Head, Responsible AI & Governance

Reporting at the enterprise level, this role leads the development and oversight of BMO's Responsible AI and AI Governance standards that ensure AI is used responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with regulations. Ensures compliance with policies, guidelines, and expectations for how AI systems should be designed, evaluated, and used. The successful candidate will establish frameworks, policies, and controls that ensure AI solutions are ethical, compliant, transparent, and aligned with regulatory and business expectations. Provides oversight and challenge by assessing whether AI systems meet these standards and by guiding teams on how to manage risks and align with enterprise and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Develops standards for responsible and appropriate use of AI.
• Establishes requirements for managing risk, transparency, and accountability.
• Tracks and reports key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk metrics (KRMs) to relevant oversight teams.
• Reviews AI use cases and solutions against defined expectations in collaboration with data science teams.
• Challenges decisions where risks or gaps are not adequately addressed.
• Advises teams on how to meet standards and manage identified concerns.
• Monitors adherence to standards and escalates issues where requirements are not met.
• Updates policies and frameworks in response to regulatory or business change.
• Take measured risks while protecting the bank by applying our Risk Management Framework in the execution of your role, in line with our Risk Culture and within our approved Risk Appetite, making sound and risk informed decisions that align to business strategy, protect assets, and adhere to applicable policy documents (Frameworks, Policies, Standards, Procedures and Supporting documents), laws and regulations.
• Sets evaluation strategy, frameworks, and standards.
• Aligns safety practices with regulatory and business risk priorities.
• Governs effectiveness of evaluation across the organization
• Influences risk thresholds for AI systems.
• Drives continuous improvement in AI quality and safety practices.
• Acts as the prime contact for internal/external stakeholder relationships, which may include regulators.
• Operates at a group/enterprise-wide level and serves as a senior specialist resource across BMO. 
• Influences how teams/groups work together.
• Applies expertise and thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to multiple, interdependent, complex problems.
• Communicates abstract concepts in simple terms.
• Fosters strong internal and external networks and works with and across multiple teams to achieve business objectives.
• Anticipates trends and responds by implementing appropriate changes.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.
• Fosters a culture aligned to BMO purpose, values and strategy and role models BMO values and behaviours in all that they do.
• Ensures alignment between values and behaviour that fosters diversity and inclusion.
• Regularly connects work to BMO’s purpose, sets inspirational goals, defines clear expected outcomes, and ensures clear accountability for follow through.
• Builds interdependent teams that collaborate across functional and operating groups to create the highest value for all stakeholders.
• Attracts, retains, and enables the career development of top talent.
• Improves team performance, recognizes and rewards performance, coaches employees, supports their development, and manages poor performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master Degree in AI, Data or other relevant fields
• 10+ years of experience in AI Governance, Responsible AI, Model Risk Management, Data Governance, Technology Risk as a senior leader
• Deep expertise in AI Governance, Responsible AI, Risk Management, and Policy Frameworks and Technical Acumen
• Experience developing AI governance frameworks and leading oversight reviews in a highly regulated environment.
• Strong executive communication, influencing, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive enterprise-wide initiatives and influence without direct authority.
• People Management experience

Expert level of proficiency:

• Policy Frameworks
• AI Governance
• Responsible AI (frameworks, policy, ethics)
• Data Governance
• Model Governance
• Risk Management
• Governance reviews
• Strategic advisory
• Communication
• Influencing skills
• Decision Making
• Professional Judgement