In A Nutshell
Lead the strategic governance function across data, AI, and information domains by guiding and developing teams to deliver on governance priorities. This role ensures that governance is not just compliance control, but a mechanism for elevating information trust and agility, and fueling WBG’s AI-driven transformation through effective people leadership and team-enabled delivery.
Responsibilities
1. Strategic Governance Leadership
• Position AI and data governance as a strategic enabler of innovation, not just a compliance requirement.
• Develop and champion AI and data governance frameworks that support responsible, scalable, and high-impact use of data, information and AI.
• Ensure AI and data governance practices are embedded in delivery, platform design, and business engagement (i.e., “shift governance to the left”).
2. AI and Data Governance Forums & Collaboration
• Establish and facilitate cross-functional AI and data governance councils and working groups to ensure shared ownership and alignment.
• Engage with business units to co-design governance models that support their needs and ambitions.
• Represent ITS on the World Bank’s Access to Information Committee.
• Act as the World Bank Group Chief Archivist.
3. Data & Information Stewardship
• Ensure governance is business-led by operationalizing the data / information Stewardship and Ownership model across WBG.
• Drive initiatives to elevate the quality, accessibility, and readiness of data and information assets for AI transformation.
• Lead efforts to improve metadata, lineage, classification, and semantic consistency across datasets and repositories.
• Collaborate with platform and delivery teams to ensure governance is built into data pipelines and AI workflows.
4. Policy & Standards Development
• Issue, develop and/or maintain policies, standards, and guidelines for AI, data and information management, AI ethics, records management and archives, and Access to Information.
• Ensure alignment with legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements while enabling innovation and agility.
5. Enablement & Literacy
• Partner with the Enablement unit to deliver literacy programs that build responsible data and AI practices.
• Provide toolkits, templates, and guidance to empower business users and citizen data scientists to work within governance guardrails.
6. Risk & Compliance Management
• Monitor and manage risks related to data, AI, copyright, and information lifecycle.
• Lead (or partner with GIA to lead) assessments, audits, and remediation efforts to ensure compliance throughout the business areas.
• Ensure successful implementation of applicable compliance duties and fiduciary responsibilities as defined in WBG policies and procedure instruments (such as, for example, compliance with the Access to Information Policy, and implementation of the duties of the WBG Chief Archivist as defined in the Management of Records Procedure).
7. Partnerships & Thought Leadership
• Build internal partnerships across business units to embed governance into day-to-day practices and decision-making.
• Establish external partnerships with peer organizations, standards bodies, and thought leaders to stay ahead of emerging trends.
• Represent ITS DO in industry forums, working groups, positioning WBG as a thought leader and governance as a strategic differentiator.
8. People Management & Team Leadership
• Build, mentor, and empower a diverse, high-performing governance team by setting clear priorities, roles, and accountability for delivery.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and continuous learning that enables staff to innovate and deliver impactful governance outcomes.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and growth opportunities to strengthen technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and future-ready skills across the team.
Skillset
Selection Criteria
• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Information Management, Computer Science, or related field with 12 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Required certifications: Data/information/AI governance (e.g. DAMA/DMBOK CDMP, PECB ISO/IEC 42001, IAPP AIGP), Agile/SAFe, Azure Fundamentals.
• Preferred: TOGAF, Business Process Engineering (e.g. Six Sigma), Change Management (e.g. Prosci), R or Python certification.
Prior Experience
• 12 years, with at least 10 in leadership experience in governance for data, information, or AI domains, elevating governance to be a strategic enabler for navigating complexity
• Developing and operationalizing data, information and AI strategies, governance frameworks, policies, and standards
• Developing and operationalizing business-led IT or citizen data science governance capabilities
• Managing risk, compliance, and audits in complex organizations
• Building partnerships internally and externally for governance best practices
• People Management
Skills Required
• Strategic governance and policy development
• Data and information management (metadata, lineage, classification, retention & disposition, digital preservation)
• AI ethics and responsible AI practices
• Risk and compliance management (privacy, copyright, records, access to information)
• Enablement and training program design
• Stakeholder engagement and facilitation
• Performance measurement and impact evaluation
• Understanding of a broad range of data, information and knowledge platforms, products and services – from data and AI, through to unstructured documents and archives – and an ability to identify appropriate balance between standardization and customization to unique needs
• Vendor management
