AI Program Manager (Governance)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. The IT department provides end-to-end solutions for the organization including application development & integration, system deployment, user experience and change management, quality assurance & testing, and overall Project Management in an effort to help the organization determine and implement the best solutions for its business needs. 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