Lead AI Governance Risk Specialist

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Job Summary

The Lead - AI Governance Risk Specialist is responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with the deployment and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies within the organization. This role ensures that AI systems comply with regulatory standards, ethical guidelines, governance expectations, and responsible AI principles while fostering a culture of responsible AI use. This role supports AI governance and risk oversight with emphasis on the evaluation of AI use cases, AI-enabled tools, data considerations, third-party solutions, testing approaches, monitoring requirements, and control effectiveness. The role partners across business, technology, cybersecurity, legal, compliance, privacy, data governance, third-party risk, model risk, and enterprise risk functions to support effective oversight, executive reporting, and responsible AI adoption.

Essential Job Functions

Conduct AI risk assessments and governance reviews of AI systems, tools, applications, and AI-enabled third-party solutions. Evaluate governance, data, technology, security, responsible AI, model, deployment, and monitoring needs. Support risk mitigation to address issues and align with AI governance policies. - (30%)

Evaluate AI testing, monitoring, control effectiveness, and assurance needs. Support reviews of testing methods, validation approaches, performance monitoring, issue remediation, control testing, audit readiness, and governance effectiveness. Assess accuracy, explainability, reliability, drift, hallucinations, human oversight, and unintended outcomes. - (25%)

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop, maintain, and update AI governance policies, standards, procedures, risk-based approval processes, and documentation. Support alignment with frameworks, risk taxonomy, control expectations, intake requirements, and enterprise governance across business, technology, risk, legal, privacy, and compliance - (20%)

Develop AI governance metrics, risk insights, and reporting materials for executive, board-level, governance committee, and leadership discussions. Translate technical AI concepts, risks, assumptions, limitations, and monitoring results into clear business, risk, compliance, and executive-level communications. - (15%)

Support incident response, issue remediation, audit readiness, and ongoing governance effectiveness for AI governance risks. Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure AI-related issues, findings, control gaps, and remediation activities are identified, documented, monitored, and addressed through established governance and risk management processes. - (10%)

Minimum Qualifications

High School Diploma or GED.

8-10 years of experience in Risk Management, Information Security, Data Governance, Technology Risk, AI Governance, Model Risk, or related governance, risk, and compliance functions, including working knowledge of AI, machine learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), AI deployment practices, and AI-enabled technology risk.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Data Management, Information security, or Risk Management; or related field of study or equivalent, relevant work experience

10+ years Experience supporting risk assessments, governance reviews, control testing, monitoring, assurance activities, audit readiness, executive reporting, or cross-functional governance processes.

10+ years Experience supporting AI governance, model risk management, data governance, cybersecurity, third-party risk, or other technology risk management programs.

Knowledge of emerging AI capabilities and risk considerations, including Generative AI, Large Language Models, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), agentic AI, explainability, reliability, bias, data leakage, prompt injection, vendor AI risk, and AI monitoring practices.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Problem Solving

Business Change Management

Business Communications

Reports To : Senior Director and above

Direct Reports : 0

Work Environment

Normal office environment. (Remote or Hybrid), 3 to 4 days per month are required in office if within 60 miles of a posted Bread Financial location.

Travel

Ability to travel up to 20% quarterly

Physical and Mental Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily and meet the physical, mental and work environment requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship.

Communicate/Hearing

Communicate/Talking

Typing/Writing

Focus and complete tasks in situations that have a speed or productivity metric

Maintain focus in high pressure or fast-paced work environment

Other Duties

This job description is illustrative of the types of duties typically performed by this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of each and every essential function of the job. Because job content may change from time to time, the Company reserves the right to add and/or delete essential functions from this job at any time.

Salary Range (unless otherwise noted below):

$125,400.00 - $200,600.00

Full Salary Range for position:

California: $144,200.00 - $250,800.00
Colorado: $125,400.00 - $220,700.00
New York: $137,900.00 - $250,800.00
Washington: $137,900.00 - $230,700.00
Maryland: $137,900.00 - $220,700.00
Washington DC: $144,200.00 - $230,700.00
Illinois: $125,400.00 - $220,700.00
New Jersey: $144,200.00 - $230,700.00
Vermont: $125,400.00 - $200,600.00
Ohio: $125,400.00 - $200,600.00
Maine: $125,400.00 - $200,600.00
Connecticut: $137,900.00 - $220,700.00
Virginia: $125,400.00 - $200,600.00

The actual base pay within this range may be dependent upon many factors, which may include, but are not limited to, work location, education, experience, and skills.

You must be work authorized in the United States on a full time basis without the need for any sponsorship now or in the future from any employer or organization. The Company cannot offer employment to F-1 (student) visa holders.

Bread Financial offers medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and other voluntary benefits (including basic and optional life insurance, supplemental medical plans, and short and long-term disability) to eligible associates (regular full-time associates scheduled to work 30 hours per week or more) and their spouses/domestic partners, and child(ren) under the age of 26. New associate elected coverage begins on date of hire (with the exception of disability coverage which has a 6-month waiting period). Six weeks of 100% paid parental leave for eligible parents is available after a 180-day waiting period. Hired associates can immediately enroll in Bread Financial’s 401(k) plan.

All associates receive 11 paid holidays. Associates have discretion in managing their time away from work through the Flexible Time Off (FTO) program and may need to notify and receive approval from their manager prior to taking the time off. Associates (except those located in Illinois) receive 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time (“PSST”) upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois associates receive 40 hours of Illinois PSST upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year and 40 hours of Illinois Paid Leave upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois Paid Leave must be used before associates in Illinois will be approved to take FTO.

Hired associates will be able to elect the purchase company stock during offering periods in June and December. You will be eligible for an annual incentive bonus based on ind