Data & AI Governance Specialist

About the role

Our Data & AI vision is to reinvent BT Group as the market leader in AI-powered connectivity, solutions and services, helping businesses, public sector communities and society improve the way they live and work. We will achieve this by strengthening the foundations of our core platforms, embedding ethical and responsible delivery by design, and harnessing data and AI to solve customer and business challenges while driving value through innovation.

A critical enabler of this vision is a robust Data & AI Governance ecosystem, underpinned by clear policies, standards, controls, and accountability across the end-to-end Data & AI lifecycle. Through integrated governance tooling, automation, inventory management, lifecycle controls, risk assessments, and regulatory compliance capabilities, we are creating a scalable framework that enables innovation while maintaining trust, transparency, security, and compliance. This aligns with BT's ambition to make governance an embedded and intuitive part of how data and AI products are designed, built, deployed, operated, and retired.

Underpinning the success of the strategy are our people, leveraging their collective expertise in Data, AI, Risk, Technology, and Governance to partner with the organisation, foster a data-led culture, and ensure that trusted data and responsible AI become core capabilities that drive sustainable business value and competitive advantage.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop and enforce AI governance policies aligned with BT’s regulatory and ethical AI frameworks.
• Ensure the tools supporting the end-to-end Data & AI lifecycle are effective, well-designed, and aligned to business requirements.
• Data & AI Governance & Reporting, and collaborates with the wider Data & AI GRC team to design and communicate BT’s risk, compliance, and assurance strategy, ensuring alignment with the BT Enterprise Risk Framework.
• Conduct AI Risk frame work Assessments to evaluate control Graps and Road maps.
• Support AI compliance reviews, ensuring AI models adhere to legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.
• Work with Data Science & Engineering teams to embed AI governance controls into the AI model lifecycle.
• Monitor AI governance KPIs, reporting on AI risk levels, compliance status, and policy adoption.
• Maintain BT’s AI Inventory, ensuring all AI models are properly classified, assessed, and risk-rated.
• Engage with Legal & Compliance teams to track regulatory developments and update AI governance policies accordingly.
• Drive AI literacy and awareness within BT by conducting training and engagement sessions on responsible AI.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Functional Knowledge & Technical Skills
• Strong understanding of AI governance frameworks, risk management, and model transparency.
• Knowledge of AI regulations (GDPR, AI Act, DORA) and ethical AI principles.
• Familiarity with AI model risk assessment methodologies and explainability techniques.
• Experience working with data science teams, ensuring governance policies are embedded into AI development.
• Business Expertise
• Strong ability to translate AI governance requirements into actionable business policies.
• Understanding of AI’s commercial impact and risk exposure within large organizations.
• Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
• Ability to influence AI teams, Legal, and Compliance stakeholders, ensuring AI governance policies are adopted.
• Strong problem-solving skills, capable of identifying and mitigating AI risks.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, ensuring AI governance remains a business enabler.

Desirable Skills / Experience

• 8+ years in Data or AI governance, data ethics, risk management, or regulatory compliance, ideally in a highly regulated industry.
• Experience working with Data Science, AI Engineering, and Legal teams, ensuring AI governance frameworks are integrated into business workflows.
• Strong understanding of AI risk management, explainability, and fairness methodologies.
• Familiarity with AI auditing, compliance reporting, and regulatory risk management.
• Experience leading AI policy initiatives, ensuring AI governance frameworks are scalable and enforceable.
• Experience with enterprise risk, risk frameworks, standards, and controls.