AI Enablement & Data Governance Manager

About the Role

JCW is partnering with a well-established regional bank to hire an AI Enablement & Data Governance Manager. This is a newly shaped role where data governance meets the bank’s growing use of AI. You will make sure the data feeding analytics and AI initiatives is trusted, well-governed, and compliant, and that AI tools are adopted safely and responsibly across the business. You will work closely with IT, Data & Analytics, Risk, Information Security, Compliance, and business leaders to turn governance and AI policy into practical, day-to-day controls. This is a hands-on leadership seat: not a pure data science role, and not a policy-only role, but someone who can set the standards, stand up the frameworks, and help teams put them into practice.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the bank’s data governance program, establishing and maintaining policies, standards, and procedures for data ownership, stewardship, quality, and lifecycle management
• Build and run the AI governance framework, including AI use-case intake, risk assessment, approval workflows, and an inventory of AI models and tools in use across the bank
• Partner with Model Risk Management to align AI and machine learning use cases with model risk expectations (e.g., SR 11-7), including documentation, validation support, and ongoing monitoring
• Drive AI enablement across the business, helping teams identify, prioritize, and responsibly adopt AI and generative AI tools, and supporting training and adoption efforts
• Ensure data used for analytics and AI is fit for purpose by defining data quality rules, monitoring metrics, and driving root-cause analysis and remediation of issues
• Own metadata management, including the business glossary, data dictionary, data lineage, and critical data element (CDE) inventory
• Partner with Information Security to classify sensitive data (e.g., PII, NPI, and financial data) and define guardrails for how it can be used with AI tools and third-party platforms
• Work with Compliance, Legal, and Internal Audit on regulatory and examination requirements, including fair lending, privacy, and third-party risk considerations for AI vendors
• Implement and administer data governance, catalog, and AI governance tooling, and promote adoption across technology and business teams
• Report on governance maturity, AI adoption, risk posture, and remediation progress to senior leadership and governance committees
• Influence and coordinate across teams without direct authority, balancing innovation with sound risk management

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in data governance, data management, or AI/analytics governance, ideally within banking or another regulated financial services environment
• Proven experience building or operating a data governance framework, not just participating in one
• Exposure to AI or machine learning governance, such as AI use-case review, model inventory, responsible AI policy, or partnering with Model Risk Management
• Hands-on experience with data governance and cataloging tools (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Informatica, Microsoft Purview, or similar)
• Strong working knowledge of data quality practices, including profiling, rule definition, monitoring, and issue management
• Familiarity with relevant regulatory and risk frameworks such as SR 11-7, GLBA, SOX, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, or comparable guidance
• Solid understanding of data lineage and metadata concepts, with working SQL skills to profile and validate data
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain AI and data concepts to non-technical stakeholders and translate between business, risk, and technical teams
• A self-starter who can manage competing priorities and thrive in an evolving, still-being-defined space
• Preferred: DAMA CDMP, IAPP AIGP, or other data or AI governance certifications

This role is open to candidates from banks, credit unions, insurance companies, asset managers, and other regulated financial services organizations, as well as strong data and AI governance professionals from adjacent industries.

JCW is proud to be an equal opportunity recruiter. We are committed to fostering an inclusive recruitment process and ensuring equal consideration for all applicants regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, or race.