Senior Director, Principal Product Lead

Principal Product Lead, RAI Platform

Location: US

Reports To: Chief Responsible AI Officer

Job Type: Full-time

Applications will be accepted until July 31st, 2025.

The annual salary for this position is between $174,000 - $300,000 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.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

* 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

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.

Role Overview

The Principal Product Lead for the Responsible AI (RAI) Platform defines the product strategy, roadmap, and capabilities that translate Responsible AI principles into usable, scalable, and differentiating solutions. This role bridges governance requirements, technical framework methodologies, and real-world user needs to build tools and services that make Responsible AI both achievable and practical.

This is a dual- strategic role: internally focused on integrating existing IP, collaborating across R&D, engineering, and framework teams, and delivering exceptional user experience; externally focused on competitive positioning, client value, and research and standards alignment; The Product Lead drives the evolution of Cognizant's RAI platform as both an internal enabler and a client-facing differentiator.

Key Responsibilities

1. RAI Platform Strategy & Vision

*Define the product strategy and roadmap for Cognizant's Responsible AI platform and tools.

*Shape a cohesive product vision that integrates governance needs, technical feasibility, and user experience.

*Identify strategic product opportunities from internal IP, research, market signals, and client engagements.

*Position the RAI platform as a modular, scalable system that supports both internal adoption and external delivery.

*Define platform differentiation in relation to emerging industry practices and Responsible AI tooling ecosystems.

2. Product Development & Capability Definition

*Translate Responsible AI principles and governance requirements into platform features, services, and reusable modules.

*Prioritize tooling needs including bias detection, explainability support, compliance monitoring, and risk assessment tools.

*Develop detailed product requirements and user stories that balance governance obligations with usability.

*Ensure capabilities are built for integration into AI lifecycle environments (MLOps, model registries, monitoring systems).

*Manage the product lifecycle, driving iterative releases, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.

3. User-Centered Design & Experience

*Champion a user-first design philosophy that makes complex governance requirements intuitive and actionable.

*Collaborate with design teams to build interfaces and workflows tailored to data scientists, developers, auditors, and business stakeholders.

*Map diverse user journeys across internal teams and client environments to optimize adoption and value realization.

*Develop accessible training, onboarding, and enablement materials to increase platform stickiness and usability.

4. Cross-Functional Product Leadership

*Coordinate with Solution Architects to ensure field teams can easily implement RAI capabilities across varied client contexts.

*Work with Marketing, Communications, and Business Units to craft product messaging and go-to-market positioning.

5. Innovation, Research & Market Engagement

*Identify emerging trends in Responsible AI tooling, assurance mechanisms, and compliance automation.

*Engage with internal research labs and academic institutions to incorporate innovation into product development.

*Monitor global regulatory movements and shape the product roadmap to support anticipatory compliance.

*Represent Cognizant in industry discussions, conferences, standards development, and thought leadership forums.

6. Requirement and Qualifications

Required Experience

*10+ years in product management or product strategy, ideally in AI/ML, governance, or enterprise platform domains.

*Demonstrated success bringing complex technical products to market or internal adoption in large-scale environments.

*Experience managing cross-functional product teams and engaging diverse stakeholder groups.

*Track record in defining and delivering capabilities that address both regulatory and business imperatives.

Knowledge & Competencies

*Solid working experience of AI/ML systems, development workflows, and associated risks.

*Knowledge of governance-aligned product domains: explainability, fairness, privacy, and auditability.

*Familiarity with global regulatory standards (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001).

*Strong skills in user research, product lifecycle management, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement.

*Strategic mindset with the ability to align long-term vision with near-term execution.

Qualifications

*Advanced degree in Computer Science, Product Management, AI Ethics, or related field.

*Experience with compliance or AI assurance tools.

*Exposure to regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or public sector.

*Certifications in product management (e.g., Pragmatic, AIPMM) or responsible technology governance.