Cognizant is looking for an Enterprise Security Architect – Presales to combine strategic pre‑sales with consulting‑led solutioning, positioning the role as a trusted advisor to clients. The role translates client business priorities into actionable security transformation roadmaps while shaping demand and influencing large, complex cybersecurity deals. Partnering closely with sales, account teams, and client stakeholders, the architect drives outcome‑driven cybersecurity solutions aligned to client risk, regulatory, and digital transformation objectives. The role is accountable for converting strategic advisory engagements into tangible pipeline and revenue, elevating Cognizant as a long‑term cybersecurity transformation partner.
Responsibilities
- Drive proactive pipeline growth in existing accounts through deep farming and mining and own the end‑to‑end lifecycle of integrated cybersecurity deals across consulting, system integration, and managed security services.
- Primarily drive new business from existing farming accounts by generating downstream SI and MSS pipeline.
- Partner closely with sales, account teams, CIS, and other service lines to proactively identify opportunities, define problem statements, and architect outcome‑driven cybersecurity solutions.
- Drive win strategy, solution differentiation, and value articulation for large, complex security deals.
- Lead RFP/RFI responses, client workshops, solution defence discussions, and proposal solution development for cybersecurity consulting, SI, and managed services.
- Evaluate commercial constructs including pricing models, risk transfer, scalability, and margin implications of security solutions.
- Integrate OEMs, hyperscalers, and niche partners into presales strategies to enhance differentiation and commercial relevance.
- Engage clients to assess current security maturity, co‑create target‑state architectures, and recommend phased implementation strategies.
- Build and leverage existing presales and delivery teams to execute consulting engagements and scalable security offerings.
- Farm existing accounts to increase wallet share and build customer stickiness through AI‑based security maturity journeys across technologies.
- Provide CISO‑level advisory and thought leadership to enhance deal winnability and long‑term sustainability of engagements.
- Build technology consulting solutions and take them to market to drive proactive, cyber‑only pipeline growth.
- Engage clients to identify security needs and requirements, collaborate with SMEs and bid teams, and validate security designs and pricing.
- Translate business needs into technical requirements, acting as a key contributor to solution architecture and value proposition development.
- Support engineers and SMEs in developing technical solutions and offerings across consulting, SI, and managed security services.
- Create high‑quality client artefacts including presentations, proposal responses, and security architectures and designs.
- Evaluate and recommend future technologies and methodologies to enhance security services and offerings.
- Communicate architectural decisions, risks, issues, and plans clearly to business and IT leadership.
Required Skills/Qualifications
- 17+ years of relevant cybersecurity experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Strong understanding of cybersecurity‑led infrastructure, application, and digital engineering offerings, delivery models, and secure‑by‑design solutioning.
- Broad cybersecurity technology depth across legacy, cloud, zero trust, data security, identity, endpoint, SIEM, and AI‑driven security platforms aligned to client maturity.
- Deep insight into global IT and cybersecurity outsourcing trends, including industry‑specific risk, regulatory, and build‑vs‑buy considerations.
- Ability to assess security solution components for commercial impact, risk transfer, pricing models, and delivery scalability.
- Full lifecycle project experience as a Security Consultant covering consultancy, architecture definition, and solution implementation.
- Hands‑on experience delivering data centre and cloud security solutions including firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPN, NAC, web/email content filtering, DLP, SIEM, endpoint security, IAM, encryption, and application security.
- Strong familiarity with compliance and security standards including PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, NIST, SAS70, SOC1, and FISMA.
- Proven ability to communicate architectural implications and security strategies to senior business and IT leadership.
Preferred Qualifications/Skills
- Preferred certifications including product certifications such as CCIE, CCSE and domain certifications such as CISSP, CISA, CISM, and CRISC.
- Experience advising customers on architectures aligned with industry and regulatory standards.
Salary and Other Compensation
The annual salary for this position is between $170,000 to $180,000+ 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
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.
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