IT Operations Lead: Infrastructure & Service Excellence

Cognizant; Wayzata (MN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid Holidays & PTO

401(k) Plan

Disability Insurance

Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking an IT Operations Lead for Infrastructure Management Services to drive operational excellence across desktop, server, storage, backup and security domains. The role combines hands-on leadership with governance and transformation experience to manage complex managed services programs.

You will lead day-to-day operations, ensure SLA/KPI targets, mentor teams, manage budgets and reporting, and partner with business stakeholders to deliver resilient, cost-efficient IT services

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT service delivery for managed infrastructure.
• Proven ability to manage SLA/KPI and governance.
• Experience in BCP/DR, security, automation.

Responsibilities

• Operational Excellence: Lead day-to-day operations and service delivery.
• Ensure SLA, KPI, quality, and productivity targets are achieved.
• Monitor operational performance and address process gaps.
• Drive continuous improvement and operational transformation initiatives.
• People Management: Lead, coach, and mentor team leaders and operational teams.
• Handle workforce planning, staffing, onboarding, and succession planning.
• Conduct performance reviews and employee development activities.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and collaboration.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary operational contact for customers and business stakeholders.
• Conduct Weekly Business Reviews (WBR), Monthly Business Reviews (MBR), and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR).
• Manage escalations and customer communications.
• Build strong relationships with business and operational leadership teams.
• Financial Management: Manage budgets, forecasting, billing, and P&L activities.
• Drive cost optimization and operational efficiency.
• Monitor financial health and resource utilization.
• Support annual planning and forecasting exercises.
• Governance & Reporting: Establish governance processes and review mechanisms.
• Track operational metrics and generate management reports.Analyze trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Present operational performance to leadership.
• Risk & Compliance Management: Identify operational risks and mitigation plans.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and standards.
• Support audit requirements and governance controls.
• Manage business continuity and operational resilience activities.
• Process Improvement & Automation: Analyze business processes and eliminate inefficiencies.
• Drive automation and digital transformation initiatives.
• Improve quality, productivity, and customer experience.
• Implement data driven operational improvements

Skills

IT service delivery

Governance

Transformation

Desktop/Windows/Linux

Virtualization

Storage

Backup/DR

Identity services

Endpoint security

Automation

Monitoring

Leadership

People management

Stakeholder management

Financial management

Governance reporting

Digital transformation

Job description

Cognizant is seeking an IT Operations Lead for Infrastructure Management Services to drive operational excellence across desktop, server, storage, backup and security domains. The role combines hands-on leadership with governance and transformation experience to manage complex managed services programs.

You will lead day-to-day operations, ensure SLA/KPI targets, mentor teams, manage budgets and reporting, and partner with business stakeholders to deliver resilient, cost-efficient IT services