Senior Data & AI Governance Strategist

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Wellington; On-site; NZD 148,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

5 weeks annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Life, Income Protection and CriticalIl

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a Principal Data & AI Governance Advisor to set the enterprise's Data & AI governance direction and establish practical frameworks. You’ll influence senior leaders and shape policy across technology, risk, privacy and delivery functions to enable responsible innovation.

You'll embed Māori data sovereignty principles into governance and ensure clear accountability for data ownership and AI oversight, delivering robust, sustainable governance across NZTA.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading Data Governance or Data & AI Governance in a complex organisation.
• Experience developing and embedding enterprise governance strategies, frameworks and operating models.
• Strong knowledge of responsible AI, data stewardship, metadata, lineage and data quality.
• A sound understanding of privacy, security, compliance, assurance and risk management.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive organisation-wide change.
• Experience establishing governance forums and accountability for data ownership and stewardship.
• Strong capability across governance tooling, controls, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience working with Māori data sovereignty principles.
• Excellent strategic judgement, systems thinking and relationship-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Create NZTA’s enterprise Data & AI Governance strategy and target state
• Shape policies, standards, controls and operating models that enable responsible innovation
• Establish clear accountability for data ownership, stewardship and AI oversight
• Embed Māori data sovereignty principles into governance frameworks and decision-making
• Influence major programmes, platforms, digital products and AI-enabled initiatives
• Strengthen governance maturity, assurance, risk management and organisational capability
• Guide the selection and continued improvement of enterprise governance tools

Skills

Data governance

AI governance

Executive stakeholder influence

Strategy development

Risk management

Tools

Governance tooling

Job description

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a Principal Data & AI Governance Advisor to set the enterprise's Data & AI governance direction and establish practical frameworks. You’ll influence senior leaders and shape policy across technology, risk, privacy and delivery functions to enable responsible innovation.

You'll embed Māori data sovereignty principles into governance and ensure clear accountability for data ownership and AI oversight, delivering robust, sustainable governance across NZTA.