Frontier Engineer, AI)

About the Role

As a Frontier Engineer (AI/Agentic), you will build scalable, cost-optimized, and secure AI-enabled solutions that reimagine business processes and deliver measurable outcomes for clients. You will be a valued member of the Cognizant Forward team, working collaboratively with experienced engineers, architects, data scientists, and AI practitioners in a small, cross-functional pod.

Cognizant Forward

The Cognizant Forward Team is at the forefront of how Cognizant is helping organizations navigate the AI era. Backed by extensive transformation experience, significant investment in responsible AI capabilities, patents, and a highly trained workforce on leading LLMs, Cognizant Forward reimagines how companies operate and unlocks new possibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Use AI-assisted and augmented development tools to build, test, debug, deploy, and enhance software solutions and scalable, secure systems.
• Support the development of AI-enabled applications, agentic workflows, and automation solutions, including context and harness engineering.
• Help evaluate AI-generated outputs for quality, accuracy, performance, and business relevance.
• Contribute to knowledge and context systems, retrieval workflows, testing, deployment, monitoring, documentation, and operational support.
• Apply responsible AI principles and engineering best practices while continuously learning new tools and technologies.

Work Model

This is a hybrid position requiring 3-4 days a week in a Cognizant office in Plano, TX; Teaneck, NJ; Bridgewater, NJ or client locations such as NY, San Francisco, DFW, Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta or LA.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Engineering, Cyber Security, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
• Recent graduate or early-career professional with technical experience gained through coursework, internships, co-ops, research, military experience, certifications, hackathons, capstone projects, or personal projects.
• Demonstrated interest in software development, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence, data engineering, or automation.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team-oriented environment.

To Stand Out

• Experience with one or more programming languages such as Python, R, MATLAB, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, or C#.
• Exposure to cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
• Familiarity with generative AI, large language models, prompt engineering, or AI-assisted development tools.
• Exposure to APIs, automation platforms, databases, software development methodologies, or data engineering concepts.
• Familiarity with source control tools such as Git and collaborative development practices.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary: $100,000.
• Eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance.
• 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