Senior Payments & Emerging Innovations Specialist, Consulting Principal

About Cognizant Consulting

Cognizant Consulting is more than Cognizant’s consulting practice—we’re a global community of 5,000+ experts dedicated to helping clients reimagine their business. Blending deep industry and technology advisory capabilities, we create innovative business solutions for top global organizations. Now, we’re looking for our next colleague to shape the future of money, value transfer, and the global payments ecosystem.

About the role

As a Senior Payments & Emerging Innovations Specialist, you will make an impact by advising clients on next‑generation payment models, digital money innovations, and the future of cross‑border value exchange. You will be a valued member of our Banking & Financial Services Consulting team and collaborate closely with industry partners, internal capability groups, and client executives to drive transformation across the global payments landscape.

Responsibilities

• Lead advisory and analysis engagements across emerging payment types, including stablecoins, retail & wholesale CBDCs, tokenized deposits, and digital-asset-based settlement models.
• Track and interpret global regulatory and innovation initiatives, such as BIS Innovation Hub experiments, cross‑border CBDC pilots, interoperability frameworks, and policy developments.
• Produce high‑quality thought leadership—white papers, points of view, market insights, and strategy documents—on the future of payments and digital money.
• Advise clients on ISO 20022 migration and optimization, including enrichment, transformation, and integration across domestic and cross‑border rails.
• Provide expert insights on SWIFT evolution, correspondent banking modernization, real‑time payments, RTGS systems, and next‑gen payment infrastructure.
• Lead or contribute to RFP/RFI/RFX responses, shaping solutions and building propositions for payments transformation and innovation programs.
• Support solution roadmap development, working closely with internal teams to translate emerging technologies into actionable delivery propositions.
• Represent Cognizant as a subject-matter expert, participating in industry workgroups, client discussions, and external forums.

Work model

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 requiring 3 days a week onsite in our London office or at a client location. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. These may change based on project needs, business requirements, or client expectations. Rest assured, we will always clearly communicate role expectations.

What you must have to be considered

• Mandatory consulting or advisory experience in payments, digital money, or financial services transformation.
• 10–15 years of end‑to‑end payments experience, with significant exposure to emerging models including: Stablecoins and tokenized money, Retail & wholesale CBDCs, Tokenized deposits and RLN concepts, Cross‑border value transfer and settlement innovations, Blockchain‑based payments and digital asset infrastructures.
• Strong understanding of ISO 20022 message structures, data models, use cases, and implementation challenges.
• Deep knowledge of SWIFT, cross‑border payment flows, messaging evolution, RTGS/real-time payment systems, and payment modernization.
• Proven ability to write and present thought leadership, frameworks, strategy recommendations, and market perspectives.
• Experience in crafting RFP/RFI/RFX responses and building compelling propositions.
• Ability to simplify complex, technical concepts and communicate effectively with executive and technical stakeholders.
• Understanding of global regulatory trends, compliance considerations, and industry standards in the payments ecosystem.

These will help you succeed

• Exposure to digital identity, programmable payments, tokenization frameworks, or embedded finance.
• Experience participating in central bank, BIS, policy, or regulatory pilot programs.
• Familiarity with cloud‑native payment architectures, modern payment hubs, or microservices‑based processing models.

Benefits

Cognizant offers a competitive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and professional development. Benefits typically include:

• Private medical insurance
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Employee assistance program
• Paid time off and wellbeing programs
• Professional learning, certifications, and access to global knowledge networks