AVP-Enterprise AI Strategy & Governance

About the role

As an AVP - Enterprise AI Strategy & Governance , you will create measurable impact by establishing the enterprise-wide strategic direction for AI-augmented delivery and/or the AI-era operating model. You will act as Cognizant’s senior authority on Frontier AI, working closely with C-suite leaders to jointly develop AI transformation strategies, oversee frontier-model evaluation, manage adversarial-AI risk, implement responsible-AI practices, and define the future direction of a Frontier practice. You will also sustain the program’s learning community, operating methodologies, and gold standards, while serving as an external domain authority and intellectual anchor.

In this role, you will:

• Set the strategic direction for AI-augmented delivery or the AI-era operating model across the enterprise.
• Co-design AI transformation strategies with C-suite client stakeholders and deliver enterprise transformation blueprints.
• Define evaluation frameworks for frontier-model deployment, including red-team protocols, safety benchmarks, and responsible-AI standards.
• Oversee adversarial-AI risk and AI safety policy, and lead incident-response strategy at the enterprise perimeter.
• Own the direction of a Frontier practice and help design outcome-based commercial models.
• Maintain the Frontier learning community, methodologies, and gold standards, while consistently demonstrating the Cognizant Way to Lead: Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Business Leadership.

What you need to have to be considered

• 20+ years of experience with demonstrated enterprise AI leadership and recognized authority in AI delivery or AI-era operations.
• Deep expertise in AI transformation strategy, frontier-model evaluation, red-team governance, adversarial machine learning, and AI safety policy.
• Proven ability to engage C-suite and board-level stakeholders and translate complex AI topics into enterprise transformation strategies and clear business outcomes.
• Experience leading or shaping an advanced AI, frontier technology, delivery transformation, or AI-era operating model practice.
• Strong capability in multi-agent coordination strategy, cross-business influence, standards-setting, and outcome-based commercial structuring.
• Demonstrated track record of building Frontier talent, learning communities, methodologies, and reusable gold standards for enterprise-scale adoption.
• External recognition as a thought leader or domain authority in AI delivery, responsible AI, AI safety, or AI-era operations.
• Ability to earn and sustain the Frontier Principal designation through sustained Frontier leadership, external authority, and Principal panel readiness.
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business.
• Embodiment of Cognizant's Values: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.

These will help you succeed

• Experience building, shipping, and permanently owning AI-native systems end to end within a small Frontier pod.
• Ability to lead teams toward customer outcomes rather than technical throughput alone.
• Strong understanding of enterprise governance, safety, and operating model implications of frontier AI deployment.
• A strategic, externally credible leader who can influence across service lines, clients, practices, and senior leadership communities.