Data and AI Governance Lead

What you'll do

• Design and execute the university's data and AI governance operating model, policies, and roadmaps.
• Build and enable a community of practice for distributed data stewards and AI practitioners.
• Operationalize AI governance controls, including model inventories, risk assessments, and ethical reviews.
• Establish a unified metadata layer to map business terminology for accurate AI and analytics use.
• Provide hands-on support to departments by defining data lineage and improving data quality.
• Translate complex technical governance requirements into actionable guidance for non-technical stakeholders.
• Develop KPIs to track governance adoption and report progress to university leadership.

What we're looking for

• 5+ years of experience in data governance, data management, and AI ethics/policy.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale initiatives in a federated or decentralized environment.
• Ability to present complex risk and governance concepts to senior leadership and coach departmental coordinators.
• Familiarity with Data & AI lifecycle management, metadata management tools, data cataloging, and ML Ops/AI risk frameworks.
• Understanding of AI data readiness regarding how machine learning and Agentic AI interact with structured and unstructured data.
• Experience partnering closely with Data Engineering and Analytics teams.
• Experience specifically within a Research I university or a highly complex non-profit environment (preferred).
• Professional certification in Data Management (CDMP) or AI Governance (AIGP) (preferred).