Director - Real Estate Budget & Financial Planning (India & APAC)

JOB SUMMARY: Director - Real Estate Budget & Financial Planning (India & APAC)

Leading at Cognizant

This is a Leadership role at Cognizant. We believe how you lead is as important as what you deliver. Cognizant leaders at every level: Drive our business strategy and inspire teams around our future. Live the leadership behaviors, leading themselves, others and the business. Uphold our Values, role modeling them in every action and decision. Nurture our people and culture, creating a workplace where all can thrive.

At Cognizant, leadership transcends titles and is embodied in actions and behaviors. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.

About The Role

As a Director - Real Estate Budget & Financial Planning, you will make an impact by providing strategic financial leadership for the India and APAC corporate real estate portfolio. You will oversee budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, financial governance, and performance analytics to support cost optimization, investment discipline, and financial transparency across real estate and facilities operations.

You will be a valued member of the Corporate Real Estate / Real Estate & Facilities team and work collaboratively with CRE FP&A, Procurement, Legal, business units, regional CRE teams, and executive leadership.

In This Role, You Will

• Develop and execute financial strategies aligned with long-term real estate, workplace, and portfolio objectives across India and APAC.
• Drive multi-year portfolio financial planning, footprint transformation, cost optimization, and scenario analysis including consolidation, expansion, lease-versus-buy, and divestment decisions.
• Own annual OPEX and CAPEX budgeting, quarterly forecasts, variance analysis, rolling cost projections, and adherence to corporate finance policies.
• Lead capital expenditure planning, investment evaluation, ROI analysis, business case validation, funding approvals, cost estimation governance, and financial controls for real estate programs.
• Deliver executive dashboards, KPIs, investment summaries, and data-driven insights to support portfolio optimization, vendor performance decisions, Board reviews, strategic planning, and leadership investment decisions.
• Partner with business units to forecast demand, space requirements, and occupancy costs while identifying cost reduction and efficiency opportunities without impacting service delivery.
• Guide regional CRE teams on financial governance, controls, best practices, audit readiness, accounting standards, financial risk mitigation, cost validation, contract governance, and approval workflows.
• Consistently demonstrate the Cognizant Way to Lead, which means operating with Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Business Leadership, including collaboration, inclusion, strategic mindset, accountability, results orientation, client focus, and financial acumen.
  
  

What You Need To Have To Be Considered

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in FP&A, corporate real estate finance, facilities finance, capital planning, or a closely related financial leadership role.
• Proven experience managing OPEX and CAPEX budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, rolling projections, investment evaluation, and ROI analysis.
• Strong financial modeling, scenario analysis, business case review, portfolio analytics, dashboarding, KPI reporting, and executive-level investment summary experience.
• Experience working cross-functionally with CRE FP&A, Procurement, Legal, business units, regional teams, and senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of corporate finance policies, audit requirements, accounting standards, financial governance, risk management, and approval controls.
• Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Business.
• Embodiment of Cognizant's Values: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.
  
  

These will help you succeed

• MBA, CA, CPA, CFA, or equivalent advanced finance qualification.
• Experience supporting regional or multi-country real estate portfolios across India and APAC.
• Ability to translate complex financial data into clear recommendations for Board reviews, strategic planning, and investment decisions.
• Experience improving data quality through automation, benchmarking, standardized reporting, and reporting governance.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence decisions across finance, real estate, procurement, legal, and business leadership teams.
  
  

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various well-being programs. Based on this role’s business requirements, this position is expected to follow the applicable Cognizant office/work model for India. Final working arrangement, office location, and office-days requirement should be confirmed before posting.

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

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.