AI Lead

ING Bank N.V., Milan branch; Lombardia; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Smart Working

Meal vouchers / restaurant & bar

Health insurance

Pension fund and welfare plan

Training & development opportunities

Birthday day off

Job summary

ING is seeking an AI Lead to orchestrate and enable AI initiatives across the bank, aligning strategy, regulatory requirements and business value. The role acts as the liaison between the CEO and AI SPOCs across functions, working in a federated, regulated environment without direct line management responsibility.

Location: Milan, hybrid. Starting base salary from 67,000€ per year with performance-based bonuses and a broad benefit package.

Qualifications

• Experience in AI, advanced analytics, or digital transformation within banking or regulated industries.
• Solid understanding of AI/GenAI concepts (LLMs, automation) and their financial context.
• Exposure to AI governance or model risk management relevant to banking.
• Ability to operate in complex, matrix, federated environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as coordination point for AI initiatives across lines and functions.
• Own and coordinate AI use-case portfolio with prioritization and alignment.
• Liaise with Global AI and Group stakeholders for alignment and scalability to Italy.
• Orchestrate a federated AI operating model across distributed SPOCs.
• Support identification and prioritization of AI use cases with clear objectives.
• Ensure AI initiatives comply with banking regulations and Responsible AI.
• Contribute to enterprise AI standards, governance, and escalation.
• Support AI model lifecycle principles aligned with risk management and regs.
• Define and monitor value-tracking indicators and consolidate insights.
• Prepare decision-ready materials for CEO and exec forums.
• Bridge business, tech, and control functions with clear exec communication.
• Monitor market/regulatory developments (EU AI Act) and advise leadership.
• Ensure initiatives align with global/local tech standards and IT investments.

Skills

AI concepts

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Matrix / federated work

Executive communication

Digital transformation

Strategic collaboration

Job description

The AI Lead is responsible for orchestrating and enabling Artificial Intelligence initiatives across the bank, ensuring strategic alignment, regulatory compliance and measurable business value. The role acts as the central liaison between the CEO and AI SPOCs across business and control functions, operating through functional leadership in a federated and highly regulated environment. The position provides enterprise‑wide visibility and coherence to generative AI adoption, without line management responsibility.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the single point of coordination for AI initiatives across business lines and control functions (e.g. Business, Risk, Compliance, Legal, IT, Operations, HR).
• Own and coordinate the bank’s AI use‑case portfolio, ensuring prioritization, coherence, and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Act as liaison with Global AI and Group-level stakeholders, ensuring alignment with enterprise AI initiatives and proactively identifying AI use cases, solutions or practices developed in other countries that may be relevant and scalable to the Italian context.
• Orchestrate a federated AI operating model, enabling collaboration across distributed AI SPOCs without hierarchical authority.
• Support the identification, shaping and prioritization of AI use cases, ensuring clear articulation of objectives, benefits, risks and scalability.
• Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with banking regulations, supervisory expectations, and internal policies, including Responsible AI principles.
• Contribute to the definition and adoption of enterprise AI standards, including governance frameworks, ethical guidelines and escalation mechanisms.
• Support the definition of AI and model lifecycle principles, in alignment with model risk management and regulatory requirements.
• Define and monitor value‑tracking indicators for AI initiatives (e.g., adoption, impact, scalability) and consolidate insights at enterprise level.
• Prepare decision‑ready materials, insights and recommendations for the CEO and executive forums.
• Act as a bridge between business, technology and control functions, translating complex AI topics into clear, executive‑level communication.
• Monitor market, technological and regulatory developments (e.g. GenAI trends, EU AI Act) and advise senior leadership on implications for the bank.
• Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with Global and Local Technology standard and strategy, aligning CIO and Global functions and on IT investments and expected return and benefits.

Key skills & experience

• Experience in AI, advanced analytics, digital innovation or transformation roles within banking or other regulated industries.
• Solid understanding of AI and GenAI concepts (e.g. LLMs, automation, decision‑support systems) and their application in financial services contexts.
• Exposure to AI governance, model risk management, or regulatory frameworks relevant to banking.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in complex, matrix and federated environments.
• Strong senior stakeholder management skills, including interaction with executive leadership.
• Ability to balance innovation, risk and compliance with a pragmatic, value driven mindset.
• Clear, structured and concise communication style, suitable for executive audiences.

Contract offer:

• Working conditions: Permanent employment contract
• Working hours: Full time (37 hours per week)
• Applicable Collective Labour Agreement: National Collective Labour Agreement for employees in the credit sector (NCLA)
• Location: Milan (hybrid)
• Starting annual base salary from: 67.000€
• Variable remuneration: in line with the applicable remuneration policies (with a target based on the role, outcomes linked to the Group, Business line/function and individual performance)
• Our compensation approach is built on objective, gender-neutral criteria aligned with the role’s core requirements. That said, we believe talent goes beyond any framework: your total reward package will be tailored to reflect your unique experience, skills, and potential, ensuring we fully recognize the value you bring.

The benefits of joining ING

In addition to being a part of a great team, working in a fun and innovative environment, we offer:

• Flexible Smart Working
• Competitive base salaries and performance-based bonuses
• Meal vouchers and corporate restaurant and bar
• Health insurance and Accident insurance
• Pension fund and welfare plan
• Diverse cultures & Innovative mindsets
• International Environnent and Talent Program
• Commitment to sustainability
• Lots of training development opportunities to help you grow
• Lots of moments dedicated to physical and mental well‑being
• A special day off when it is your birthday: we call it #doyourbirthday!
• And of course, we can’t forget free water & coffee at the office!

About ING ING offers many opportunities to build a diverse and rewarding career. You will be joining an international innovative digital bank, the first in Italy to adopt a fully flexible smart working model, and you will be working in a stimulating environment where you can grow both as an individual and as a professional. Our purpose - empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business - represents our belief in people’s potential. We don’t judge, coach or to tell people how to live their lives. We empower people and businesses to realize their own vision for a better future. Our Commitment Diversity is a fundamental element of our corporate culture, and we are fully committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment, based on mutual respect and the value of diversity, offering equal job opportunities to all qualified candidates.

We’re a global bank with a strong European base, and our more than 60,000 colleagues serve around 38 million customers and corporate clients in over 40 countries. Joining ING means working with friendly and collaborative people towards making a positive impact on people and planet. We believe in empowering the people around us and our customers to stay a step ahead. Working here means having the autonomy to drive progress, helping to create superior customer value and contributing to our ambition of putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do. Here, we’re more than just a workplace – we’re a community of innovators, problem-solvers, and forward-thinkers, dedicated to making a real impact. Whether you’re just starting your career or seeking the next big challenge, we have opportunities that will inspire and push you to grow.