Chief Architect - Communications & Generative AI/AI ML

Location: San Francisco, CA (anywhere in the Bay Area)

Cognizant (Nasdaq-100: CTSH) is one of the world's leading professional services companies, redefining clients' business, operating and technology models for the digital era. Our outstanding industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @Cognizant.

• Strategic Planning: Developing and being responsible for the long-term technology strategy to align with the company's business goals and market trends
• Technology Leadership: Owning the adoption of new technologies and ensuring the integration of innovative solutions across the organization.
• System Architecture: Designing and maintaining the overall system architecture, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security.
• Multi-functional Teamwork: Working closely with various groups such as IT, network operations, and business units to ensure cohesive and efficient operations.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring that all systems and processes stay in sync with industry regulations and standards.
• Performance Optimization: Continuously supervising and optimizing the performance of the network and IT infrastructure.
• Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies to ensure business continuity.
• Vendor Management: Handling relationships with technology vendors and service providers to ensure the best solutions and services are procured.
• Innovation and R&D: Leading research and development efforts to explore new technologies and solutions that can provide a driven position. Develop and publish agent catalog across telecom domain and other verticals
• Customer Focus: Ensuring that all technology initiatives and solutions are crafted to improve customer experience.
• Program Architecture decisions aligned with EA guidelines
• EA and tech strategy across Comms vertical.
• Infra and autonomous Ops for key clients
• Driving Technology Adoption for Influencing Business Outcomes
• Conversational channels portfolio across telecom verticals
• Partner Engagement Maturity, Ensuring Regulatory Compliance, Improvement in Innovation index, Tech / Domain Thought leadership, Scalable Best-fit-Arch proposals, CSAT, Mentoring/ Building Arch community, EA and tech strategy portfolio growth.

* Internal Stakeholders - Solutions Leaders, Market/Client Partners, CM CTO, CMT ISG, Other Practice pre-sales guides.

* External Stakeholders - CTO/CIO/CEO, Consulting Partners, Strategic Partners, Innovation Partners, Analysts.

Experience (required to perform the role, not the incumbent's experience)

• Minimum 10+ years in senior leadership role
• Minimum 15+ years of sophisticated solutioning experience, with broad technical experience
• Extensive experience working with telco businesses
• Good communication / analysis / problem solving and client facing skills are required
• Preferred background: Broad and deep exposure to areas of cloud infrastructure, enterprise architecture, data management and AI.

KEY proficiencies (includes knowledge / skills / abilities required for delivering the responsibilities optimally)

* Strong Expertise in hands on experience in leading large Technical and sophisticated transformation programs for architecture strategy, design and deployment

* Solid experience as Sr Principal enterprise architect across clients and industry verticals

* Authority in telecom end to end processes

* GenAI related certifications / exposure

* Experience building telco domain-based solution offerings passionate about next gen tech stack and SaaS replacement

* Deep hands-on exposure in Agentic, gen AI, LLM, SLM, infrastructure and data pipelines

* Working with industry bodies specializing in AI will be an added advantage

* Certifications or exposure in data management a plus (using tools like data bricks, starburst and other tools).

The annual salary for this position is between $230,000 - $250,000 depending on the experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program and stock awards, 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.

We are a high caliber team who appreciate and support one another. Our people uphold an energetic, collaborative and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

• Cognizant is a global community with more than 300,000 associates around the world.
• We don't just dream of a better way - we make it happen.
• We take care of our people, clients, company, communities and climate by doing what's right.
• We foster an innovative environment where you can build the career path that's right for you.

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, redefining clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant (a member of the NASDAQ-100 and one of Forbes World's Best Employers 2024) is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients with digital at www.cognizant.com.

Compensation 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. Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview. While our system allows application in all languages, job required language(s) and proficiency level(s) vary. However, basic English proficiency is required for Company-wide communications purposes.