Service Delivery Lead

Cognizant; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Service Delivery Lead in Des Moines, IA to manage end-to-end service delivery across multiple infrastructure towers. You will own performance metrics, governance, and client relationships while guiding HAM and SAM programs.

The role demands senior leadership, transformation experience, and deep knowledge of IT operations. The ideal candidate will drive continuous improvement, cost optimization, and automation across on-prem and cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP), while

Qualifications

• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience building high-performance delivery organizations.
• Experience managing Service Delivery Teams, Tower Lead and Operations teams.
• Experience with succession planning, training and talent.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale Infrastructure Managed Services programs for global enterprise environments.
• Own service delivery, KPIs, SLAs and contractual commitments.
• Establish governance cadence, steering committees and reporting.
• Oversee HAM and SAM governance and lifecycle management.
• Drive automation and transformation roadmaps across IT operations.

Skills

Multi-tower leadership

Program governance

Global delivery

Cloud platforms

Education

ITIL v4 certification

PMP / PgMP

Bachelor's in CS/IS

Tools

ServiceNow

VMware

Azure

Job description

Cognizant is seeking a Service Delivery Lead with multi tower experience for a full time opportunity in Des Moines, IA

This role will be responsible for end-to-end service delivery, operational governance, transformation initiatives, financial management, and oversight of both Hardware Asset Management (HAM) and Software Asset Management (SAM) functions.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience managing complex enterprise infrastructure environments, leading global delivery teams, driving operational excellence, and acting as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Governance

• Lead large-scale Infrastructure Managed Services programs supporting global enterprise environments.
• Own service delivery, customer satisfaction, operational KPIs, SLAs, XLAs, and contractual commitments.
• Establish executive governance cadence, steering committees, service reviews, and operational reporting.
• Act as the primary escalation point for critical incidents, service risks, and customer concerns.
• Develop and execute continuous service improvement and transformation roadmaps.

Infrastructure Operations Management

• Oversee delivery across multiple infrastructure towers including:
  • End User Services
  • Service Desk
  • Network Operations
  • Data Center Operations
  • Server & Storage Administration
  • Cloud Operations (Azure, AWS, GCP)
  • Database Services
  • Identity & Access Management
  • Security Operations
  • Workplace Technology Services
• Ensure operational stability, availability, performance, and compliance across infrastructure services.

Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

• Govern the complete lifecycle of IT hardware assets.
• Develop asset standards, policies, and lifecycle management processes.
• Manage procurement, deployment, inventory tracking, refresh planning, warranty management, and asset disposal.
• Ensure CMDB and asset repositories remain accurate and audit ready.
• Drive cost optimization through asset utilization and lifecycle management strategies.

Software Asset Management (SAM)

• Lead enterprise-wide software asset management and license compliance programs.
• Manage software inventory, licensing models, renewals, audits, and vendor relationships.
• Establish software governance and usage optimization initiatives.
• Mitigate licensing and compliance risks.
• Drive software rationalization and cost reduction programs.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Manage P&L, budgets, forecasting, resource planning, and financial governance.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, automation, and operational efficiencies.
• Participate in contract negotiations, renewals, scope expansion, and service improvements.
• Track delivery performance against contractual obligations.

Transformation & Automation

• Drive infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Lead adoption of:
  • AIOps
  • ITSM/ITOM platforms
  • ServiceNow
  • Infrastructure Automation
  • Cloud Transformation
  • Observability Platforms
• Develop operational efficiencies through automation and self-healing capabilities.

People Leadership

• Lead, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Build high-performing delivery organizations.
• Mentor delivery managers, tower leads, and operations teams.
• Establish succession planning, training, and talent.

Qualifications:

Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.

Experience with building high-performance delivery organizations.

Experience managing Service Delivery Teams, Tower Lead and Operations teams.

Experience with succession planning, training and talent.

Technical Knowledge

• Data Center Operations
• Windows & Linux Platforms
• Virtualization (VMware/Hyper-V)
• Storage & Backup Technologies
• Enterprise Networking
• Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• ITSM Platforms (ServiceNow preferred)
• Monitoring & Observability Tools
• CMDB & Asset Management Platforms
• Security & Compliance Frameworks
• Software Licensing & Vendor Management

Preferred Certifications

• ITIL v4 Managing Professional or Expert
• PMP / PgMP
• CISSP (Preferred)
• Microsoft Azure Certifications

The salary range for this role is between $140,000 to $167,000 depending on skills and qualifications of the candidate. Applications will be accepted till 11/11/2026.