Associate Partner, Consulting, Autonomous Telecommunications and Agentic AI

About the Role

As an Associate Partner, Consulting, Autonomous Telecommunications and Agentic AI, you will make an impact by defining and commercializing AI-first strategies that help telecommunications clients reduce costs, improve customer experiences, and modernize their operations. You will be a valued member of the Telecommunications Consulting team and work collaboratively with clients, sales leaders, client partners, consulting teams, technology specialists, analysts, and strategic partners. This role combines telecommunications industry expertise, AI-enabled offering development, executive client engagement, and market leadership. You will shape differentiated solutions across customer experience, telecommunications products, sales and marketing, business and operations support systems, service operations, and networks.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute AI-first telecommunications strategies that translate emerging capabilities into measurable client outcomes, including cost reduction, improved customer experience, operational efficiency, and new growth opportunities.
• Develop and commercialize differentiated autonomous telecommunications offerings, including agentic AI, multi-agent systems, closed-loop operations, zero-touch operations, AI-enabled customer experience, telecommunications products, sales and marketing, business and operations support systems, and networks.
• Lead strategic client engagements and large-scale transformation programs, building trusted relationships with senior executives, shaping tailored solutions, establishing executive governance, and advancing commercial opportunities.
• Scale domain-led, AI-augmented delivery models, including agentic pods and digital coworkers, to modernize legacy environments and generate non-linear improvements in productivity, quality, and efficiency.
• Strengthen Cognizant’s market position and ecosystem, developing the offering roadmap, producing thought leadership, engaging external analysts and industry forums, enabling internal sales teams, and establishing strategic alliances and partnerships.
• Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead, which means operating with Personal Leadership by building trust, collaboration, and inclusion; Organizational Leadership by driving vision and purpose, demonstrating a strategic and enterprise mindset, and communicating a bold direction that inspires purpose; and Business Leadership by exemplifying client focus, managing ambiguity with accountability and results, and operating with financial acumen.

Requirements

• Extensive leadership experience in telecommunications consulting, industry advisory, offering development, or large-scale business and technology transformation.
• Deep expertise across telecommunications customer experience, products, sales and marketing, business and operations support systems, service operations, and network domains.
• Demonstrated experience defining AI-first strategies and developing solutions involving agentic AI, multi-agent systems, closed-loop operations, or zero-touch operations.
• Proven ability to build senior executive relationships, influence C-suite stakeholders, lead executive governance, and shape or lead complex transformation programs.
• Strong commercial and market-development capabilities, including offering strategy, portfolio roadmaps, thought leadership, analyst engagement, strategic partnerships, and sales enablement.

Skills

• Experience modernizing complex or legacy telecommunications environments through automation, data, cloud, and AI-enabled operating models.
• Ability to connect emerging technology developments with practical business outcomes, differentiated client solutions, and commercial opportunities.
• A recognized telecommunications industry presence through publications, analyst relationships, industry forums, partnerships, or executive networks.
• Experience scaling AI-augmented delivery models, digital coworker solutions, or multidisciplinary consulting teams.
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business, along with Cognizant’s values of Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position based in Texas with up to 25% travel to client and Cognizant locations. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting and may change based on project, business, and client requirements.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Employee assistance program
• 10 paid holidays plus paid time off
• Paid parental leave and fertility assistance
• Learning and development certifications and programs