Associate Director - HR Bids & Transitions

• Experience leading the HR deal workstream and delivering end-to-end people activity supporting insourcing or outsourcing initiatives.
• Experience in HR transformation, employee relations or workforce transition, with evidence of independently leading complex workstreams.
• Strong practical knowledge of UK employment law, TUPE and collective consultation requirements.
• Experience leading people due diligence, workforce-risk assessment and commercially focused HR solution design.
• Experience developing people-related cost inputs and supporting deal pricing, governance and approval processes.
• Client-facing delivery experience, with the ability to present complex workforce matters clearly and credibly to senior stakeholders.
• Experience reviewing contractual provisions and working closely with Legal, Commercial and other cross-functional teams.
• Strong judgement, commercial awareness, negotiation and programme-management skills.
• The ability to operate effectively in a matrix organisation, manage competing deadlines and work collaboratively across different cultures.

• Working knowledge of the European Acquired Rights Directive and employee representative-body frameworks.
• Experience within technology services, outsourcing or another complex professional-services environment.
• Experience supporting multi-country employee transitions.
• Experience managing employee communications, consultation and trade union or representative engagement.
• Experience developing reusable tools, playbooks, training materials or knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Personal leadership aligned with Cognizant values: Work as One, Raise the Bar, Dare to Innovate, Do the Right Thing and Own It.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

As an Associate Director, HR Bids & Transitions, you will make an impact by leading the people workstream across strategic bids and complex employee transitions. You will support opportunities from early solution design and due diligence through contracting, consultation, employee transfer and operational handover.

You will be a valued member of the HR Strategic Deals & Transitions team and work collaboratively with Sales, Solutioning, Commercial, Finance, Legal, Delivery and regional HR teams. You will also engage directly with senior internal and client stakeholders, providing practical guidance and helping them make informed decisions where workforce risks could affect deal viability or delivery.

• Lead the HR workstream for strategic outsourcing pursuits, shaping effective people solutions in partnership with Sales, Solutioning, Commercial, Finance, Legal, Delivery and regional HR teams.
• Assess TUPE, Acquired Rights Directive and other employee-transfer implications, defining appropriate transfer, rebadge, rehire, restructuring and integration approaches.
• Lead people due diligence, translating employee information into clear risks, assumptions, dependencies, liabilities and mitigation actions.
• Develop HR cost inputs covering compensation and benefits, pensions, payroll, redundancy or severance, consultation and transition activities, supporting deal pricing and approvals.
• Review people-related provisions in master services agreements, statements of work, transfer schedules and associated contractual documentation.
• Present people solutions to senior internal and client stakeholders, including C-suite audiences, and influence decisions where workforce considerations may affect the deal or its delivery.
• Plan and deliver end-to-end employee transitions, including communications, consultation, representative or trade union engagement, terms and conditions, onboarding, payroll and benefits readiness, stabilisation and HR handover.
• Strengthen team capability through reusable tools, playbooks, training, coaching and knowledge sharing.

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position based in the United Kingdom. The role will involve UK and international travel. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programmes.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you are engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured, we will always be clear about role expectations.