[Remote] Data and AI Governance Manager

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. U.S. Financial Technology is seeking an experienced Data and AI Governance Manager to join their team. This leadership role involves designing and maturing the enterprise-wide framework for data and AI governance, ensuring alignment with industry standards while managing risks and compliance in a highly regulated financial services environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the enterprise Data & AI Governance framework, aligned to DCAM maturity levels, NIST AI RMF core functions, and ISO 42001 requirements
• Own & Direct the development and lifecycle management of data governance policies, AI governance standards, data quality rules, and metadata management practices across all business domains
• Partner in driving the organization's AI governance roadmap, ensuring AI systems are inventoried, risk-classified, and governed through structured review and approval processes prior to deployment
• Define and maintain a clear governance operating model, including data stewardship accountabilities, decision rights, escalation paths, and governance council structures
• Explore and integrate emerging technologies, including AI, to streamline governance workflows, improve metadata curation and strengthen quality and compliance monitoring
• Ensure ongoing alignment with FHFA and other relevant regulations and emerging AI-specific regulatory requirements across all jurisdictions of operation
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Internal Audit teams to identify data and AI-related risks, define controls, and ensure gaps are tracked and remediated in a timely manner
• Monitor the organization's DCAM assessment scores and NIST AI RMF profile, conducting periodic gap analyses and preparing executive-level maturity reports for the VP, Data & AI and senior stakeholders
• Champion responsible and ethical AI practices, including fairness, explainability, transparency, and accountability requirements in alignment with ISO 42001 and internal AI ethics principles
• Establish and embed enterprise data quality standards and measurement frameworks, working with Data Stewards across business domains to drive accountability and remediation
• Oversee data classification, critical data element identification, metadata management, and Collibra DIC management to ensure consistent governance across all data domains
• Facilitate the Data Governance Council and domain stewardship forums, preparing agenda, tracking actions, and ensuring governance decisions are documented and communicated effectively
• Collaborate with senior leaders across Business, Finance, Risk, Technology, and Legal & Compliance to gain buy-in, embed governance accountabilities, and resolve cross-functional data and AI governance issues
• Advocate for a data-literate and AI-responsible culture by developing awareness programs, training curricula, and communication strategies that build governance knowledge across the organization
• Influence product and technology decisions by providing governance counsel during the design and procurement of data systems, AI platforms, and third-party AI tools
• Manage & Develop a high-performing team of five governance professionals, setting clear objectives, providing coaching, conducting performance reviews, and fostering an inclusive and collaborative team culture
• Allocate team capacity and resources effectively across governance tasks and initiatives, ensuring delivery against agreed milestones and outcomes
• Mentor team members on data governance methodologies, AI risk concepts, and industry frameworks to build internal capability and career growth
• Develop and manage the annual budget for the data governance team, optimizing investment across tools - for example metrics dashboard, AWS expenses, training etc
• Define and maintain a suite of governance KPIs and KRIs (e.g., data quality scores, AI risk incident rates, policy compliance rates, stewardship coverage) reported to the VP, Data & AI on a regular basis

Skills

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in data governance, data management, AI governance, or risk & compliance roles, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management capacity
• Minimum 3 years of direct people management experience
• Minimum of 1 year of experience designing and implementing enterprise-wide AI governance frameworks
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring employer sponsorship currently or in the future
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing enterprise-wide data governance frameworks using DCAM, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, or equivalent standards
• Proven track record of managing governance programs in a regulated financial services environment
• Experience leading cross-functional governance initiatives and operating governance bodies such as Data Councils, AI Review Boards, or Stewardship Forums
• Hands-on experience with data governance tooling (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Microsoft Purview, or similar) and familiarity with AI/ML lifecycle management platforms
• Strong people management skills with a demonstrated ability to build, lead, and retain high-performing teams in a matrix organization
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior executives and translate governance concepts into business value

Benefits

• Performance bonus
• 401k match
• Healthcare coverage
• PTO
• A broad range of other benefits

Company Overview