Production Support Lead

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Production Support Lead with 8+ years of experience to drive the operational excellence, stability, and continuous improvement of critical business applications. This role is responsible for overseeing incident management, leading cross-functional escalations, and partnering with engineering teams to reduce recurring production issues. The ideal candidate brings strong ITSM expertise, technical problem-solving skills, and a proactive approach to enhancing application reliability and performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end production support operations, ensuring the stability and performance of critical applications and data load processes.
• Drive incident reduction initiatives through root cause analysis, problem management, and collaboration with engineering teams on permanent fixes.
• Manage high-priority incidents, stakeholder communications, and cross-functional escalations while providing timely updates and resolutions.
• Analyze operational trends and KPIs to identify improvement opportunities and enhance service delivery outcomes.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in Production Support, Application Support, IT Operations, or related roles.
• Strong hands-on experience with ITSM processes, including Incident, Problem, and Change Management; ITIL certification preferred.
• Proficiency with MS SQL Server and MariaDB, including the ability to perform diagnostics, analyze issues, and support technical resolutions.
• Proven experience managing high-volume incident environments, stakeholder communications, and cross-functional escalations.

Skills

• Experience driving measurable incident reduction and operational improvement initiatives.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, including the use of Excel, Power BI, or similar reporting tools.
• Experience supporting healthcare, clinical, or data-intensive applications in production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead operational reviews, war-room discussions, and continuous improvement programs.

Benefits

• 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.

Pay

The annual salary for this position will be between $85000 to $99,500 per year 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.

Schedule

Work model: Remote. We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a Remote position. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.