Senior AI Strategist Business Unit Location Work Model Reports To AI Market Unit
US - Multiple Locations
Remote
VP, Chief AI Strategy and Business Lead
ABOUT THE ROLEThe Senior AI Strategist plays a pivotal role in shaping Cognizant's AI portfolio by designing high-impact AI offerings, building compelling value propositions, and driving offering readiness across the AI Market Unit. This is a strategy and offering development role-you will own the journey from market opportunity identification through offering design, prioritization, and go-to-market enablement.
You will work closely with offering leads, subject matter experts, Cognizant service lines, and industry teams to lead offering discussions, align stakeholders, and ensure offerings are commercially differentiated and delivery-ready. When offerings are brought to clients, you will help prepare client-facing materials and support presentations alongside the account and industry teams.
IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILLOffering Strategy & Design• Lead the design and development of AI-led offerings by synthesizing market signals, competitive intelligence, industry trends, and client demand into structured, commercially viable propositions
• Conduct industry-specific opportunity assessments using frameworks including TAM analysis, competitive landscape mapping, client demand validation, and delivery-readiness scoring
• Define offering roadmaps and prioritization tiers (Launch Ready, In Progress, Early Stage) to guide investment decisions and resource allocation across the AI portfolio
• Build business cases and value narratives that quantify the impact of AI offerings for target industries (banking, healthcare payer, life sciences, and beyond)
• Own the offering bill of materials-ensuring each offering has clearly defined scope, differentiators, delivery model, pricing guidance, and proof points
Cross-Functional Offering Leadership• Lead offering discussions and workshops across Cognizant service lines, industry verticals, and technology teams to align on offering positioning, scope, and go-to-market approach
• Partner with offering leads and subject matter experts to translate technical AI capabilities into business-oriented value propositions that resonate with industry buyers
• Coordinate with industry teams to ensure offerings are tailored to vertical-specific pain points, regulatory contexts, and competitive dynamics
• Drive stakeholder alignment across multiple functions-bridging the gap between engineering, delivery, industry, and commercial teams to move offerings from concept to market
• Facilitate prioritization and trade-off discussions with senior leadership, using data-driven frameworks to support portfolio investment decisions
Client Enablement & Presentation Support• Develop executive-ready offering decks, one-pagers, battlecards, and presentation materials that articulate AI offering value in client-facing contexts
• Support account and industry teams in preparing for client meetings by tailoring offering narratives to specific client challenges and industry contexts
• Present AI offerings to clients alongside account teams and offering leads when needed, articulating differentiation and business impact with clarity
• Pressure-test offering assumptions and AI-generated insights using critical judgment, domain knowledge, and rigorous analysis before they reach clients
Thought Leadership & Market Intelligence• Lead the creation of thought leadership assets-white papers, point-of-view documents, industry briefs-that establish Cognizant's position as a leading AI strategy advisor
• Monitor and synthesize emerging AI trends, competitive moves, and regulatory developments to inform offering strategy and portfolio direction
• Contribute to internal knowledge capital by codifying frameworks, methodologies, and reusable IP that accelerate future offering development
• Build and maintain a competitive intelligence view of how peers (Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, Capgemini) are positioning their AI offerings
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS• 7+ years of experience in strategy consulting, technology strategy, AI/digital advisory, or offering/product strategy at a consulting firm, professional services organization, or technology company
• Demonstrated experience designing and developing technology or AI offerings, including defining value propositions, building business cases, and creating go-to-market materials
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional discussions and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups (engineering, delivery, industry, commercial)
• Strong analytical skills with experience conducting market assessments, competitive analysis, and quantitative modeling to inform strategic decisions
• Track record of developing executive-ready presentations, offering decks, and thought leadership content for senior audiences
• Strong understanding of the AI/ML landscape including GenAI, agentic AI, LLMs, and enterprise AI platforms
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills-able to synthesize complex technical concepts into clear business narratives
• 3+ years of experience managing or mentoring team members and structuring analytical workstreams
• Bachelor's degree required
WHAT WILL HELP YOU STAND OUT• MBA or equivalent graduate degree from a top-tier program
• Prior experience at a Big 4, MBB, or Tier 1 technology strategy or offering development practice
• Deep domain expertise in one or more priority industries: banking & capital markets, healthcare payer, or life sciences
• Experience with GTM strategy, offering launch, or product management in a B2B enterprise context
• Exposure to hyperscaler ecosystems (AWS, Azure, GCP) and AI platform partner models
• Track record of published thought leadership (articles, speaking engagements, industry reports)
• Ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs critically, with an understanding of data limitations, model risk, and bias
• Familiarity with offering lifecycle frameworks, RACI models, and portfolio prioritization methodologies
Salary and Other Compensation:
Applications will be accepted until July 30, 2026
The annual base salary for this position is between $150,000 - $175,000 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.
