AI Governance Director

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an AI Governance Director based in the United States.** This enterprise-level role will lead the governance framework that enables responsible, compliant, and scalable adoption of artificial intelligence. You will establish standards, reporting mechanisms, documentation practices, and oversight processes across multiple business units. The position combines strategic leadership with hands-on coordination across technology, legal, compliance, privacy, security, and business teams. You will provide senior leadership with clear visibility into AI risk, regulatory readiness, governance maturity, and emerging technology developments. The role also serves as a key point of coordination for client, regulatory, audit, and third-party AI governance inquiries. Success requires balancing innovation and business needs with regulatory, ethical, security, privacy, and operational considerations. This is an autonomous, high-impact opportunity to shape how AI is governed and deployed across a complex, regulated enterprise. ### Accountabilities - Develop and recommend enterprise-wide AI governance standards, reporting expectations, evidence-collection processes, and responsible AI practices while keeping business units accountable for implementation. - Maintain and continuously enhance AI governance policies, standards, procedures, and supporting documentation in response to evolving technologies, regulations, industry frameworks, and business requirements. - Serve as the central enterprise coordinator for AI-related client, regulatory, audit, and third-party inquiries, managing intake, triage, response coordination, and accurate reporting. - Coordinate executive and Board-level reporting on AI governance, risk management, regulatory developments, compliance posture, and program maturity. - Chair or co-chair the AI governance committee and oversee AI intake and risk-tiering processes to promote consistent decision-making and enterprise visibility. - Maintain a centralized, audit-ready inventory of AI use cases, including risk assessments, approvals, testing evidence, limitations, monitoring requirements, and retention records. - Oversee post-deployment governance by tracking attestations, mitigation activities, compliance status, and other required controls while business units retain operational ownership. - Provide governance guidance for external demonstrations and disclosures of AI capabilities, considering intellectual property, security, privacy, and contractual requirements. - Deliver recurring leadership reporting covering governance health, inquiry trends, compliance gaps, risk outcomes, and maturity indicators. - Coordinate enterprise AI governance training, awareness, and communications to support adoption of policies, standards, and governance requirements. - Monitor emerging AI legislation, regulations, enforcement actions, industry standards, and client expectations and assess their potential impact on the governance framework. - Coordinate preparation for internal audits and external examinations by organizing evidence, maintaining governance repositories, and tracking findings through resolution. - Partner with engineering and platform teams to embed governance requirements into development workflows and automate evidence capture and controls where possible. - Develop and publish governance templates, standards updates, and practical examples that improve consistency, adoption, and change management. - Collaborate closely with legal, compliance, privacy, information security, information governance, and business leaders to maintain alignment and traceability. - Evaluate external AI governance frameworks and standards and recommend practical improvements that strengthen governance maturity and stakeholder trust. - Identify opportunities to streamline governance workflows, improve efficiency, and reduce intake-to-decision timelines. - Support strategic initiatives, annual objectives, special projects, and other responsibilities as assigned. ## Requirements - Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Law, Public Policy, Risk Management, or a related discipline. - Advanced degree such as a JD, Master’s degree, or equivalent graduate education in law, technology, data, policy, or risk is strongly preferred. - 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in technology governance, risk management, compliance, legal, product oversight, or a related discipline within a complex or regulated environment. - At least 5 years of experience in AI, data, or technology governance; regulatory compliance; risk management; audit readiness; complex technology or product program oversight; or external inquiry management. - Deep knowledge of AI governance concepts, risk-tiering models, post-deployment monitoring, responsible AI practices, and audit-ready documentation. - Demonstrated ability to establish enterprise standards, manage technology risks, and coordinate effectively across business, legal, compliance, and technical functions. - Experience working in regulated industries such as healthcare, financial services, government contracting, or technology-enabled services. - Experience engaging with external stakeholders, including clients, regulators, auditors, or other third parties. - Strong strategic thinking, systems thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving, and independent decision-making skills. - Ability to anticipate emerging AI technologies, regulatory developments, and workforce or organizational impacts. - Excellent communication and conceptual reasoning skills, with the ability to translate complex technical, regulatory, and risk concepts into clear guidance for executives and diverse stakeholders. - Strong judgment when balancing legal, ethical, operational, regulatory, and business considerations. - High learning agility and the ability to rapidly apply knowledge of evolving AI technologies, standards, and regulatory requirements. - Preferred certifications include IAPP AIGP, CIPP, CIPM, ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer or Lead Auditor, CISA, CRISC, or comparable technology governance, risk, audit, privacy, or compliance credentials. - Ability to work independently in a remote environment and maintain a dedicated, secure workspace with reliable high-speed internet connectivity. - Willingness to travel approximately 5% as required. ## Benefits - Base compensation range of **$130,000–$180,000 per year**, depending on experience, education, skills, certifications, and business needs. - Eligibility for a discretionary bonus. - Medical, dental, and vision insurance. - Disability and life insurance coverage. - 401(k) savings plan. - Paid family leave. - 9 paid holidays annually. - 17–27 days of paid time off per year, depending on level and length of service. - Remote work environment. - Opportunity to shape enterprise-wide AI governance and responsible AI practices. - High-impact leadership role spanning technology, risk, compliance, legal, privacy, security, and business functions. - Application window currently anticipated to close November 4, 2026, subject to application volume and hiring progress.