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Cognizant

Principal Architect - GenAI/Agentic

Cognizant, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 27601

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About the role Architecting the Future: Agentic AI & Enterprise Transformation

Join us in shaping the next wave of enterprise innovation through Generative and Agentic AI.

We are seeking a pragmatic

futurist and business-savvy technologist

to redefine how enterprises operate in the

AI‑first era . This strategic role is available across

Cognizant’s key delivery locations in US .

You will lead the

design, adoption, and scaling

of Generative and Agentic AI ecosystems for our most strategic clients.

This role blends

advisory, hands‑on solutioning, and practice‑building leadership

to ensure AI delivers

tangible, industry‑specific business outcomes .

Responsibilities In this role, you will:

Architect & Implement Enterprise AI Ecosystems

Design and implement modular, scalable AI platforms that integrate

Large Language Models (LLMs), Small Language Models (SLMs), and multi‑agent orchestration . Ensure architectures are

cloud‑native, secure, and industry‑compliant .

Drive AI Strategy

Serve as the

anchor architect

for major client accounts. Lead

C‑level discussions

to define

AI roadmaps

that link technology to measurable business outcomes. Influence long‑term investment strategies.

Industry‑Specific AI Solutions

Envision, Design and Deliver verticalized AI use cases

across one or more industries, including Banking & Financial Services, Consumer Goods, Energy & Utilities, Healthcare, Insurance, Life Sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Media, Retail, Telecom, and Travel & Hospitality.

Develop, Train & Optimize Models

Lead

end‑to‑end model lifecycle : data preparation,

training, fine‑tuning , deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement. Balance

LLM vs. SLM adoption

for cost, latency, and performance optimization.

MLOps & LLMOps Leadership

Establish enterprise standards for

MLOps/LLMOps pipelines

(CI/CD, monitoring, observability, drift detection, compliance). Build

agent lifecycle governance frameworks

for scalable, auditable AI systems.

People Leadership & Practice Building

Mentor and grow a

community of architects and engineers . Build

capability squads

in GenAI/Agentic AI. Shape the company’s

AI practice , including

skills development, hiring strategy, and succession planning .

Ecosystem & Partner Engagement

Build and leverage

strategic partnerships

with hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, GCP), ISVs, and AI startups. Co‑develop joint offerings, influence partner roadmaps, and

co‑sell AI solutions

into strategic accounts.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

Publish

white papers, frameworks, and patents . Lead

executive roundtables

and contribute to the

Tech Radar , ensuring the firm shapes the AI conversation in the market.

Work model Work model: Hybrid

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 2-3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in Raleigh, NC. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work‑life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This 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.

Qualifications

15+ years in IT & architecture , with clear progression from hands‑on engineering (Java/.NET preferred) into enterprise architecture leadership.

5+ years in AI/ML , with

1+ year in Generative & Agentic AI

(LLMs, SLMs, multi‑agent orchestration).

Model Training Expertise : Fine‑tuning (SFT, RLHF, LoRA/QLoRA), RAG, evaluation pipelines.

Hyperscaler Certifications : Architect‑level expertise in

at least two

(AWS, Azure, GCP).

MLOps/LLMOps Mastery : CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, observability, compliance, AI cost governance.

CxO Advisory : Proven experience leading

executive AI strategy discussions

with Fortune 500 clients.

Governance Expertise : Familiar with

AI RMF (NIST), EU AI Act, Responsible AI practices .

People Leadership : Experience mentoring teams and building

cross‑functional AI capability practices .

Ecosystem Influence : Track record shaping AI initiatives through

partner alliances (hyperscalers, startups, ISVs) .

Good to have

Publications,

patents , or open‑source contributions in

Agentic AI, LLMOps, or model compression/distillation .

Recognized thought leadership (conferences, panels, media interviews).

Industry domain depth

in at least one vertical:

Banking & Payments, Consumer Goods, Energy & Utilities, Healthcare, Insurance, Life Science, Logistics, Manufacturing, Media, Retail, Telecom, Travel & Hospitality .

Experience with

AgentOps, model evaluation frameworks, and AI observability tooling .

Functional Competencies

Business Acumen : Identify and execute high‑value AI transformations across industries.

Consultative Mindset : Convert

PoCs/PoVs into long‑term transformation programs .

Practice Builder : Mentor, hire, and scale

AI architecture talent pools .

Ecosystem Shaper : Drive

co‑innovation

with hyperscalers, startups, and ISVs.

Pragmatic Execution : Balance

build‑vs‑buy , deliver under pressure, and navigate enterprise politics.

Translation & Storytelling : Distill complex AI concepts into clear

executive‑ready narratives .

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

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.

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.

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