Associate Director, Data & AI Governance

Role Description

We are seeking a strategic and visionary Data & AI Governance lead for defining, establishing, and enforcing an enterprise-wide governance framework for data, analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) assets and practices. This leader will ensure that the organization's use of data and AI is ethical, compliant, secure, high-quality, and strategically aligned to drive business value across all global operations. This role requires developing and enforcing comprehensive AI and GenAI governance frameworks, covering ethical AI, data privacy, model risk, and regulatory compliance, and also collaborating with legal, risk, and data teams to ensure responsible and transparent AI practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Framework Development:
  • Establish and operationalize a comprehensive, federated Data and AI Governance framework (policies, standards, operating model, decision rights) that aligns with global business strategy and emerging AI/ML initiatives.
  • Define the vision and roadmap for enterprise data quality, master data management (MDM), data lineage, and metadata management programs, ensuring they support AI readiness.
  • Secure executive sponsorship and budget for all governance programs, effectively communicating the value and managing the program portfolio.
• AI Governance, Ethics & Compliance:
  • Lead the Responsible AI program, creating and enforcing policies for AI/ML model lifecycle, including fairness, bias mitigation, explainability (XAI), and transparency.
  • Ensure global compliance with all relevant data privacy, security, and AI regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act) in partnership with Legal, Compliance, and Security teams.
  • Oversee the AI Risk Assessment process, proactively identifying and mitigating technical, ethical, and reputational risks associated with AI systems and their underlying data.
• Execution & Organizational Change:
  • Build and scale the Data Stewardship and AI Governance bodies, defining roles and responsibilities and empowering a network of Data/AI Owners across business units.
  • Drive Data/AI literacy and a cultural shift towards data ownership and responsible AI usage across the enterprise.
  • Oversee the selection, implementation, and utilization of modern Data and AI Governance tools (e.g., Data Catalog, MDM, AI Risk Management platforms).
• Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
  • Lead and mentor a high-performing global team of governance specialists, architects, and analysts.
  • Serve as the primary liaison to the C-suite, providing clear, concise, and actionable updates on the state of Data & AI Governance, risk posture, and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or Engineering
• 15+ years of progressive experience in Data Management, Data Governance, or Information Technology.
• 10+ years of experience leading data governance frameworks (e.g., DAMA-DMBOK, CDMC, DCAM) and their practical implementation in a large-scale enterprise environment.
• 8+ years in a senior leadership role managing global teams and complex, cross-functional programs.
• 8+ years of experience working in AI/ML model lifecycle, including data preparation, model training, deployment, and monitoring, and the specific governance challenges they present (e.g., model drift, bias).
• 8+ years of experience working with major cloud-based data platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and data governance tools (Collibra, Alation, Atlan, or similar).
• 5+ years experience working with AI/GenAI governance, model risk management, and compliance frameworks.
• 5+ years of experience working with current and evolving global data and AI regulations (GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act, etc.) with the ability to translate legal requirements into technical and process controls.
• Must be authorized to work in the US without restriction. No sponsorship available.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or related discipline.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to define and execute a long-term strategic vision while managing immediate operational needs.
• Executive Communication: Exceptional ability to distill complex technical and regulatory issues into clear, business-focused narratives for executive and board-level consumption.
• Change Management: Proven track record of successfully driving organizational and cultural change related to data management and technology adoption.
• Global Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to build consensus and drive outcomes across diverse, geographically dispersed business units and functions (IT, Legal, Business, and Finance).

Pay Range

The annual salary for this position is between $143,000.00 - $286,000.00 annually. Factors which may affect pay within this range include, but are not limited to, skills, education, experience, and other unique qualifications of the successful candidate.

Other Compensation

This position is entitled to short-term cash incentives, subject to plan requirements.

Benefits

• Health Care Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision; Wellness incentives
• Retirement Benefits
• Time off and Leave:
  • Paid vacation days, up to 15 days
  • Paid sick days, up to 5 days
  • Paid personal leave, up to 5 days
  • Paid holidays, up to 13 days
  • Birth and adoption leave
  • Parental leave
  • Family and medical leave
  • Bereavement leave
  • Jury duty leave
  • Military leave
  • Purchased vacation
• Disability: Short-term and long-term disability
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Tax-Advantaged Accounts: Health Savings Account; Health Care Spending Account; Dependent Care Spending Account
• Tuition Assistance