Strategic Data & AI Governance Lead

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition benefits

Public transit benefits

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Data and AI Governance Lead to design and operationalize a university-wide framework for managing, protecting, and leveraging data and AI assets. The role emphasizes collaboration and influencing stakeholders to shape policies, standards, and tools that promote data integrity, privacy, and responsible AI use.

The role will bridge IT, Information Security, and the Office of the Provost, translating complex risk concepts for senior leadership and coordinating

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data governance, data management, and AI ethics/policy.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale initiatives in federated or decentralized environments such as higher education or healthcare.
• Excellent strategic communication skills, able to present complex risk concepts to senior leadership and coach department coordinators.
• Strong technical depth in metadata management, data cataloging, and machine-learning operations or AI risk frameworks.
• Knowledge of AI data readiness, including interactions between traditional ML, agentic AI, structured and unstructured data.
• Experience partnering closely with Data Engineering and Analytics teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of CMU’s Data and AI governance operating model, defining policies, standards, and roadmaps.
• Build and enable a community of practice across distributed Data Stewards and AI practitioners, fostering trust and alignment with university-wide standards.
• Design AI governance controls such as model inventories, risk assessments, and ethical reviews, ensuring transparent and compliant AI deployments.
• Transform data assets by establishing a unified metadata layer and translating business terminology for engineers and data analysts.
• Provide hands-on operational support, assisting departments with governance tooling, data lineage, quality improvement, and metadata documentation.
• Serve as the primary bridge between IT, Information Security, the Office of the Provost, and academic and administrative units, translating technical requirements into actionable guidance.
• Develop and track KPIs to measure governance adoption, report progress to university leadership, and advocate for cultural shifts that treat data as a strategic asset.

Skills

Strategic communication

Stakeholder engagement

Data governance

AI ethics

Metadata management

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Data and AI Governance Lead to design and operationalize a university-wide framework for managing, protecting, and leveraging data and AI assets. The role emphasizes collaboration and influencing stakeholders to shape policies, standards, and tools that promote data integrity, privacy, and responsible AI use.

The role will bridge IT, Information Security, and the Office of the Provost, translating complex risk concepts for senior leadership and coordinating