Leading at Cognizant
This is a Leadership role at Cognizant. We believe how you lead is as important as what you deliver. Cognizant leaders at every level: Drive our business strategy and inspire teams around our future. Live the leadership behaviors , leading themselves, others and the business. Uphold our Values , role modeling them in every action and decision. Nurture our people and culture , creating a workplace where all can thrive.
At Cognizant, leadership transcends titles and is embodied in actions and behaviors. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.
About the role:
AVP FP&A - CT&I The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for CT&I will serve as a strategic financial leader partnering closely with the Technology Services CFO and senior leaders across Service Lines and Operations to shape and execute the company’s financial strategy. Reporting directly to the Technology Services CFO the CFO will play a critical role in guiding the financial direction of the CIS business.
In this role, you will:
Own end-to-end corporate and consolidated Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) for the CT&I portfolio, including strategic planning, financial reporting, and performance management.
Drive long-range forecasting, budgeting, and deal structuring to support data-driven decision-making and strong financial discipline across the organization.
Bring deep expertise in infrastructure services, with a strong understanding of the financial dynamics and cost structures of infrastructure delivery.
Financial Planning, Analysis & Reporting
Lead a globally distributed FP&A team of approximately five professionals.
Deliver insightful monthly variance analyses and executive-level presentations.
Build and maintain advanced financial models, including bridge and scenario analyses.
Develop, track, and report KPIs to measure business performance and progress against targets.
Oversee monthly and quarterly forecasts, assessing the financial impact of major initiatives.
Conduct in-depth analysis of consolidated and practice-level P&L results, comparing actuals to budget, forecast, and prior-period outcomes.
Generate regular and ad-hoc reports for senior leadership to support strategic decision-making.
Budgeting, Cost Optimization & Margin Improvement
Oversee and coordinate budgeting, forecasting, and analysis across multiple functions.
Identify cost-reduction and efficiency opportunities, with a strong focus on reversing margin pressure and driving sustainable margin growth.
Formulate and present business cases for initiatives across all P&L levels, including:
Margin expansion
Revenue growth
Utilization improvement
Human capital optimization
Strategic Advisory & Business Partnering
Serve as a strategic advisor to leadership, providing analytical insights, perspectives, and options to guide decision-making.
Act as a Strategic Business Partner within the Tech Services FP&A leadership team, supporting and enabling transformation initiatives.
Provide clear insights to executives on growth drivers, risks, and opportunities.\
Partner closely with Service Lines to deliver financial expertise and disseminate financial acumen across Cognizant.
Provide business advisory support to the commercial team across the entire contract lifecycle, including deal pricing, financial modeling, and portfolio health analysis.
Balance stakeholder interests by aligning investment decisions with performance goals, ensuring clear ROI objectives and accountability for outcomes.
Leadership, Culture & Operating Excellence
Be a change agent within the Finance organization, driving financial excellence in complex, matrixed environments.
Instill financial and operational ownership within practices to achieve long-term performance outcomes.
Cultivate strong relationships across Cognizant to enhance collaboration and business understanding.
Lead with integrity and foster an inclusive, high-performing culture where team members feel valued and empowered.
Drive continuous improvement by automating, scaling, and enhancing forecasting and reporting tools/systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
What you need to have to be considered:
Prior experience as Controller, CFO, or FP&A Lead within a largescale, global IT or professional services organization.\
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly advanced Excel and PowerPoint.
Experience with PeopleSoft ESA and Oracle BI (preferred).
Working knowledge of Hyperion Financial Management (HFM) and Salesforce (preferred).
Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance.
Certifications Required:
Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting CPA or MBA (Finance) Preferred 15+ years of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) experience preferably on capital investing and management
Work model:
We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.
The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations
We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.
