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.
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.
- 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 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
- Vendors and Consultants
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.
- 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 as Jira, Monday.com, or equivalents.
- AI Literacy \& Responsible AI Familiarity with AI concepts, use cases, and the compliance, security, data privacy, and ethical considerations that responsible AI adoption requires.
- Communication \& Executive Influence Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging from technical working teams through to senior executive leadership. Demonstrated ability to influence without authority — including managing up, keeping senior stakeholders aligned and accountable, and driving decisions in complex organizational environments.
- Proactivity \& Adaptability A self\-starter who moves fast, takes initiative, and creates structure in ambiguous environments. Comfortable operating in a space that is still evolving — where processes are being built, priorities shift, and the ability to adapt quickly is essential.
- Stakeholder Partnership Ability to build trusted, productive relationships across technical and non\-technical teams, across functions, and across geographies. Skilled at working in matrixed environments without direct authority over contributors.
- Problem Solving \& Risk Management Strong analytical and problem\-solving skills. Proactively identifies risks and blockers and develops mitigation strategies before issues escalate.
- The position can be fully remote, with an in\-person office setting available for staff located near IRC’s New York City Headquarters location or in London if the candidate is from the UK.
- Standard working hours.
- Minimal travel may be required.
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PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way \- Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
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