Service Line Sales Manager - F&A
Cognizant’s IOA Business
Cognizant’s Digital Finance & Accounting (F&A) services help transform our clients’ F&A ecosystems. We provide Operations services to more than 140 clients across industries, delivering extraordinary business value and experience. Over 14,000 associates (including a 2,300‑strong digital workforce) deliver services across Source to Pay, Order to Cash, Record to Report, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Tax & Compliance from more than 20 delivery centers across APAC, Europe, North America, and LATAM.
About the role
The Service Line Sales Manager (SLS) is a results-driven sales executive responsible for originating, advancing, and closing large Finance & Accounting (F&A) / BPO outsourcing opportunities. The role focuses on defining and strengthening go-to-market strategies, building and managing the sales pipeline, and working closely with Client Partners, Service Line Managers, IOA leadership, and MCU/MDU leadership in a high-growth, highly autonomous environment.
In this role, you will:
- Closing Sales – Primary responsibility is growing the IOA business in North America by winning new deals within assigned customer accounts, per agreed targets.
- Sales Plan Creation – Develop and execute a growth plan for the Financial Services and Digital Finance domains.
- Pipeline Management – Build and manage the opportunity pipeline; qualify high-priority pursuits; and close new business in line with agreed targets.
- Demand Generation – Partner with IOA and MCU teams to identify prospects, develop marketing plans, and engage new clients in meaningful conversations.
- Proposal Development – Understand customer needs and translate them into winning proposals for Cognizant and our clients, in partnership with presales and solution teams.
- IOA Solution Development Oversight – As a pursuit leader, partner with IOA solution architects, delivery teams, and other horizontal practices to create effective deal solutions.
- Deal Shaping / Pricing Development – Develop creative deal shapes, commercial structures, and pricing proposals as part of winning pursuits. Work closely with the business unit and regional FP&A teams.
- C-Level Client Relationship Building – Build relationships across CXO levels within client organizations and develop executive-level partnerships.
- Renewal Deals in the Industry – Build relationships with potential customers by partnering with Vertical and Country teams, and develop disruptive propositions to hunt and win renewal opportunities.
What you need to have to be considered
- 12+ years of experience selling Financial Services and Digital Finance BPO/consulting services with a blue-chip company.
- Executive level interpersonal, verbal, written, and presentation skills; ability to act as a trusted advisor and advocate of Cognizant’s vision and value proposition.
- Partner with Client Services Executive (CSE) and/or Client Service Manager (CSM) to package, price, and present solutions including ROI and value proposition.
- Define and articulate a technology-specific, business-relevant services strategy and solutions for customer opportunities.
- Partner with Product Sales Specialist (PSS) teams to incorporate solutions into customer account plans and successfully execute on them.
- Gather and refine customer requirements and document initial scope to align solution and proposal development.
- Experience proactively growing and expanding customer relationships while deepening understanding of customer business.
- Proven ability to meet and deliver an annual sales target of $20M TCV.
- Prior experience within one of the following industry segments is highly desirable: CMT (Communications, Media & Technology), Manufacturing & Logistics (MLEU), Retail, or BFS (Banking & Financial Services).
Qualifications
- Degrees – CPA, MBA, or an advanced degree in a related field is preferred.
Core Competencies & Knowledge
- BPO & IOA Solution Leadership – Deep expertise in Business Process Outsourcing, digitisation, and IOA-led solution development, including deal structuring, solution design, transition, and transformation, with hands‑on involvement in building solutions and sales content from the ground up alongside cross‑functional stakeholders.
- Industry‑Led Process Transformation – Strong ability to understand complex business process challenges across one or more industries and translate them into compelling, technology‑enabled process and operating model solutions, including Global Business Services (GBS) environments.
- Global Delivery & Operating Models – Extensive international experience and comfort working with global service delivery models, including shared services, IOA, and virtual/home office environments.
- Executive‑Level Communication & Storytelling – Proven verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex deal constructs, solution narratives, and value propositions clearly and compellingly to C‑suite buyers through presentations and executive‑level sales storylines.
- Technology & Business Acumen – Solid understanding of technology solutions and their impact on business operations, enabling credible conversations that bridge process, technology, and business outcomes.
