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 modelling 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 behaviours. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.
The Role
The Corporate Real Estate and Workplace Services (CREWS) organization enables Cognizant’s business growth through the planning, development, delivery and management of world-class workplace environments. As Cognizant continues to expand and modernize its workplace portfolio, CREWS plays a critical role in ensuring safe, scalable, sustainable and employee-centric facilities across India.
We are seeking a Senior Director – Construction Management to provide enterprise-level leadership across large-scale construction, redevelopment, workplace transformation and fit-out programs. This role will lead the execution of strategic real estate investments while ensuring alignment with business priorities, operational readiness, employee experience, sustainability objectives and governance requirements.
The role is pivotal in ensuring that all projects are delivered with rigorous controls across scope, cost, schedule, quality, statutory compliance, risk management and operational handover readiness. The successful candidate will combine technical expertise, commercial acumen and executive leadership to deliver transformational workplace infrastructure programs across India.
Every choice we make aligns to our vision: to become the pre-eminent technology services partner to the world’s top companies.
At Cognizant, we are a high-performing team with heart. Our workplaces are designed to enable collaboration, innovation and growth. If you are a strategic construction leader who thrives in complex environments, values operational excellence and is passionate about delivering high-impact workplace programs, we want to hear from you.
In this role, you will:
Lead multi-location greenfield, redevelopment and major fit-out programs from concept approval through handover and operational stabilization, including large built-up area programs exceeding 1 million sq. ft. where applicable.
Act as Cognizant construction lead with accountability for scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, statutory compliance, risk governance, consultant/vendor performance and executive reporting.
Define delivery strategy, contracting approach, procurement support, phasing, logistics, execution controls, stage-gates, change governance, escalation mechanisms and handover readiness criteria.
Oversee selection, onboarding, mobilization and governance of architects, PMCs, consultants, contractors, specialist agencies and vendors through scorecards and corrective action plans.
Plan and monitor statutory approvals, authority coordination, local regulatory compliance and state-specific obligations through clear ownership and dependency matrices.
Lead integrated governance across master planning, architecture, structural, MEP, facade, interiors, sustainability, workplace, digital workplace, IT/AV, security, fire and life safety and building technology systems.
Drive constructability, value engineering, design-to-budget discipline, lifecycle cost optimization, maintainability, operational efficiency and compliance with NBC, local development regulations, accessibility, EHS, ESG and Cognizant workplace guidelines.
Establish design/construction review cadences, decision logs, technical risk registers, change controls, stage-gate sign-offs, inspection/test plans, mock-ups, commissioning protocols, defect closure and documentation standards.
Partner with business leadership, finance, procurement, legal, EHS, IT, security, facilities, real estate strategy and workplace operations.
Prepare steering committee updates, governance dashboards, decision notes, schedule/cost/risk reports and mitigation plans with transparent documentation and disciplined issue closure.
Govern budgets, cash flows, cost plans, procurement packages, claims, contingencies, financial forecasts, master schedules, critical paths, & recovery plans across project locations.
Mitigate risks across design, construction, EHS, statutory, commercial, procurement, contractor capability, stakeholder decisions and operational handover; support contract administration, variation control, claim avoidance and payment governance.
Champion zero-harm safety culture and ensure contractor EHS compliance, robust site safety leadership, audit closure and incident prevention across all construction sites.
Ensure compliance with Indian statutory requirements, labour laws, environmental permissions, local authority conditions and workplace safety obligations.
Embed quality, sustainability, energy efficiency, water/waste management, responsible materials, accessibility, & maintainability.
Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing consulting team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead, which means operating with Personal Leadership (building trust, collaboration, and inclusion), Organizational Leadership (driving vision and purpose, demonstrating a strategic and enterprise mindset, and creating and communicating a bold direction that inspires purpose), and Business Leadership (exemplifying client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability and results, and operating with financial acumen).
What you need to have to be considered:
15+ years of progressive experience in large-scale construction management, real estate delivery or infrastructure program leadership, including at least 5 years as Project Director, Program Director or equivalent senior leadership.
Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Project Management or a related built-environment discipline.
Master's degree or advanced qualification in Interior Design, Lead AP, sustainable architecture, Construction Management or related field preferred.
PMP/RICS/LEED/IGBC or equivalent credentials are advantageous.
Proven delivery of campuses, Grade-A offices, high-rise buildings, greenfield developments, complex fit-outs and multi-location programs in India, preferably in a corporate real estate, occupier, developer, PMC or construction management environment.
Executive presence, decision quality, commercial acumen, procurement orientation, risk discipline, contract administration, technical understanding, ethics, documentation rigor and ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams across geographies.
Experience working on large-scale greenfield projects.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-location project portfolios and large capital expenditure programs in India.
Strong expertise in construction contracts, procurement strategies, commercial management, project controls and risk governance.
Extensive knowledge of Indian building regulations, statutory compliance requirements, environmental regulations and workplace safety standards.
Experience managing relationships with consultants, contractors, developers, regulatory authorities and executive stakeholders.
Strong financial acumen with experience governing large project budgets, forecasts and capital investment programs.
Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, & Leading the Business.
The embodiment of Cognizant’s Values of: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do The right Thing, & Own It.
These will help you succeed:
Experience delivering million-plus square foot developments and large integrated workplace campuses.
Strong expertise in project governance frameworks, construction delivery methodologies and operational readiness planning.
Deep understanding of sustainability, ESG, green building certifications and responsible construction practices.
Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across multiple geographies and stakeholder groups.
Strong contract administration, claims avoidance and commercial negotiation capabilities.
Proven ability to drive innovation through digital construction technologies, analytics and project management tools.
A commitment to continuous learning and staying current with workplace, construction, sustainability and real estate industry trends.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution while maintaining governance discipline and delivery excellence.
Work model:
Based on this role’s business requirements, the work model will be finalised once you join and may require working from a client or Cognizant office as needed. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.
The working arrangements for the role 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.
Significant travel is required across active and planned project sites in India based on business priorities.
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.
