Principal Analyst I - Generative AI Analyst

westernalliancebank; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Alliance Bank seeks a Principal Analyst I - Generative AI Analyst to drive governance of AI initiatives across the bank. You will coordinate, analyze, document, and communicate decisions shaping how Generative AI is adopted and controlled.

You will partner with AI program leadership, risk committees, and Enterprise Architecture Governance to maintain policies, track KPIs, and produce executive-ready updates, ensuring audit readiness and cross-functional alignment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years related experience in governance, risk or compliance.
• Strong written and verbal communication for executive audiences.
• Ability to author policies, standards and procedures.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional programs and meetings.
• Familiarity with AI governance, model risk or responsible-AI frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Document, maintain, and version AI policy, standards and procedures.
• Administer day-to-day governance operations with stakeholders.
• Track governance KPIs and KRIs and produce executive updates.
• Coordinate AI governance working groups and capture decisions.
• Support internal audits, regulatory reviews, and control alignment.
• Ensure documentation is accurate, version-controlled, audit-ready.
• Collaborate with AI Council, Enterprise Architecture and risk committees.

Skills

Governance

Communication

Stakeholder mgmt

Policy writing

GRC exposure

Project coordination

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Title:

Principal Analyst I - Generative AI Analyst

Location:

Block 23

What you'll do:

The AI Analyst (Generative AI) is the operational backbone of the bank's AI Governance function within the AI and Automation team, blending the roles of coordinator, analyst, documentarian, and communicator. You are central to keeping the AI Governance Program moving efficiently and effectively, ensuring that business and technology stakeholders stay informed and engaged in the decisions that shape how Generative AI is adopted, monitored, and controlled across the bank. This role is grounded in the governance aspects defined by the bank's Generative AI policy, standards, and procedures, and is ideal for someone who pairs strong communication and relationship-building skills with a meticulous eye for the standards, procedures, and controls that keep the program transparent and audit-ready.

You will partner closely with program leadership, risk committees, business stakeholders and Enterprise Architecture Governance to administer the day-to-day operations of the governance framework. Working alongside AI Council members, control and process owners, and business and technology partners, the AI Analyst will maintain and continuously improve the Generative AI policy, standards, and procedures, keeping documentation current, accessible, and aligned to the federated and endorsed controls in force across the bank; author and maintain the procedural documents that operationalize the AI policy and satisfy federated and endorsed controls, partnering with control and process owners to keep them accurate and enforceable; track, measure, and articulate program progress through KPIs and KRIs, turning governance activity into clear metrics, status reports, and executive-ready narratives; and serve as a connective point across the AI program, coordinating working groups, capturing decisions and issues, and keeping stakeholders engaged throughout the governance process.

This role requires strong communication and collaboration skills to build relationships across the organization and to articulate program progress, challenges, and improvement opportunities in a way that makes clear when and how governance value is delivered. It equally demands a high attention to detail to keep standards, procedures, and control documentation accurate, version-controlled, and ready to withstand internal and external scrutiny. The position offers meaningful growth potential and the chance to leave a lasting mark on how the bank governs and scales generative AI responsibly. Partner with AI program leadership to coordinate governance activities and provide support for stakeholder care, program effectiveness, and alignment of the AI governance framework.

• Document, maintain, and version the AI policy, principles, standards, processes, and procedures, and author new procedural documents required to satisfy federated and endorsed controls across the bank.
• Maintain governance program records, including meeting minutes, decision logs, issue and action-item tracking, control mappings, and program metrics.
• Develop monthly status reports and KPI/KRI dashboards and contribute material for AI Council and executive quarterly readouts.
• Perform analysis of governance metrics, control performance, and issues management, and produce clear visualizations that tell the story of program progress.
• Facilitate and coordinate AI governance working-group sessions, capturing outcomes and driving follow-up items to closure.
• Organize and maintain governance content in SharePoint and Confluence so that standards, procedures, and artifacts are easy to find and use.
• Work with control and process owners to keep procedural documentation accurate and to support internal audits, external examinations, and regulatory reviews.
• Working knowledge of gener

What you'll need:

• 8+ years of related experience.
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science, Risk Management, Finance, or a related field required.
• Experience running projects or programs using standard methodologies, with a track record of tracking progress and telling the story of program advancement through KPIs and KRIs.
• Experience authoring and maintaining policies, standards, and procedures, and facilitating updates through document and process owners.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong executive presence and the ability to develop relationships and influence across business and technology teams.
• High attention to detail in governance, control, and procedural documentation, with the discipline to keep artifacts accurate, version-controlled, and current
• Experience or exposure to interactions at the executive-management level, including preparing material for committees and senior leaders.
• Familiarity with governance, risk, and control (GRC) practices; exposure to AI governance, model risk management, or responsible-AI frameworks is a plus.
• Working knowledge of gener