Senior AI Risk & Advisory Manager

MWE•Austin, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

McDermott, Will & Schulte LLP is embedding Artificial Intelligence across core workflows, vendor platforms, and client-facing services. As adoption accelerates—including agentic AI systems that can independently access and act on data—the Firm needs dedicated expertise to ensure leadership has clear visibility into how these technologies function and what implications they carry. This role is uniquely positioned for impact, with dual reporting to the CIO and General Counsel, shaping the Firm's AI strategy at the intersection of technology and risk, where security and innovation are treated as mutually reinforcing priorities. The successful candidate will define a new function at the frontier of enterprise AI governance.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in technology, security, risk, or related fields
Deep understanding of AI/ML systems, particularly LLMs and generative AI
Ability to explain complex technical systems to non-technical executives
Strong judgment and risk assessment capability
Experience working cross-functionally with IT and Legal
Familiarity with AI security, privacy, and regulatory considerations

Nice To Haves

Background in ML engineering, data science, cybersecurity, or AI architecture
Familiarity with AI-driven cyber threats and the application of AI/ML to security operations
Experience with AI governance frameworks and regulatory compliance

Responsibilities

Serve as subject matter expert on AI technologies, including large language models and emerging AI systems
Advise leadership on technical implications of AI initiatives and translate AI architecture into business and legal risk considerations
Evaluate proposed AI use cases and tools across the Firm
Identify and assess risks related to data privacy, intellectual property, bias and fairness, hallucination and reliability, and security vulnerabilities
Recommend controls, guardrails, and oversight mechanisms—with particular attention to agentic AI systems that may access data subject to regulatory or ethical requirements
Assess and advise on AI-driven threats, including AI-enhanced social engineering and automated attack techniques
Identify opportunities to leverage AI to improve threat detection, incident response, and defensive operations