AI Governance Lead

Role - AI Governance Lead Location - Macclesfield/Luton, UK (Hybrid) Type - Contract (Inside IR35) Job Description: Role Overview: As the AI Governance Lead, you will design, implement, and oversee enterprise-wide AI Governance framework. You will serve as the core bridge between engineering, data science, legal, compliance, and business units. Your mission is to ensure that all Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) systems—including Generative AI—are developed and deployed responsibly, ethically, and in strict compliance with global regulations and internal risk thresholds. Key Responsibilities 1. Framework Development \& Strategy Define and execute the company’s Responsible AI Strategy and governance roadmap. Establish comprehensive policies, standards, and playbooks for AI ethics, transparency, fairness, data privacy, and accountability. Operationalize compliance with emerging global regulations (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI Risk Management Framework, FTC guidelines, and local data privacy laws). 2. Risk Management \& Compliance Implement systematic processes for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with AI/ML models (e.g., algorithmic bias, hallucination, data lineage issues, and intellectual property risks). Lead AI Impact Assessments and model risk evaluations prior to deployment. Define and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics for AI model health, fairness, and safety. 3. Cross-Functional Collaboration \& Advisory Act as the subject matter expert (SME) on AI risk for the executive leadership team, Legal, InfoSec, and Data Privacy offices. Partner with Data Science and Engineering teams to integrate compliance and "privacy-by-design" principles into the MLOps pipeline. Chair or co-lead the internal AI Governance Committee to review high-risk AI use cases. 4. Training, Culture \& Evangelism Foster an organizational culture of responsible innovation through training programs on AI ethics and governance best practices. Maintain an enterprise-wide inventory of all AI/ML models and their respective risk profiles. Required Qualifications * Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Risk Management, or a related field. * Experience: 12+ years of experience in data governance, risk management, compliance, or data science, with at least 6 years specifically focused on AI/ML governance or ethics. * Regulatory Expertise: Deep understanding of global data privacy and AI regulations (EU AI Act, GDPR, NIST framework). * Technical Literacy: Strong understanding of the AI/ML lifecycle (data preparation, training, deployment, MLOps) and the specific risks associated with Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI. * Communication: Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to translate complex technical concepts for legal/business teams and vice versa.