Responsible AI Lead

UFCU; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

UFCU is seeking a Responsible AI Lead to establish and operationalize the enterprise's approach to Responsible AI and AI governance across internal and third-party solutions. You will build frameworks, processes, and governance playbooks to ensure safe, ethical, and effective deployment, partnering with cross-functional teams and reporting to the VP Data & AI.

This role requires strategic thinking, regulatory awareness, and the ability to translate evolving requirements into practical controls

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• 5–7 years in AI governance, data ethics, risk management, or compliance.
• Experience applying governance, ethical, and regulatory principles to AI.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and operationalize enterprise AI risk management and Responsible AI framework across the full AI lifecycle (intake, design, build/buy, testing/validation, deployment, monitoring, change management, and retirement).
• Monitor evolving laws, regulations, and standards; translate updates into internal policy, controls, procedures, and playbooks.
• Define enterprise decision rights for AI adoption and ensure consistent governance across business lines and functions.
• Embed AI governance into SDLC, vendor management, model risk/validation, and change management processes.
• Establish and run AI risk assessments, audits, and impact analyses to identify and mitigate risks.
• Provide enterprise visibility and reporting on AI inventory, risk posture, control effectiveness, and remediation progress.
• Partner cross-functionally to ensure AI solutions are designed and operated responsibly.
• Evaluate AI use cases and vendor solutions for governance readiness and risk acceptance.
• Enable responsible adoption through guidance, templates, training, and support.

Skills

Responsible AI

AI governance

Risk assessment

Regulatory knowledge

SDLC integration

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Data Science/CS

Job description

The Responsible AI Lead will establish and operationalize the enterprise’s approach to Responsible AI and AI governance and deployment across internally built and third‑party AI solutions. This role will help ensure AI is deployed safely, ethically, and effectively enterprise‑wide by creating the frameworks, processes, and organizational alignment needed to support enterprise adoption. This role helps establish a framework to turn “Responsible AI” into a business accelerator. This is an exempt level role and reports to the VP Data & AI.

About UFCU

Our Credit Union was founded in 1936 and has grown to serve members throughout Texas and beyond. At UFCU, we are more than just a financial institution, and our people are more than just employees. We are dedicated to our purpose of empowering our Members to achieve financial success and build brighter futures.

• Purposefully Member‑Obsessed: We are driven by a profound sense of empathy to deeply understand our Members’ needs and preferences, what brighter futures means to them, and the obstacles in their way. We act in our Members’ best interests, forever seeking to empower their financial success.
• Possibilities Reimagined: We are inspired to courageously experiment, learn, and iterate in pursuit of positive impact for our Members, UFCU, and coworkers. We challenge assumptions, embrace diverse perspectives, and make use of data and insights.
• Performance Excellence Rooted in Unwavering Integrity: We do the right thing, always. We champion teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and celebrate successful outcomes of others, fostering an inclusive environment of excellence and collaboration.

Essential Functions

• Own and operationalize the enterprise AI Risk Management and Responsible AI framework across the full AI lifecycle (intake, design, build/buy, testing/validation, deployment, monitoring, change management, and retirement) for both internally developed and third‑party AI solutions
• Maintain an “always current” governance posture by monitoring evolving laws, regulations, supervisory expectations, and standards (e.g., EU AI Act and other emerging guidance), translating updates into internal policy, controls, procedures, and playbooks
• Define and enforce enterprise decision rights for AI adoption (ownership, accountability, approval thresholds, and escalation paths), ensuring consistent governance across business lines and functions
• Embed AI governance into existing delivery and operational processes (e.g., vendor management, model risk/validation, SDLC, change management, incident management, privacy/security reviews) so governance is executed through operating rhythms, not standalone compliance activity
• Establish and run AI risk assessment, audits, and impact analysis processes to identify, document, and mitigate ethical, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks (including fairness, transparency, privacy, explainability, data lineage/quality, and lifecycle oversight)
• Provide enterprise visibility and reporting on AI inventory, risk posture, control effectiveness, performance and drift, operational stability, issues/incidents, and remediation progress delivering actionable insights and recommendations to senior leadership and governance forums
• Partner cross‑functionally (Business, IT, Data, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Security, HR) to ensure AI solutions are designed and operated responsibly, with clear requirements, controls, and accountability for outcomes
• Evaluate AI use cases and vendor solutions for readiness (governance, risk, control maturity, implementation feasibility, monitoring capability, documentation quality) and provide go/no‑go and risk acceptance recommendations
• In partnership with the People Team, enable responsible adoption through guidance and education by creating practical standards, templates, training, and “how‑to” support that helps teams implement controls correctly and efficiently

