Manager Consulting (Senior Manager Level) - Product Owner with Airline Domain Experience

$120,000 - $158,000/Yr

Cognizant Technology Solutions - Seattle, WA

Full-time - Senior

Seattle, WA

10,001+ employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Manager level Manager Consulting with expertise in the airline domain to join our Travel & Hospitality consulting practice in Seattle, WA. This role is pivotal in transforming and growing customer-facing operations, enhancing owner and stakeholder profitability, and optimizing internal operations and systems for our hotel clients. As a member of our team, you will be responsible for building strong client relationships, supporting the growth and development of our practice, and driving business development initiatives. In this position, you will engage with clients across the entire Travel & Hospitality sector, including Airlines, Hotels, Restaurants, OTAs, and Travel Services providers. Your focus will be on developing functional strategies and building new capabilities that elevate performance in customer and employee experience, operational efficiency, and effectiveness, while leveraging emerging technologies. You will be expected to deliver within Cognizant's Five Pillars of Consulting Excellence: Project Execution, Expertise, Business Development, Practice Development, and People Development. As a Senior Manager, you will oversee advisory consulting engagements, act as a trusted advisor to clients, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. You will solve complex problems, consultatively work with clients to achieve their business goals, and drive contributions to offerings and innovations. Your leadership will also extend to guiding multiple teams as they work to transform clients and the industry. If you are a selfless leader committed to a client-facing environment and eager to grow your career with a team dedicated to building something great together, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Engagement Lead and manage teams of Consultants, Senior Consultants, and Managers for one or more commercial projects to ensure effective negotiations, well-aligned solution delivery to plan, clear engagement governance accountabilities, profitability, and overall client satisfaction.
• Support the business development activities of senior level leaders within an account or region, price the consulting component of engagements, coordinate resources, and provide business development guidance to Consultants, Senior Consultants, and Senior Consulting Managers.
• Assess proposed solutions from an opportunity expansion and strategic growth perspective, including partner/alliance involvement.
• Lead client workshops and support business analysis interviews.
• Monitor and supervise the daily activities of project staff, including consulting and non-consulting team members.
• Enrich client partnering and anticipate client needs based on a solid understanding of emerging industry requirements and/or technological breakthroughs in the Travel & Hospitality industry.
• Ensure the appropriate alignment and collaboration of consulting teams and individuals to support project requirements and activities in the focus area and within larger Cognizant and client ecosystems.
• Serve as a people leader, supporting the recruitment, onboarding, upskilling, and mentorship of your colleagues in Consulting; participate in people development and community-building activities.
• Guide development, provide feedback, and conduct performance reviews.
• Advocate for and establish appropriate recognition for Consulting within projects, and negotiate applicable consultant rates in project sizing that correspond to the value Consultants contribute to engagements.
• Develop and manage the capture, communication, and sharing of intellectual property (IP) and project artifacts for a focus area, domain area, or practice management area.
• Exercise leadership in the development of Consulting service offerings.
• Leverage collegial networks across Cognizant (e.g., sales, service line community, offshore delivery) and external partners to innovate solutioning or resolve issues.
• Support and contribute to the establishment of thought leadership in the industry, to promote Cognizant's brand and to drive additional opportunities for Cognizant.
• Recruit, hire, develop, and manage consulting talent.
• Mentor and support the career development of promising candidates and interns.
• Act as a resource for team members and colleagues, based on extensive consulting and management experience, and industry expertise.

Requirements

• Strong Product Owner skills including backlog grooming, refinement, prioritization, feature/user stories creation, sprint planning, and leading & contributing to agile ceremonies.
• Experience managing technology projects or multiple technical and Line of Business workstreams within broader projects or programs.
• Ability to develop, implement, and monitor deliverables across cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Minimum of eight years related work experience as a product owner.
• Undergraduate degree in a related field (Computer Science, Engineering) required.
• Airline domain knowledge is a must.
• Good understanding of data, delta lakehouse, data platforms, databases, and queries.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the Travel & Hospitality sector beyond airlines, such as hotels or restaurants.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies in the Travel & Hospitality industry.
• Previous experience in a consulting role with a focus on business development.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses.
• Comprehensive health insurance plans.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
• Flexible work hours and remote work options.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Paid time off and holidays.