VP, Head of Responsible AI Engineering

New York Life; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 270,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package

Adoption assistance

Student loan repayment programmes

Job summary

New York Life is seeking a Head of AI Governance to build a technology-enabled governance function that combines risk, compliance, and AI expertise with hands-on AI capability. You will lead an expert team, drive standards, and coordinate with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Audit, and Information Security across the enterprise.

The role emphasizes governance automation via agents, continuous oversight, and practical approaches to enable safe AI adoption at scale in a regulated financial services

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience across technology risk, model risk management, AI/ML governance, compliance, or a closely related discipline, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience building or substantially modernising a governance function — not solely operating an existing one.
• Hands‑on fluency with modern AI technology: foundation models, agentic systems, MLOps, evaluation and monitoring tooling, and AI security concerns such as prompt injection, data leakage, and supply‑chain risk.
• Working command of the AI regulatory and standards landscape relevant to U.S. insurance and financial services, including NIST AI RMF, NAIC model guidance, NYDFS expectations, SR 11‑7 model risk principles, and emerging state and international AI regulation.
• Proven ability to influence and partner with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Audit, Information Security, and Procurement at a senior level.
• Experience governing third‑party and vendor‑embedded AI capabilities.
• Executive communication skills, including the ability to present to board‑level and regulatory audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead a governance function overseeing AI model validation, risk classification, monitoring, and continuous oversight across the SDLC.
• Build and manage an expert governance review team to address complex scenarios and provide practical paths forward.
• Establish service levels, escalation paths, and decision rights to keep governance aligned with delivery pace.
• Represent NYL AI in enterprise governance forums and external AI governance groups to stay aligned with standards.

Skills

AI governance

Leadership

Executive communication

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor governance

Tools

Foundation models

Agentic systems

MLOps

AI security tooling

Job description

Location Designation: Hybrid - 3 days per week

Role Summary

As AI adoption expands rapidly across the enterprise, New York Life’s governance function must evolve significantly beyond the traditional review-and-approval model. The current team has established a strong foundation in AI model validation; the next phase requires a technology-enabled governance organization centered on automation, enablement, and continuous oversight. The Head of AI Governance will build and lead that capability. The role pairs deep governance, risk, and regulatory expertise with hands‑on command of modern AI technology — because the governance itself will increasingly be delivered through AI agents operating across the software development lifecycle. Equally important is the operating philosophy: AI Governance acts as a coach and enabler, not simply a judge. The objective is to help business and delivery teams adopt AI safely and quickly, rather than to say "no."

Key Responsibilities

AI Governance Enforcement Through Agentic Solutions

• AI model security and backdoor scanning agents operating at and after deployment.
• AI model risk classification and monitoring agents spanning the full SDLC through post-deployment.
• AI compliance agents operating continuously across planning, development, deployment, and production.
• AI legal agents that assess terms of use, contracts, licensing obligations, permitted use cases, and regulatory requirements.
• AI auditing agents spanning the full SDLC through post-deployment.

Expert Governance Review and Enablement Team

• Lead a highly experienced team responsible for reviewing complex scenarios that cannot be fully resolved by governance agents.
• Ensure the team does not function as a simple approval-or-rejection body. When a proposal cannot proceed as requested, the team identifies alternative approaches and practical paths forward.
• Establish service levels, escalation paths, and decision rights that keep governance responsive to the pace of delivery.
• Build governance literacy across the business and technology organizations through guidance, patterns, and reusable controls.

Internal and External Representation

• Represent New York Life AI in enterprise governance, risk, compliance, legal, and technology forums, including senior committees.
• Participate in external AI governance, legal, regulatory, and industry working groups to ensure New York Life remains aligned with evolving standards and best practices.
• Support regulatory examinations, audits, and due diligence requests relating to AI.

