AI Governance Lead

Role Summary
Own the design and execution of the enterprise AI governance program. Build the standards, policies, and procedures that govern how AI use cases and models move from idea to production. Structure the governance roadmap across intake, classification, value assessment, and control design. Stand up use case governance and model governance functions, define the target state for AI governance across the organization, and drive an implementation plan with clear monitoring, prioritized against engineering delivery timelines.
Key Responsibilities
Governance Framework Design
Author and maintain AI governance standards, policies, and procedures covering the full lifecycle of AI use cases and models
Design the governance roadmap organized into intake, classification, value assessment, and control design stages
Define risk tiers and controls proportional to use case risk (e.g., low/medium/high risk classification tied to required controls)
Use Case Governance
Build the intake process for new AI use cases: how requests enter the pipeline, what information is captured, who reviews them
Establish classification criteria (risk level, data sensitivity, regulatory exposure, business criticality)
Design value assessment methodology to prioritize use cases against cost, risk, and business impact
Define control requirements per classification tier (documentation, testing, sign-off, monitoring)
Model Governance
Establish model risk management practices: validation, documentation, versioning, approval gates
Define requirements for model cards, testing evidence, bias/fairness checks, and performance monitoring
Set standards for third-party and open-source model vetting
Target State & Team Build
Define the target state for AI governance: what "good" looks like, what the organization should expect from the function
Design the governance team structure, roles, and operating model
Set RACI across governance, engineering, legal, risk, and business stakeholders
Implementation & Monitoring
Build a phased implementation plan with milestones and owners
Prioritize governance rollout in sequence with engineering platform and architecture delivery
Establish monitoring and reporting: KPIs, compliance tracking, exception handling, escalation paths
Run periodic reviews of the governance program's effectiveness and adjust as needed
Required Qualifications
Combined minimum of 10 years' higher education and/or operational/business analytics/systems development experience
Demonstrated experience building a governance framework or program from the ground up in a large or complex organization
Working knowledge of model risk management practices (e.g., SR 11-7 or equivalent) and how they extend to AI/ML systems
Experience designing intake, classification, and risk assessment processes for technology or data initiatives
Experience working cross-functionally with engineering, legal, compliance, and business teams
Strong written communication skills; able to produce policy documents, standards, and executive-level reporting
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (risk, business, computer science, law, or similar); advanced degree a plus but not required in place of experience
Preferred Qualifications
Direct experience with AI-specific regulatory frameworks (EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) and applying them practically
Prior experience standing up or scaling a governance team, including hiring and role design
Familiarity with MLOps and model deployment pipelines, enough to design controls that don't bottleneck engineering
Experience with generative AI governance specifically (prompt/data leakage risk, hallucination controls, third-party LLM vendor risk)
Certifications such as CRISC, CISA, or AI governance-specific credentials
Experience in a regulated industry (financial services, healthcare, insurance)
Skills Required
Policy and standards writing
Risk classification and control design
Stakeholder management across technical and non-technical audiences
Program/project management (roadmap building, milestone tracking, prioritization)
Working knowledge of ML lifecycle and model development practices
Data literacy: able to read model documentation, validation reports, and technical risk assessments
Facilitation and negotiation, particularly balancing governance rigor against engineering velocity
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M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $123,600.00 - $206,000.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.
LocationBuffalo, New York, United States of America