Group Lead, AI Governance

Job Description

Group Lead, AI Governance at a glance.. Location : Toronto, ON Hybrid : 3 days/week
The Kraft Heinz Information Technology organization is hiring a Group Lead, AI Governance to establish and operate the technical governance, platform controls and support model that enable safe, responsible and scalable use of AI across the enterprise. Based in Toronto, this leader will connect policy to day-to-day engineering practice across enterprise productivity AI, low-code agents and production-grade AI/ML solutions.
This is a hands-on leadership role (approximately 60% execution and 40% strategy). You will own the control framework and operating routines for platforms such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, Claude Enterprise, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure AI services and engineering patterns built with frameworks and observability tools such as LangGraph and LangSmith. You will partner with AI engineering, MLOps, security, legal, privacy, enterprise architecture, product and business teams to make risk-based decisions, remove delivery friction and ensure controls remain effective throughout the AI lifecycle.
What's on the menu?
- Lead the technical AI governance and platform support function, setting priorities, service expectations, operating routines and clear accountability across enterprise AI tools and custom AI solutions.
- Translate AI policies, risk appetite and regulatory obligations into practical engineering standards, approval criteria, platform configurations, reusable controls and evidence requirements.
- Own risk-tiered lifecycle governance from intake and experimentation through production approval, change management, monitoring, incident response and retirement, with proportionate checkpoints based on use-case criticality.
- Establish and maintain an enterprise inventory of AI tools, models, agents, use cases, owners, data dependencies, risk classifications, approvals and material changes.
- Support relevant teams on technical controls for identity and access, least privilege, data protection, secrets management, environment separation, vendor integrations, human oversight, logging, traceability and audit evidence.
- Set standards for AI evaluation and production readiness, including quality, safety, reliability, security, privacy, latency, cost and business acceptance criteria; ensure exceptions are documented, time-bound and remediated.
- Build observability and governance patterns for agentic systems, including prompt and response tracing, tool-call visibility, evaluation datasets, failure analysis, escalation paths and controls for autonomous actions.
- Govern and support AI platforms including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Claude Enterprise, Copilot Studio, Azure-based AI services and custom solutions using LangGraph, LangSmith and related MLOps/LLMOps capabilities.
- Lead AI platform intake, access and support processes; triage incidents and control gaps, coordinate root-cause analysis, track corrective actions and communicate material risks to the appropriate governance bodies.
- Partner with Legal, Privacy, Cybersecurity, Procurement, Internal Audit, Data Governance, Enterprise Architecture and business owners on use-case reviews, third-party assessments, control testing and audit readiness.
- Define governance metrics and service health indicators covering inventory completeness, review cycle time, control compliance, incidents, exceptions, evaluation coverage, adoption, consumption and remediation progress.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives and technical projects, managing scope, milestones, dependencies, decisions and stakeholder communications while coaching engineers and analysts on responsible AI practices.
- Monitor developments in AI regulation, standards, platform capabilities and emerging risks; assess their relevance and drive updates to controls, playbooks and technical roadmaps.

Recipe for success – apply now if this sounds like you!   
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related field (advanced degree an asset)
- 7+ years of experience across MLOps, machine learning engineering, data science, cloud engineering, platform engineering, technology risk, or related disciplines, including responsibility for production AI/ML systems
- Hands-on experience designing, deploying, operating, or governing AI/ML platforms in a large, matrixed enterprise environment
- Practical understanding of AI risk management and responsible AI principles (accountability, transparency, privacy, security, reliability, safety, fairness, human oversight)
- Experience with cloud and identity controls, CI/CD, model/agent lifecycle management, observability, incident management, and production support (preferably Microsoft Azure)
- Experience with generative AI and agentic patterns (LLM applications, RAG, prompt/context engineering, tool use, agent workflows, evaluations, guardrails)
- Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio; familiarity with Claude Enterprise, LangGraph, LangSmith, or comparable AI development/observability platforms strongly preferred
- Demonstrated technical project/program management experience (driving cross-functional work, managing dependencies, translating ambiguous requirements into executable plans)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to explain technical risk, control design, and trade-offs to engineers, control functions, and senior business stakeholders
- Experience leading people, vendors, or matrixed delivery teams; developing practical standards that improve safety and delivery velocity
- Enterprise AI governance expertise (operating models, control frameworks, risk tiering, exception management, assurance, evidence-based decision making)
- MLOps and LLMOps expertise across development, deployment, monitoring, evaluation, change control, support, and retirement
- AI platform governance experience for employee productivity tools, low-code agents, third-party AI services, and custom production applications
- Knowledge of agentic AI risks and controls (permissions, tool access, prompt injection, data leakage, autonomous actions, human approval points, end-to-end traceability)
- Knowledge of data privacy, cybersecurity, model risk, third-party risk, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, AI FinOps, and business continuity considerations
- Pragmatic risk leadership style that preserves strong controls without unnecessary friction for delivery teams
- Comfort moving between executive-level governance discussions and detailed technical reviews with engineers and platform teams
- Structured operator mindset (clear ownership, repeatable processes, measurable service levels, disciplined follow-through)
- Sound judgment under ambiguity (escalating material issues, making proportionate recommendations, documenting defensible decisions)
- Influential, cross-functional collaborator (Technology, Legal, Security, Privacy, Audit, Procurement, Data, and business functions)
- Curious, current, and hands-on with a continuous-improvement mindset for fast-changing AI technologies and risks
- Preferred: experience applying NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 23894, Microsoft Responsible AI guidance, or comparable AI governance frameworks
- Preferred: relevant certification in Azure, security, privacy, risk, audit, project management, or AI governance

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their families and complement Kraft Heinz’ strategy and values.
New Hire Base Salary Range: $146,300.00 - $182,900.00
Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents. The compensation offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors Benefits: Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coverage for benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents. Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families. You’ll be able to participate in a variety of benefits and wellbeing programs that may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors, for example:
- Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
- Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
- Emotional – Employee Family Assistance Program, Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
- Financial -Savings/Pension, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability, Discounted Perks

Location(s) Toronto - Queen's Quay - Headquarters
Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.  In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for protected individuals, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for assistance.