Governance Framework Evolution

• Continuously identify emerging governance needs and risks as the technology and regulatory landscape evolves.
• Define, update, and improve AI guardrails, standards, policies, and control frameworks.
• Ensuring governance remains practical, business‑aligned, and responsive to the pace of AI innovation.
• Establish metrics and reporting that give senior leadership a clear, current view of AI risk posture across the enterprise.

Enterprise-Wide Governance Coverage

• Tier 1 — Enterprise AI applications operating within New York Life-managed environments and tenants.
• Tier 2 — Employee productivity tools, personal AI assistants, and agentic workflows.
• Tier 3 — Vendor‑provided AI and SaaS solutions where AI capabilities operate outside New York Life-managed environments.

Tier 3 is expected to require substantial focus. Vendors vary significantly in how they process, retain, govern, and utilise New York Life business data, and effective governance in this area will become increasingly critical as AI capabilities are embedded into more third‑party platforms.

Qualifications

Required

• 12+ years of experience across technology risk, model risk management, AI/ML governance, compliance, or a closely related discipline, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience building or substantially modernising a governance function — not solely operating an existing one.
• Hands‑on fluency with modern AI technology: foundation models, agentic systems, MLOps, evaluation and monitoring tooling, and AI security concerns such as prompt injection, data leakage, and supply‑chain risk.
• Working command of the AI regulatory and standards landscape relevant to U.S. insurance and financial services, including NIST AI RMF, NAIC model guidance, NYDFS expectations, SR 11‑7 model risk principles, and emerging state and international AI regulation.
• Proven ability to influence and partner with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Audit, Information Security, and Procurement at a senior level.
• Experience governing third‑party and vendor‑embedded AI capabilities.
• Executive communication skills, including the ability to present to board‑level and regulatory audiences.

Preferred

• Insurance or financial services experience in a regulated, enterprise‑scale environment.
• Prior engagement in external AI governance, standards, or industry working groups.
• Technical background sufficient to specify and oversee the build of governance automation and agents.
• Advanced degree in law, risk, computer science, statistics, or a related field.

Pay Transparency

Salary Range: $270,000 - $320,000

• Overtime eligible: Exempt
• Discretionary bonus eligible: Yes
• Sales bonus eligible: No

Actual base salary will be determined based on several factors but not limited to individual’s experience, skills, qualifications, and job location. Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition to base salary, employees may also be eligible to participate in an incentive program.

Company Overview

At New York Life, our 180-year legacy of purpose and integrity fuels our future. As we evolve into a more technology-, data-, and AI‑enabled organization, we remain grounded in the values that drive lasting impact.

Our diverse business portfolio creates opportunities to make a difference across industries and communities—inviting bold thinking, collaborative problem‑solving, and purpose‑driven innovation. Here, you’ll find the rare balance of long‑standing stability and forward momentum, supported by an inclusive team that honours tradition while embracing progress.

As a Fortune 100 mutual company, we offer a place to grow your skills, contribute to meaningful work, and deliver solutions that matter. Your ideas drive what’s next, and your growth powers it.

Our Benefits

We provide a full package of benefits for employees – and have unique offerings for a modern workforce, including leave programmes, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programmes. Based on feedback from our employees, we continue to refine and add benefits to our offering, so that you can flourish both inside and outside of work. Click here to discover more about our comprehensive benefit options or visit our NYL Benefits Site.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At New York Life, fostering an inclusive workplace is fundamental to who we are and how we serve our communities. We have a longstanding commitment to creating an environment where individuals can contribute their best and succeed together. This foundation is rooted in our core values of humanity and integrity, ensuring that every employee feels valued and supported. By embracing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, we achieve greater success and fulfil our promise of providing financial security and peace of mind to families across all communities. Click here to learn more about New York Life’s leadership in this space.

Recognized as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, New York Life is committed to improving local communities through a culture of employee giving and volunteerism, supported by the Foundation. We’re proud that due to our mutuality, we operate in the best interests of our policy owners. To learn more about career opportunities at New York Life, please visit the Careers page of www.NewYorkLife.com.

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