AI Governance Principal

About the role

Blackbaud is looking for a AI Governance Principal to help shape how AI is governed responsibly across the enterprise. In this highly visible role, you’ll design, build, and own the frameworks, policies, standards, risk methodologies, and controls that guide AI from initial concept through deployment and ongoing oversight.

You’ll work across product, engineering, risk, and business teams to translate regulatory requirements and industry frameworks into practical expectations teams can understand and apply. This is a hands-on governance role for someone who has built programs and policies from the ground up and can balance responsible innovation with effective risk management.

What you'll be doing

• Design, document, and continuously improve enterprise AI governance frameworks, policies, standards, and methodologies, including approaches for generative AI and agentic AI.
• Own the governance process for AI initiatives, from intake and inventory through risk classification, assessment, review, approval, and ongoing oversight.
• Translate frameworks and regulatory requirements, including NIST AI RMF and the EU AI Act, into clear, actionable controls and expectations for product and engineering teams.
• Partner with teams to evaluate proposed AI solutions, validate that applicable controls are appropriately designed and implemented, and identify areas requiring additional risk treatment.
• Establish documentation, evidence, evaluation, and monitoring requirements that create a consistent and traceable governance process.
• Develop metrics that measure the effectiveness and adoption of AI governance, including coverage, review cycle times, and exception management.
• Partner with executives, product leaders, engineers, and other stakeholders to communicate AI risks, requirements, decisions, and tradeoffs in a clear and actionable way.
• Continuously evolve the governance program as AI technologies, regulatory expectations, and industry standards change.

What we'll want you to have

8+ years of experience across governance, risk, compliance, technology risk, or policy, including direct experience building or leading AI governance, responsible AI, or AI risk programs.

Hands-on experience applying NIST AI RMF and working knowledge of the EU AI Act; familiarity with ISO/IEC 42001, ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 42005, or similar frameworks is a plus.

Experience building a governance program, control framework, or major governance capability from the ground up, including authoring and implementing policies and standards.

Experience providing independent or second-line oversight in a software, SaaS, or technology environment and partnering directly with product and engineering teams.

Strong understanding of the AI/ML lifecycle, generative AI, and agentic AI patterns, with the technical fluency to participate effectively in design and architecture discussions.

Ability to influence across technical and executive audiences, translate complex requirements into practical guidance, and drive adoption without relying on direct authority; IAPP AIGP or a comparable AI governance credential is a plus.

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Blackbaud powers social impact through purpose‑driven technology and responsible AI. Guided by our Intelligence for Good® vision, we’re building a culture where innovation, trust, and human expertise come together to help organizations make a greater difference in the world.

The starting base pay is $133,700.00 to $173,800.00. Blackbaud may pay more or less based on employee qualifications, market value, Company finances, and other operational considerations.