CREWS Digitalization - Associate Director

About Cognizant Corporate

Cognizant Corporate is a global community united by a shared purpose: to make a meaningful impact. We are committed to excellence and driven by outcomes that matter. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work, and our forward-thinking mindset fuels continuous learning, innovation, and growth.

At Cognizant, careers transcend titles. We empower our people to think strategically, inspire others, and lead with purpose – always guided by our core values. Join us in shaping future of business.

About the role

As Associate Director – CREWS Digitalization, you will be a key member of the CREWS leadership ecosystem, collaborating with global and regional CRE leaders, Legal & Corporate Administration, Finance, Procurement, Security, EHS, BCM, Risk, enterprise technology teams and vendor partners.

You will define and deliver the digital strategy, roadmap and technology lifecycle for CREWS platforms such as IWMS/CAFM, CMMS, smart workplace, IoT, analytics and self-service BI. This role provides the autonomy to standardize processes, improve workplace experience, strengthen sustainability reporting and create data-driven operational outcomes across the portfolio.

• In this role, you will:

• Define the 2–3 year CREWS digital strategy and investment roadmap aligned to business priorities, enterprise architecture and cybersecurity standards.

• Build business cases, TCO/ROI models, stage-gate approvals and prioritization frameworks for high-impact digital use cases.

• Re-engineer CREWS processes across facilities operations, space management, lease administration, projects, sustainability/ESG, health & safety and workplace services.

• Lead selection, implementation and enhancement of IWMS/CAFM, CMMS, digital twins, IoT/sensors, visitor/room booking and field mobility solutions.

• Establish a unified data model, integrations and data governance across CREWS platforms and enterprise systems including HR, Finance, Procurement and Security.

• Operationalize KPIs/OKRs, dashboards and advanced analytics for predictive maintenance, occupancy optimization, energy optimization and SLA compliance.

• Run multi-release Agile/Hybrid programs, managing internal squads, external partners, vendor performance, SLAs, contracts and value realization.

• Drive change, communications, training and adoption across global sites while championing user-centric design, experimentation and continuous improvement.

• Embrace our vibrant culture by striving for excellence, focusing on meaningful outcomes, and collaborating effectively. Take ownership, build relationships, and focus on personal growth to drive business strategy and foster an inclusive culture, creating unmatched career opportunities and impactful work.

What you must have to be considered

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Facilities/Real Estate or a related field; Master’s/MBA preferred.
• Extensive experience in CRE, Workplace, Facilities Management digitalization, workplace technology or enterprise transformation across multi-site/global portfolios.
• Strong platform leadership experience in IWMS/CAFM/CMMS, workplace applications, smart building, IoT analytics or related enterprise platforms at scale.
• Strong understanding of facilities operations, space and occupancy management, projects, lease administration, service desk, vendor management, EHS and sustainability/ESG reporting.
• Proven ability to manage digital programs, business cases, TCO/ROI, governance approvals, vendor commercials, contract performance and benefit realization.
• Solid knowledge of data modeling, integrations, APIs, BI dashboards, data governance, data quality, lineage and enterprise reporting practices.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity, privacy, RBAC, SSO, encryption, vulnerability management, auditability and segregation-of-duties controls.
• A strong sense of ownership, desire to create meaningful outcomes and passion for work that serves customers, communities and business outcomes.
• Embodiment of Cognizant’s values: Work as, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing and Own It.

These will help you succeed

• Hands-on exposure to platforms such as Planon, Archibus, TRIRIGA, Nuvolo or equivalent IWMS/CAFM solutions.
• Familiarity with BMS/BAS, room/desk booking, visitor management, digital twin platforms and field mobility solutions.
• Knowledge of IoT sensors for occupancy, IAQ and energy, along with edge gateways, device management, OPC, Modbus or BACnet concepts.
• Exposure to RPA, workflow engines, ML models for predictive maintenance or occupancy optimization and GenAI assistants for knowledge/service desk use cases.
• Working knowledge of Power BI/Tableau, SQL, ETL/iPaaS, APIs and integration patterns such as Kafka/ESB.
• Experience partnering with Sustainability teams to digitize energy, water, waste and emissions-related reporting where applicable.
• Executive presence, concise communication style and ability to influence CRE, Finance, HR, Security, Procurement, site operations and vendor stakeholders.

Key interfaces

• General Counsel – India & APAC
• Global and Regional CRE Leadership
• Legal, Ethics & Compliance
• Finance & FP&A
• Procurement & Vendor Management
• Security, EHS, BCM and Risk teams

Key outcomes and KPIs – first 12–18 months

Outcome area

Expected impact / KPI

Operational efficiency

15–25% reduction in reactive work orders through predictive maintenance; 10–20% reduction in vendor management cycle times through workflow automation.

Workplace experience

20% improvement in booking utilization and frictionless access; 10-point improvement in Workplace NPS/CSAT for digitized services.

Data quality and insights

95%+ completeness/accuracy across space, assets and leases; executive dashboards live for portfolio, OPEX/Capex, energy and SLA/contract performance.

Sustainability

5–10% energy reduction in targeted sites through sensor-driven optimization; digitized ESG reporting for CREWS scope including energy, water, waste and applicable emissions.

Adoption and change

80–90% active usage of key modules post go-live; 95% training completion for impacted roles.

Financials

Realized savings tracked against business case with payback delivered within target window.

Core competencies

• Product & Program Leadership: Roadmapping, backlog prioritization, release management and value tracking.
• Stakeholder Management: Engages CRE leaders, Finance, HR, IT Security, Procurement, site operations and vendors.
• Change Management: Communications, training, adoption metrics and user-centric design.
• Financial Acumen: TCO/ROI modeling, vendor commercials and benefit tracking.
• Problem Solving: Systems thinking, data-driven decision-making and structured execution.
• Communication: Clear, concise and credible communication with executive presence.