Other

• Adheres to all company policies, procedures, and business ethics codes
• Completes required regulatory training as assigned
• Maintains strict adherence to and compliance with all laws, rules, regulations, and internal controls specific to the role, including but not limited to Bank Secrecy Act, Anti‑Money Laundering, USA Patriot Act, OFAC and Fair Lending regulations

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Enterprise Responsible AI / AI risk management expertise: demonstrated experience designing and implementing Responsible AI, AI governance, and/or data/model governance frameworks in complex organizations
• Strong command of risk and controls for AI across build and buy: ability to assess and manage risks spanning data privacy, security, bias/fairness, transparency/explainability, third‑party risk, auditability, model performance, drift, and operational resilience
• Regulatory and standards awareness with translation to practice: proven ability to stay current on evolving requirements and convert them into clear policies, control objectives, procedures, and measurable control tests
• Operationalization mindset: experience embedding governance into SDLC, MRM/validation, vendor management, change management, and ongoing monitoring, moving from principles to repeatable execution
• Assessment capability: ability to perform and/or lead AI risk assessments, impact analyses, control design reviews, and evidence‑based evaluations; develop remediation plans and track issues to closure
• Influence and communication: ability to drive alignment across functions, facilitate decision forums, and communicate complex AI risk topics to both technical teams and senior leadership with clear recommendations
• Analytical rigor and structured problem‑solving: ability to translate complex requirements into actionable controls, operating models, and reporting that supports consistent enterprise decision‑making

Core Competencies

• Demonstrating Member Obsession
• Puts themselves in the Member’s shoes
• Looks for friction points
• Makes it personalized and easy
• Demonstrating Performance Excellence
• Sets standards for elevating excellence
• Ensures elevated quality
• Takes responsibility
• Conducts continuous improvement
• Demonstrating Innovation
• Challenges current thinking
• Approaches change with a positive mindset

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Risk Management, Information Systems, or related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Technical, risk/compliance, or policy background, with demonstrated experience applying governance, ethical, and regulatory principles to AI or data‑driven system
• 5-7 years’ experience in AI governance, data ethics, risk management, compliance, or related roles in a technology‑driven environment
• Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies, ethical and regulatory challenges, and responsible AI principles
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage technical and non‑technical audiences
• Project management experience, with a track record of delivering cross‑functional initiatives
• Knowledge of relevant legal and regulatory frameworks for AI (e.g., GDPR, EU AI Act)
• Must be bondable

Preferred Requirements

• Proven experience developing and implementing ethics, compliance, or governance programs within a complex organization
• Experience in highly regulated industries such as financial services, insurance, or healthcare
• Certifications or advanced training in AI ethics, risk management, or compliance
• Demonstrated thought leadership or public engagement in responsible AI or digital ethics

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee, with or without accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Frequent

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Employee will make extensive use of the telephone and virtual communications requiring the ability to explain complex information effectively and accurately.

Work Environment

• This position requires frequently working onsite at UFCU Plaza in Austin, Texas.
• This position may involve periodic stressful conditions.
• May occasionally require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, and evening/weekend hours.
• May occasionally move from one work location/branch to another.
• Public contact position, requiring appropriate professional appearance.
• Frequent computer use at a workstation of up to two hours at a time.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.