Program Manager​/Consultant

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager / Consultant to join the Automotive Consulting team and lead complex programs aligned with strategic business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in program/project management, business analysis, and/or product ownership
, preferably within the automotive or manufacturing industry
.

This role requires a hands‑on leader who can actively drive projects forward
, resolve issues, coordinate stakeholders, and ensure successful delivery. The candidate should be someone who takes ownership and drives execution rather than simply sending emails or tracking action items.

The Program Manager will work closely with business, product, engineering, operations, and client stakeholders to ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with business objectives.

• Define program goals, scope, deliverables, milestones, and success metrics in alignment with strategic business objectives.
• Lead the planning and execution of multiple projects within the overall program.
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans, schedules, roadmaps, and delivery milestones.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of program outcomes.
• Drive execution and actively remove roadblocks rather than relying solely on communication or status tracking.
• Monitor program progress, deliverables, timelines, resource allocation, and budget adherence.
• Ensure dependencies across projects and teams are identified, tracked, and resolved.
• Identify, assess, track, and mitigate program‑level risks and issues.
• Establish appropriate escalation mechanisms for critical risks and delivery blockers.
• Develop mitigation and contingency plans where required.
• Drive issue resolution across business, technical, product, and operational teams.
• Communicate risks, impacts, and recommended actions clearly to leadership and clients.

• Serve as a key point of contact for program stakeholders and client leadership.
• Provide regular program updates through status reports, dashboards, and review meetings.
• Facilitate governance meetings, steering committees, and stakeholder reviews.
• Build strong relationships across product, engineering, operations, business, and client organizations.
• Influence stakeholders and drive decisions without relying solely on formal authority.
• Foster collaboration across geographically distributed and cross‑functional teams.

• Establish program governance processes, operating cadences, reporting structures, and performance metrics.
• Maintain accurate program documentation, decision logs, action trackers, RAID logs, and project plans.
• Track program KPIs and delivery metrics.
• Ensure alignment between program execution, business objectives, and change management activities.
• Provide executive‑level reporting on program health, risks, dependencies, and milestones.

• Bridge business objectives with technology and project execution.
• Work with product and engineering teams to understand requirements, dependencies, and delivery constraints.
• Support business analysis, requirements clarification, roadmap development, and prioritization as needed.
• Coordinate technology initiatives across multiple teams and work streams.
• Coordinate and guide project managers, business analysts, product owners, and cross‑functional team members.
• Mentor project managers and team members as required.
• Promote effective project management and Agile delivery practices.
• Support continuous improvement across program execution and delivery processes.

Successful consultants are expected to contribute across Cognizant's five consulting…