Manager - AI Governance & Technology Risk Management
About The Position
The Manager – AI Governance & Technology Risk Management leads the day-to-day operation of Wendy’s AI Governance, Risk, and Compliance and IT Risk Management programs within the Data Protection and AI Trust organization. The role translates Company strategy, policies, regulatory requirements, and recognized frameworks into proportionate, technology-enabled processes for the intake, assessment, approval, deployment, monitoring, and retirement of AI systems and other technologies. Acting as a second-line risk partner, the Manager enables business and technology teams to advance priority initiatives while maintaining clear accountability for risk decisions, control implementation, evidence, remediation, and escalation. The role supports the Executive AI Sponsors and leads AI Council operations, maintains program standards and reporting, and partners with Privacy, Security, Legal, Data Governance, Procurement, Internal Audit, and business and technology leaders to integrate technology governance across the enterprise. The position is expected to be performed primarily at Wendy’s Restaurant Support Center or another Company-designated location, with at least four days per week in the office.
Requirements
- Demonstrated experience applying technology and AI governance frameworks and management-system standards, such as COBIT, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001, and related control frameworks, to design risk-tiered processes, requirements, controls, evidence, and reporting.
- Working knowledge of relevant AI regulatory requirements and guidance, including the EU AI Act and emerging U.S. state requirements.
- Experience translating risk requirements into operational workflows, evidence standards, decision records, metrics, and issue-management processes.
- Practical knowledge of third-party/cloud AI, foundation models, embedded AI, and API-based services.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to translate technical, regulatory, and risk management concepts into clear, actionable business actions and insights.
- Experience challenging technical and business owners while maintaining constructive working relationships.
- Ability and willingness to work cross-functionally and collaboratively to help establish, support, and enable pragmatic and controlled adoption of technology and AI throughout the organization in support of strategic business objectives and compliance with laws and regulations.
- Relevant industry certification for IT Risk Management, AI GRC, or other relevant credentials from recognized industry organizations such as ISACA or IAPP.
Nice To Haves
- Background in model risk, responsible AI, privacy engineering, cybersecurity governance, or technology audit.
- Experience in consumer-facing, retail, restaurant, franchise, or another distributed operating environment.
Responsibilities
- Design, operate, and continuously improve risk-tiered AI governance and technology risk processes covering intake, inventory, classification, impact and risk assessment, approval, control assignment, evidence collection, deployment, material change, ongoing monitoring, incident escalation, remediation, exception management, and retirement.
- Map requirements to Company policies, applicable laws and regulations, and recognized frameworks, and maintain auditable records of decisions, ownership, residual risk, and approvals.
- Design and implement technical capabilities using GRC and data technologies such as OneTrust, GCP, and Dataiku to make AI GRC and IT Risk Management processes operationally effective, highly automated, and accessible to end users.
- Consult and advise IT and business partners on AI and IT risks, mitigation strategies, and completeness of control implementation.
- Support high-priority organizational initiatives to help ensure responsible and effective implementation, adoption, and training.
- Support the facilitation and ongoing execution of cross-functional councils, including AI Executive Sponsors and the AI Council, to support technology strategy, enablement, and adoption.
- Develop and maintain policies, standards, compliance training, and maturity assessments to establish, inform, and monitor Company governance and risk management strategies for technology and AI development and deployment.
Benefits
- Target annual bonus of 20% of annualized base salary, based on actual company and personal performance.
- Parental leave.
- Free EAP sessions.
- Company 401(k) match.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
