Director, AI Governance (First Line Governance), AI Innovation-X

What is the opportunity?
As Director, AI Governance, you will play a key leadership role in enabling the safe, responsible, and scalable adoption of AI across Group Risk Management (GRM). This is a first line governance role supporting the AI Innovation-X team and broader risk stakeholders in navigating enterprise governance requirements, accelerating approvals, and embedding strong controls across the AI lifecycle.

You will act as a trusted advisor to risk teams, helping translate governance expectations into practical execution so that AI initiatives can move forward with appropriate risk management, clear accountability, and operational readiness. You will report to the Managing Director, Head of AI Innovation-X (Center of Excellence) in GRM.

What will you do?

• Provide strategic first line AI governance leadership to enable responsible and safe AI adoption across GRM.
• Lead the end-to-end governance journey for AI Innovation-X initiatives, including navigating key enterprise governance forums, challenge processes, and approvals (including AIWF and IRP).
• Partner with Technology and platform teams to secure required IT, architecture, and platform approvals for AI solutions, including pathways involving Athena, ACA/OCP, Lumina Gateway, and other enterprise platforms.
• Advise teams on RBC data classification, data risk, privacy, and related control requirements, and provide practical guidance on how to sequence initiatives based on governance, data, and technology constraints.
• Act as a trusted advisor to GRM stakeholders on the governance, approval, and control requirements applicable to different AI use cases.
• Develop and enhance AI governance playbooks, standards, and operating practices, while partnering closely with 2nd line AI Governance, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Cyber, Legal, and Technology teams to improve process effectiveness and efficiency.
• Be aware of external AI regulatory regimes across jurisdictions.
• Oversee AI governance across the lifecycle, including production readiness assessments, launch recommendations, post-production monitoring, change governance, incident escalation, periodic review, and re-approval triggers.

What do you need to succeed?

Must Have:

• 8+ years of relevant experience in risk management, governance, controls, technology risk, model risk, data risk, compliance, or related disciplines, ideally within a large financial institution.
• Strong understanding of AI / ML / GenAI use cases and governance considerations, particularly for foundation models, LLM-enabled workflows, and AI-assisted decision support.
• Deep familiarity with enterprise governance processes, control frameworks, and first line risk ownership in a regulated environment, with the ability to embed governance into delivery workflows pragmatically.
• Experience with data classification, data governance, privacy, and information security requirements, including navigating risk assessments for different categories of data.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with strong judgment, executive communication, and stakeholder management across first line and second lines; experience supporting governance for production applications and change management is an asset.

Nice-to-Have:

• Experience designing or running AI governance frameworks for GenAI, LLM, or emerging AI capabilities.
• Familiarity with governance considerations related to agentic workflows, model documentation tools, and AI-enabled productivity solutions.
• Strong understanding of the interaction between business governance, technology governance, model risk, data risk, and privacy in enterprise AI deployment.
• Experience building scalable governance playbooks that improve both control effectiveness and delivery efficiency.
• Ability to balance innovation enablement with prudent risk management in a fast-evolving environment.

What is in it for you?
We thrive on the challenge to be our best, progressive thinking, to keep growing, and working together to build and deliver trusted reporting to help our stakeholders succeed and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation

• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact

• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team

• Opportunities to take on progressively greater accountabilities

Job Skills

Business Perspective, Client Counseling, Data Gathering Analysis, Decision Making, Fraud Management, Internal Controls, Organizational Governance, Process Management, Risk Management, Strategic Thinking

Additional Job Details

ROYAL BANK PLAZA, 200 BAY ST:TORONTOTorontoCanada37.5Full timeGROUP RISK MANAGEMENTRegularSalaried2026-03-122026-03-28

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.