Consulting team is a high performing organization that is continually expanding our client base and increasingly being recommended by analysts such as Forrester and Gartner.

The Role:

Our Manufacturing & Logistics consulting practice is one of the most prominent and significant in the industry. And we are growing! We are looking for a senior leader to join us in a high-profile capacity as an Associate Director in our Consulting practice. This role will focus on industrial manufacturing, automotive and transportation strategies at the intersection of business and technology, helping lead the way as we continue to scale our business.

Responsibilities:

• Strong program management expertise – collaborate with clients, cross-functional Cognizant teams to deliver process improvements and help achieve client objectives
• Lead Business Transformation for clients across the manufacturing value chain – help grow consulting footprint and revenue at the client
• Proven ability to sell, lead, and deliver consulting engagements while influencing senior executives and developing consulting teams
• Lead end-to-end consulting engagements, including strategy, operating model transformation, process optimization, and digital initiatives
• Ability to drive AI-led discussions and workshops – helping clients navigate AI
• Expertise in serving manufacturing clients (Industrial / Process / Diversified) and ability to provide tailored solutions to address their specific needs
• Work with a diverse set of external and internal stakeholders – clients, account leadership, service lines – to support proposal development, solution shaping, and client presentations (including supporting large IT transformation deals)
• Manage client relationships, ensuring successful project delivery.
• Driving thought leadership agenda for the consulting practice including authoring white papers, workshops, webinars, etc.
• Lead and mentor consulting teams comprising consultants, analysts, and subject matter experts

Qualifications:

• Excellent customer facing capabilities, and an established track record for selling & delivering consulting engagements
• Strong program management expertise –
• A demonstrated ability to understand technology / architecture imperatives for consulting and IT transformation deals
• Extensive experience working in manufacturing segment
• Experience of working with C-level executives at the client organization

Required Education:

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or Master’s degree strongly preferred

Salary and Other Compensation:

Applications will be accepted until October 5, 2026. The annual salary for this position is between $122,400.00 – $194,000.00 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Incentives:

Eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program and stock awards, subject to applicable plan terms.

Benefits:

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Paid Holidays plus PTO, 401(k) with company contributions, Short-term/Long-term Disability, Paid Parental Leave, Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Disclaimer:

Salary, other compensation, and benefits are accurate as of the date of this posting and may be modified at any time, subject to applicable law.

*Note:

Applicants must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the United States. The company is unable to provide employment-based immigration sponsorship for this position.

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