AI Governance Lead

Sourceworx; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking technology firm in South Africa seeks an AI Governance Lead to develop and implement AI governance frameworks. This critical role involves ensuring the safe and ethical deployment of AI in high-impact environments, collaborating with various teams, and establishing compliance mechanisms. Candidates should have significant leadership experience and a strong grasp of global AI regulations.

Benefits

Collaborative leadership team

Cutting-edge technologies

Influential strategic role

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in technology leadership roles.
• At least 3 years focused on AI governance.
• Strong grasp of global AI regulations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain AI governance policies and procedures.
• Lead the implementation of risk mitigations in AI systems.
• Oversee risk assessments and validation processes.

Skills

AI governance

AI/ML lifecycle

Regulatory compliance

Risk assessment

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Certifications in AI ethics or governance

Tools

Azure

AWS

GCP

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a seasoned AI Governance Lead to spearhead the design, implementation and oversight of AI governance frameworks. This role is critical to ensuring the safe, ethical and compliant deployment of AI agents and models in high-impact environments. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of technical depth, strategic leadership and regulatory fluency to guide our customers’ AI initiatives with confidence and integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise-wide AI governance policies, standards and procedures.
• Lead the implementation of guardrails to mitigate risks such as hallucinations, bias and unintended actions in AI systems.
• Collaborate with data science, engineering, legal, compliance and business teams to ensure AI solutions are aligned with regulatory and ethical standards.
• Oversee risk assessments, model validation and audit processes for AI deployments.
• Establish monitoring and reporting mechanisms for AI behavior, performance and compliance.
• Drive awareness and training programs on responsible AI use.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external audits related to AI governance.

Required Experience & Skills

Technical Expertise

• Proven experience in deploying and governing AI systems in enterprise environments.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML lifecycle, including model development, deployment, monitoring, and retirement.
• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), LLM safety techniques and agentic system design.
• Experience with tools and platforms for AI observability, bias detection and output validation.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) and enterprise data architectures.

Governance & Compliance

• Strong grasp of global AI regulations and standards (e.g. POPIA, ISO/IEC 42001).
• Experience in designing and enforcing role-based access controls, audit trails and human-in-the-loop systems.
• Ability to lead cross-functional governance boards and influence senior stakeholders.

Leadership & Communication

• Minimum 8 years of experience in technology leadership roles, with at least 3 years focused on AI governance.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical risks into business language.
• Demonstrated success in building and mentoring high-performing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Security or related field.
• Certifications in AI ethics, governance, or risk management (e.g., ISO/IEC AI Lead Auditor, Responsible AI certifications).
• Experience in regulated industries such as insurance, banking and healthcare.

Why Join Us?

• Be at the forefront of shaping responsible AI in a dynamic enterprise.
• Work with cutting-edge technologies and a collaborative leadership team.
• Influence strategic decisions that impact thousands of users and customers.