Data & AI Strategy Consultant

We are seeking a Data & AI Strategy Advisor to partner closely with healthcare payer stakeholders in defining and executing their data and AI transformation journey. Unlike traditional consulting roles, this position focuses on facilitating strategy development alongside client teams, enabling them to build internal capabilities, alignment, and ownership of outcomes. The role requires expertise in data strategy, governance, AI enablement, and healthcare payer operations, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, coaching, and strategic advisory. The ideal candidate will help translate business goals into actionable data and AI priorities while ensuring regulatory and governance considerations are addressed.

In this role, you will:

· Partner with business, data, and technology leaders to assess current-state capabilities, identify gaps, and uncover opportunities within the client’s data and AI landscape.

· Facilitate the development of a multi-year Data & AI strategy and roadmap, ensuring stakeholder alignment and client ownership of outcomes.

· Translate executive vision and business objectives into prioritized initiatives, measurable KPIs, and actionable delivery plans.

· Assess existing data platforms, architecture, governance, and operating models, providing recommendations aligned with organizational maturity and business goals.

· Advise on data governance, data quality, lineage, metadata management, and Master Data Management (MDM) initiatives.

· Help identify, evaluate, and prioritize AI, Generative AI, and agentic AI use cases across healthcare payer domains such as claims, utilization management, member experience, and provider operations.

· Guide the adoption of responsible AI frameworks, model governance practices, and risk management controls appropriate for regulated healthcare environments.

· Collaborate with client teams to ensure recommendations align with HIPAA, CMS interoperability requirements, and other healthcare regulatory obligations.

· Facilitate workshops, stakeholder discussions, and strategy sessions to build consensus and drive informed decision-making.

· Identify data quality, governance, and model risk concerns and provide recommendations for mitigation and continuous improvement.

· 10+ years of experience in Data Strategy, Data Governance, Analytics Strategy, AI Strategy, or Enterprise Data Transformation roles.

· Demonstrated experience facilitating strategic planning sessions and building data/AI roadmaps collaboratively with client stakeholders.

· Strong understanding of data governance, data quality, metadata management, lineage, MDM, and modern data architecture principles.

· Experience advising organizations on AI, Generative AI, advanced analytics, and data-driven business transformation initiatives.

· Knowledge of healthcare payer data domains including claims, eligibility, provider, member, quality measures, and utilization management is highly desirable.

· Familiarity with healthcare regulations and standards including HIPAA, CMS interoperability requirements, and healthcare data governance practices.

· Strong business consulting, stakeholder management, workshop facilitation, and executive communication skills.

· Ability to translate ambiguous business objectives into structured strategic plans and measurable outcomes.

· Experience working across business and technology teams to align strategy, governance, and execution.

· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Data Management, Computer Science, Healthcare Informatics, or a related field.

The annual salary for this position is between $[151,000 - 177,500] depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, 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