AI Enablement & Governance Lead

Axos Bank • San Diego, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The FVP, AI Enablement and Governance Lead is a new role responsible for building and operating the Company's AI governance program from the ground up. This individual will operationalize the AI Governance Management Directive, and serve as the Company's primary authority on AI risk, policy, lifecycle management and enterprise AI enablement. They will partner directly with the CISO, CRO, Head of CoE, and the broader organization to ensure that all AI use cases across the enterprise are identified, assessed, controlled, and deployed in a manner consistent with the Company's risk appetite, regulatory obligations, and Responsible AI Principles. This is a technical leadership role requiring knowledge of emerging AI tools, systems architecture and security practices in a regulated environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, Finance, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred (CISM, CRISC, CGEIT, or equivalent).
• 8+ years of experience in AI/ML technology delivery management, information security, or AI/ML governance in a regulated industry.
• Direct experience designing or operating AI governance programs, model risk management frameworks, or technology risk management processes in financial services.
• Deep understanding of the AI risk landscape: generative AI, machine learning models, AI agents, and the regulatory expectations governing their use in banking and financial services.
• Demonstrated ability to work across CISO, ERM, Legal, Compliance, and business lines — communicating risk in terms that resonate with each audience.
• Experience managing or significantly contributing to IT steering committee.
• Strong project management discipline; proven track record of building programs and processes from scratch with minimal infrastructure.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in a fintech, bank, or Financial Services firm
• Hands-on familiarity with AI governance tooling, GRC platforms, and TPRM workflows.
• Familiarity with agentic AI frameworks and the emerging regulatory landscape for AI in financial services.
• AI Agent development and delivery management experience.
• Experience building intake and workflow automation using tools such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Power Automate, or similar platforms.
• Track record of hiring and developing governance, risk, or compliance talent.

Responsibilities

• Own and operate the AI Governance Management Directive, ensuring all AI use cases across the enterprise follow the mandatory operationalization process.
• Develop and maintain the AI Use Case Inventory and AI Tool Catalog; assign tracking IDs, manage lifecycle status, and ensure audit readiness.
• Set and communicate risk tier classifications in coordination with the CISO and CRO; escalate high-risk determinations as required.
• Report AI governance posture, program metrics, and risk trends to the IT Steering Committee on a quarterly basis.
• Continuously improve the governance framework: refine intake processes, update risk tier criteria as the regulatory environment evolves, and integrate new AI categories (agents, agentic workflows, embedded vendor AI) as they emerge.
• Build AI/Automation tools to ensure governance capability is streamlined and scalable.
• Serve as the primary liaison to CISO, ERM, TPRM, Compliance, Legal, and Model Risk Management (MRM) for all AI governance activities.
• Partner with business line owners to drive the operationalization process forward, removing blockers and escalating delays.
• Engage external regulators, auditors, and examiners on AI governance posture; own examination readiness for AI-related findings.
• Hire, develop, and manage two Governance Analysts; set performance expectations, provide coaching, and build team capability.
• Design and implement the intake tooling, workflow automation, and templates that enable the team to process efficiently.
• Manage the Shadow AI remediation program, ensuring use cases discovered outside the formal process are addressed per the directive.
• Develop and deliver AI governance training and acceptable use communications across the organization.
• Build the 12-month operational plan, headcount forecast, and budget for the CoE function; present re-staffing needs as monitoring load grows.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Paid Sick Leave, 3 weeks’ Vacation, and Holidays (about 11 a year)
• HSA or FSA account and other voluntary benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Saving Plan with Employer Match Program and 529 Savings Plan
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program and free access to an Axos Bank Account with Self-Directed Trading

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager