Product Owner/Product Manager

Cognizant is seeking a Product Owner/Product Manager to lead the technology product lifecycle for its clients’ Commercial Finance & Planning groups. This onsite role supports multiple therapeutic business areas, taking ideas through production launch while coordinating portfolio delivery, Agile execution, and investment planning. Work will be based in Mettawa, IL with onsite presence in the Chicago, IL area, operating 5 days per week.

Role summary

In this position, you will oversee a portfolio of technology products from ideation through operation. You will align scope, benefits, cost, and timeline with cross-functional partners, translate business strategies into actionable capability roadmaps, and help shape both short-term and long-term technology direction. You will also manage delivery governance across planning, intake, grooming, estimation, testing strategy, release management, and engineering decision oversight.

What you’ll do

• Oversee a technology product portfolio from ideation to operation, securing cross-functional alignment on project scope, benefits, cost, and timeline.
• Understand business strategies, educate stakeholders on existing technology capabilities, and influence or develop capability roadmaps and investment priorities.
• Identify unmet business needs, assess technology solutions, and balance short-term outcomes with long-term objectives.
• Propose, initiate, and lead programs that transform business process focus and/or technology capabilities.
• Own project intake and scope clarification, epic and story grooming, estimating, and cost and timeline plans.
• Define UAT and testing strategy, manage release activities, and oversee engineering decisions supporting delivery.
• Supervise a matrix team that may include Product Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, Scrum Masters, Project Managers, Architects, Engineers, and Testers to deliver technology products.
• Lead all BRM (business relationship management) activities for your portfolio, serving as the single point of contact for initiatives.
• Ensure consistent application of core capabilities to deliver solutions with speed, agility, and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities for reuse and propose viable pilot and MVP solutions.
• Maintain compliance with applicable Client Policies and procedures.
• Manage an IT investment budget ranging from $25K to $1M.

Required qualifications

• PhD: 3 years of experience, or Master’s: 7 years of experience, or Bachelor’s: 8 years of experience.
• Experience developing and/or managing technology application development, regardless of tech stack.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust, listen, and ask effective questions to develop scalable and reusable solutions and partnerships.
• Ability to engage business leaders and explain complex concepts without relying on technical language.
• Hands-on understanding of SLC (Software Life Cycle) phases, including Build and Run for a Technology Product.
• Working knowledge of Agile methodology, processes, and ceremonies.
• 1–2 years of experience managing or coaching cross-functional resources (employees or contract resources).
• Ability to self-manage time and priorities.

Technologies

• Agile methodology
• SLC (Software Life Cycle)
• JIRA
• Confluence
• ServiceNow
• Smartsheet

Benefits

• 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

How you can stand out

• Understanding or experience in the life sciences and biopharmaceutical landscape, including roles of manufacturers, providers, patients, payers, distributors, and policy makers.
• Understanding of financial planning, forecasting, and data management concepts and systems.
• Interest in technology trends and using innovation or disruption to improve end user experience.
• Experience leading and managing Agile teams and/or projects.
• Hands-on experience with JIRA, Confluence, ServiceNow, and Smartsheet.

Location and work arrangement

This is an onsite position based on role business requirements, requiring 5 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in Chicago, IL.

Compensation and application timeline

• Salary range: $100,000 - $135,000 per year, depending on experience and other qualifications.
• Eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to plan terms.
• Applications accepted until November 20, 2026.