Graduate Trainee - Forward Deployment Engineer (Digital & AI)

About the role

Cognizant is looking for high-potential graduates to join its Digital & AI team as Forward Deployment Engineers (FDEs) in Abu Dhabi. FDEs combine software engineering, AI innovation and business problem-solving to build scalable, production-ready solutions that improve operations and customer experience, working directly with business stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and deploy software, AI and data-driven solutions.
• Collaborate with business teams to understand requirements and solve operational challenges.
• Integrate applications with enterprise systems and digital platforms.
• Take part in testing, troubleshooting and production support.
• Support implementation of Generative AI, automation and analytics initiatives.
• Document solutions and contribute to continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, AI, Data Science or a related field.
• 0-2 years of experience; fresh graduates are encouraged to apply.
• Preferred: exposure to AI/ML, Generative AI, Cloud (Azure/AWS) or Data Analytics, and internship, academic project or hackathon experience.
• Interest in digital transformation and emerging technologies.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Python, Java, JavaScript or similar languages.
• Understanding of databases, APIs, LLMs and software development fundamentals.
• Analytical, problem-solving and communication skills, and willingness to learn in a dynamic environment.