The Company
Cognizant (NASDAQ:CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services, dedicated to helping the world's leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant has over 340,000 employees as of January 2025. Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 1000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world.
About Cognizant Consulting
To be digital, companies today must have organizational velocity approaching speed of light while providing individualized offerings that result in fanatical levels of customer satisfaction—all with laser-focused cost control. And from applications to infrastructure, processes to operational models and interfaces to experiences—there are digital forces driving change in every part of our clients’ organization. At Cognizant, our consultants orchestrate the capabilities to truly change the game—across strategy, design, technology and industry/functional knowledge to deliver insight at speed and solutions at scale. Our approach is built around elevating business understanding of the aspirations and unique abilities of customers and employees and by building these relationships based on trust and value.
More information? Please visit https://www.cognizant.com/consulting
The Senior PM Consultant provides strategic advisory and leadership support to establish, enhance, and govern enterprise project management frameworks. The role focuses on PMO setup, transformation, governance optimization, portfolio oversight, and organizational project maturity improvement. The consultant works closely with executive leadership to ensure alignment between strategy, portfolio execution, and measurable business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- PMO Strategy & Governance
- Design, establish, or transform enterprise PMO structures (centralized, decentralized, or hybrid).
- Develop and implement project governance frameworks, policies, standards, and procedures.
- Define portfolio prioritization models aligned with strategic objectives.
- Establish stage-gate processes and approval mechanisms.
- Develop project assurance and quality control frameworks.
- Portfolio & Performance Management
- Oversee portfolio planning, resource allocation, and capacity management.
- Implement enterprise-wide reporting dashboards and KPI frameworks.
- Conduct portfolio health assessments and executive performance reviews.
- Provide strategic recommendations to optimize ROI and risk exposure.
- Risk & Compliance Oversight
- Establish enterprise risk management practices for projects and programs.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory, contractual, and governance requirements.
- Lead independent project audits and health checks.
- Executive Advisory & Stakeholder Management
- Advise C-level executives and steering committees on portfolio performance and risks.
- Facilitate executive workshops, strategic planning sessions, and decision forums.
- Act as escalation point for complex, high-risk initiatives.
- Organizational Capability Development
- Define competency frameworks for project managers and PMO staff.
- Lead maturity assessments (e.g., P3M3 or similar frameworks).
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and executive-level training.
- Drive continuous improvement and digital PMO transformation initiatives.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, IT, or related field (Master’s degree or MBA preferred).
- Good years of progressive experience in project/program/portfolio management.
- Good years in PMO leadership or consulting roles at enterprise level.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, MSP, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated experience in large-scale transformation programs.
Key Competencies
- Enterprise portfolio management expertise
- Strategic alignment and business case evaluation
- Executive communication and board-level reporting
- Governance and risk management leadership
- Financial acumen (CAPEX/OPEX management, ROI analysis)
- Change management and organizational transformation
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills
Preferred Experience
- Experience establishing PMOs from inception or leading PMO transformation programs.
- Experience in government, infrastructure, digital transformation, or regulated industries.
- Familiarity with enterprise tools (e.g., , MS Project Online, Power BI, Clarity, Jira Align)
