Test Director

We are looking for a Senior Test Delivery Manager / Test Program Director to lead the quality engineering and testing delivery for a large-scale telecom transformation program. The role requires strong leadership in managing complex testing portfolios, large, distributed teams, and multi-vendor ecosystems, while ensuring delivery excellence and financial discipline.

The leader will be responsible for end-to-end test strategy, delivery governance, demand management, and resource optimization, while driving AI-first quality engineering practices to improve productivity, predictability, and business outcomes.

This role will work closely with client leadership, program directors, architecture teams, and delivery partners to ensure quality objectives are achieved across all releases in the transformation program.

Key Responsibilities

Test Program Leadership

• Own and drive the overall testing strategy and execution for a large telecom transformation program.
• Lead testing across multiple transformation workstreams.
• Establish quality governance frameworks aligned with program milestones and release plans.
• Manage large, distributed testing teams and multiple vendor partners.
• Ensure testing delivery meets fixed bid contractual commitments related to scope, cost, timelines, and quality.
• Drive cost optimization, productivity improvement, and margin protection through automation and AI-led efficiencies.
• Manage program-level testing budgets, forecasting, and resource utilization.

• Establish strong governance for scope management, change control, and risk mitigation.

Demand Management & Resource Planning

• Manage testing demand across multiple workstreams and releases in alignment with program priorities.
• Lead capacity planning, resource forecasting, and skill-based allocation to ensure optimal utilization.
• Establish structured resource scheduling models aligned with release cycles and delivery milestones.
• Collaborate with leadership teams to address demand-supply gaps, ramp-up planning, and skill transformation initiatives.

AI-First Quality Engineering

• Drive adoption of AI-enabled testing across the testing lifecycle.
• Leverage AI agents and intelligent automation to accelerate testing cycles and improve quality.
• Define AI adoption roadmap for quality engineering within the program.
• Build a highly automated testing ecosystem across functional and non-functional testing.
• Drive shift-left and shift-right quality practices to enable faster feedback loops.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement

• Act as the primary QA leader interfacing with senior client stakeholders.
• Provide strategic guidance on quality engineering practices and transformation initiatives.
• Facilitate program-level quality reviews, defect governance forums, and release readiness discussions.
• Provide executive dashboards and quality insights to program leadership.

Risk & Quality Management

• Establish proactive mechanisms for risk identification, quality assurance, and defect prevention.
• Implement predictive quality metrics and analytics using AI-based insights.

• Ensure strong governance for all testing lifecycle activities.

Required Skills & Experience

Experience

• 18+ years of experience in Quality Engineering and Testing
• 8+ years managing large transformation programs
• Experience delivering complex telecom programs under fixed bid or outcome-based models
• Proven leadership managing large, distributed QA teams (100+ resources)
• Telecom Domain Expertise and AI & Modern Testing experience
• Strong program governance and stakeholder management
• Experience managing multi-vendor delivery environments
• Expertise in demand management, capacity planning, and workforce scheduling
• Proven ability to drive quality transformation initiatives
• Strong background in Agile delivery

The Cognizant community:
We are a high caliber team who appreciate and support one another. Our people uphold an energetic, collaborative and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

• Cognizant is a global community with more than 300,000 associates around the world.
• We don’t just dream of a better way – we make it happen.
• We take care of our people, clients, company, communities and climate by doing what’s right.
• We foster an innovative environment where you can build the career path that’s right for you.

About us:
Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant (a member of the NASDAQ-100 and one of Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025) is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email CareersNA2@cognizant.com with your request and contact information.

Disclaimer:
Compensation 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.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.