AI Governance Architect, People & Communities(Remote)

The application window is expected to close on: 06/03/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received .

Location: Must sit in the U.S. - East Coast Preferred

AI Governance Architect, People & Communities

Role Summary

We are seeking an

AI Governance Architect to serve as the primary steward of responsible, ethical, and compliant AI across Cisco's People & Communities (P&C) organization. This role is squarely focused on governance, risk, compliance, and data security - ensuring that every AI system operating within the P&C ecosystem meets the highest standards of transparency, auditability, and regulatory alignment. You will define the governance frameworks, enforce security standards, and act as the organizational conscience for how AI is built, deployed, and monitored within P&C.

Key Responsibilities

AI Governance Framework Design & Operationalization

• Design and operationalize a comprehensive P&C AI governance framework aligned with enterprise AI policies, control standards, and regulatory requirements

• Define and enforce business rules embedded in AI models and data pipelines

• Ensure governance coverage across all P&C AI use cases, including workforce planning, talent processes, employee experience, and advanced analytics

• Lead documentation and traceability of AI systems, including model lineage, dependencies, and usage

Model Transparency & Responsible AI

• Ensure model explainability, transparency, and auditability across all AI and LLM-based solutions

• Define and monitor metrics for model fairness, bias, and ethical risk

• Implement practices for human-in-the-loop oversight and responsible AI deployment

• Maintain model cards and supporting documentation for all deployed AI systems

Data Security & Privacy

• Own the data security posture for P&C's AI and data ecosystem - this is a primary responsibility, not a shared one

• Define and enforce data classification, access controls, and security standards across the People Data lakehouse

• Partner with IT, InfoSec, and platform owners to ensure all data architectures adhere to rigorous privacy standards including GDPR, CCPA, and emerging regulations

• Ensure sensitive employee data is protected at every layer of the architecture, from ingestion through consumption

• Serve as the P&C point of accountability for data security incidents, risk assessments, and remediation

Audit, Risk & Regulatory Compliance

• Conduct model audits and post-deployment monitoring to ensure compliance with defined thresholds and regulatory standards

• Maintain audit trails, model documentation, and model cards to support internal and external reviews

• Partner with Legal and Risk to ensure alignment with GDPR, EU AI Act, and other applicable AI regulations

• Ensure full traceability of data and models across the lifecycle, leveraging Dataplex capabilities for lineage and discoverability

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Enablement

• Act as the governance bridge between technical teams (data engineering, data science) and P&C leadership

• Advise leadership on risks, opportunities, and governance implications of new AI use cases

• Collaborate with data stewards and platform owners to enforce compliant, high-quality data usage

• Enable P&C stakeholders through training on AI governance, responsible AI practices, and data security obligations

Qualifications

Required

• Proven experience in AI governance, data governance, risk, or a similar senior compliance-focused technical role

• Deep understanding of AI/ML model lifecycle, including governance and post-deployment oversight

• Strong expertise in data security, privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA), and enterprise risk management

• Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform, specifically Dataplex for data lineage, discovery, and lifecycle management

• Demonstrated ability to define and enforce governance frameworks in complex, global organizations

• Strong stakeholder management skills across both technical and non-technical audiences

Preferred

• Experience with AI/ML lifecycle tools, LLM-based applications, and model monitoring platforms

• Knowledge of the EU AI Act and emerging global AI regulatory landscape

• Familiarity with P&C systems such as Workday and ServiceNow

• Experience defining and embedding business rules into data and AI workflows

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Law, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)

Success Metrics

• AI governance framework effectively embedded across all P&C AI use cases with measurable compliance coverage

• Data security standards enforced and validated across the full People Data ecosystem

• High level of model transparency, traceability, and explainability across all deployed systems

• Successful regulatory audits with no material compliance gaps

• Increased stakeholder trust in the safety and integrity of P&C AI solutions

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we're revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We've been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you'll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $114,800.00 to $146,100.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$137,900.00 - $201,100.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$122,800.00 - $178,700.00

• For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.