Principal, AI Governance

Principal, AI Governance

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Department: Risk, Governance & Compliance

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Principal, AI Governance, to lead the development and execution of our enterprise-wide AI governance program. This individual will serve as the organization''s subject matter expert on Responsible AI, AI risk management, data governance, and regulatory compliance. The role will partner closely with Technology, Data, Security, Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, and business stakeholders to ensure AI solutions are developed, deployed, and monitored in a transparent, ethical, and compliant manner.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and continuously enhance the enterprise AI governance framework, including policies, standards, controls, and operating procedures.
• Establish governance processes for AI development, deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Serve as the internal expert on Responsible AI, AI ethics, explainability, fairness, transparency, and regulatory requirements.
• Extend existing data governance programs to address AI-specific requirements, including data quality, metadata management, data lineage, data classification, and usage controls.
• Create and maintain an enterprise-wide inventory of AI use cases, ensuring proper risk assessment, classification, approvals, and ongoing oversight.
• Develop governance guardrails and control frameworks to support the responsible use of AI and organizational data.
• Partner with Information Security, Technology, Compliance, Privacy, and Legal teams to implement monitoring, reporting, and policy enforcement mechanisms.
• Maintain an AI risk register and integrate AI-related risks into the broader enterprise risk management framework.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor''s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, Risk Management, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Data Governance, Risk Management, Compliance, Technology Governance, Information Governance, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 4 years of experience working directly with AI, Machine Learning, Generative AI, or AI governance programs.
• Hands-on experience with Data Governance disciplines, including:
• Data Quality
• Metadata Management
• Data Lineage
• Data Classification
• Data Lifecycle Management
• Strong understanding of the AI/ML lifecycle, including model development, validation, deployment, monitoring, and governance.
• Experience developing policies, governance frameworks, standards, and controls for technology or data-driven environments.
• Knowledge of Responsible AI principles and AI governance frameworks such as NIST AI RMF and similar industry standards.
• Experience conducting risk assessments and implementing governance controls for AI and data initiatives.
• Familiarity with privacy regulations and their relationship to AI and data governance programs.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior executives and technical teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within highly regulated industries such as Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, FinTech, Healthcare, or similar environments.
• Knowledge of Model Risk Management (MRM) frameworks and regulatory expectations.
• Experience working with Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) programs.
• Exposure to AI ethics, fairness testing, explainability, and model monitoring practices.
• Relevant certifications in Data Governance, Risk Management, Privacy, AI Governance, or Compliance are a plus.