AI Program Manager (Governance)

Job Overview/Summary:

This is a rare opportunity to sit at the center of one of the most consequential applications of AI in the social sector. As the IRC's AI Program Manager, you will help shape how a global humanitarian organization — operating in over 40 countries — harnesses artificial intelligence to improve outcomes for some of the world's most vulnerable people. This is not a role managing technology for its own sake; it is a role where smart, responsible AI adoption can directly accelerate impact at scale.

You will lead and coordinate the IRC's most important AI initiatives: driving enterprise AI projects from concept to delivery, ensuring that AI tools adopted across the organization are evaluated rigorously and responsibly, and coordinating the cross-functional teams working to embed AI into how the IRC operates. You will work at the intersection of technology, program delivery, and organizational change — partnering with senior leaders, technical experts, and frontline staff across the globe.

The right candidate is a fast-moving, proactive problem-solver who thrives in ambiguity, brings structure to complex and evolving landscapes, and is energized by the challenge of building something new in an environment where the stakes are high and the work is genuinely meaningful.

This role reports to the AI Governance and Transformation Lead, and works in close partnership with Director, IT Project and Portfolio Management, AI project leads, senior sponsors, and a broad community of practice across the organization.

Major Responsibilities:

AI Governance (60%)

The IRC is committed to adopting AI responsibly. As part of this, the organization has established a structured review process for AI use cases that carry potential high risks — whether related to data privacy, security, bias, or ethical considerations. As coordinator of this process, you will:

• Manage the intake and documentation of AI use cases and tools flagged for high-risk review.

• Assign cases to appropriate domain reviewers (e.g., legal, security, data protection, ethics) and coordinate their timely completion.

• Maintain templates, trackers, and a full audit trail of all reviewed use cases and decisions.

• Communicate clearly with requestors on process, status, and outcomes.

• Draft and maintain guidance documentation, publishing decisions and resources to the IRC's internal staff portal.

• Prepare agendas, materials, and logistics for review panel meetings.

• Support the implementation of IRC’s enterprise AI policy, building out the necessary tools and processes in close collaboration with others.

Enterprise AI Project Management (40%)

Lead project management for high-priority, organization-wide AI initiatives. Responsibilities include:

• Developing and maintaining detailed project plans, work breakdown structures, risk registers, and terms of reference.

• Facilitating scrum, sprint planning, and retrospective meetings; driving delivery against milestones.

• Designing and executing testing, rollout, and change management plans in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.

• Producing regular status reports for senior leadership, clearly communicating scope, progress, risks, and decisions.

• Proactively surfacing and resolving blockers, issues, and risks before they become critical.

Key Working Relationships:

• Maintains a productive working relationship with other project managers, business owners, AI project leads, senior sponsors of AI strategy initiatives, legal, security, and data protection teams, system users, and vendors.

Position Reports to: AI Governance and Transformation Lead

Position Reports in MIP to: Director, IT Project and Portfolio Management
Position directly supervises: N/A

Indirect Reporting: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal:

• Headquarters & Global Offices Teams – multiple departments

• Project Business Owners, business project team members outside IT, and wider stakeholders

• Project Sponsor and Steering Committee members

• Cross-functional AI management teams

• AI Community of Practice (CoP) leads and members

External:

• Vendors and Consultants

Job Requirements:

Experience / Education

• 6+ years of project management experience in IT or technology-driven environments.

• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-stakeholder programs with significant technology components.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Experience with AI projects — whether in a project management, product, or operational capacity — strongly preferred.

• Experience in international NGO or global humanitarian organizations preferred.

• PMP, CSM, or equivalent project/program management certification preferred.

Skills / Competencies:

• Agile & Program Management Demonstrated, hands-on experience with Agile methodologies — including Scrum, sprint planning, backlog management, and retrospectives — is required. Proficiency with project management tools such as Jira, Monday.com, or equivalents.

• AI Literacy & Responsible AI Familiarity with AI concepts, use cases, and the compliance, security, data privacy, and ethical considerations that responsible AI adoption requires.

• Communication & Executive Influence Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging from technical working teams through to senior executive leadership. Demonstrated ability to influence without authority — including managing up, keeping senior stakeholders aligned and accountable, and driving decisions in complex organizational environments.

• Proactivity & Adaptability A self-starter who moves fast, takes initiative, and creates structure in ambiguous environments. Comfortable operating in a space that is still evolving — where processes are being built, priorities shift, and the ability to adapt quickly is essential.

• Stakeholder Partnership Ability to build trusted, productive relationships across technical and non-technical teams, across functions, and across geographies. Skilled at working in matrixed environments without direct authority over contributors.

• Problem Solving & Risk Management Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Proactively identifies risks and blockers and develops mitigation strategies before issues escalate.

Working Environment:

• The position can be fully remote, with an in-person office setting available for staff located near IRC’s New York City Headquarters location or in London if the candidate is from the UK.

• Standard working hours.

• Minimal travel may be required.

Compensation: (US Pay Range: $88,277-$103,222/yr); (UK Pay Range: £49,598.90-£60,040.78/yr) Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.