Legal AI Governance & Implementation Specialist

Location: Hamel

** At Polaris Inc., we have fun doing what we love by driving change and innovation. We empower employees to take on challenging assignments and roles with an elevated level of responsibility in our agile working environment. Our people make us who we are, and we create incredible products and experiences that empower us to THINK OUTSIDE.*
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* Position Overview:

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* You will serve as a key contributor to Polaris's AI governance efforts, helping ensure artificial intelligence solutions are deployed responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. In this role, you will partner with Legal, Intellectual Property, Procurement, IT, Data, and business teams to evaluate AI initiatives, manage governance processes, and provide practical guidance on AI-related risks and controls.

You will support the development of policies, oversight mechanisms, and compliance frameworks while monitoring emerging regulations and industry expectations. Additionally, you will help identify opportunities to leverage AI within the Legal function to improve operational effectiveness and support informed decision-making. This is a compelling opportunity to influence enterprise AI strategy and governance while working at the intersection of law, technology, risk management, and innovation.

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* Key Responsibilities:

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* + Advise the Polaris AI Board by reviewing AI proofs of concept, pilot programs, and production deployments and providing guidance on legal and governance considerations.

+ Evaluate AI use cases for legal, regulatory, intellectual property, privacy, and ethical risks and recommend appropriate controls and mitigations.

+ Document legal decisions, risk assessments, governance requirements, and guardrails associated with approved AI initiatives.

+ Support compliance with AI policies, governance standards, and human-in-the-loop requirements across AI implementations.

+ Monitor and analyze emerging AI regulations and legal developments and assess their impact on organizational AI strategies and practices.

+ Translate regulatory requirements into practical guidance, risk controls, standards, and recommendations for internal stakeholders.

+ Conduct audits of external legal counsel and AI vendors to assess compliance with AI governance policies, data handling requirements, security expectations, and quality standards.

+ Partner with internal stakeholders and external partners to address compliance gaps and communicate AI governance expectations.

+ Collaborate with Procurement and Legal teams to review AI-related risk assessments, vendor questionnaires, software license terms, data usage rights, model training provisions, and intellectual property considerations.

+ Identify and recommend mitigation strategies for contractual and operational risks associated with AI technologies, training data, outputs, and downstream use.

+ Assess Legal department workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, research, contract review, and compliance activities through responsible AI adoption.

+ Draft, maintain, and update AI-related policies, standards, guidelines, training materials, and governance documentation.

** Desired

Competencies:

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* + Business Acumen:
You understand how your work impacts financial performance, operational efficiency, and organizational goals, and you make decisions with the broader business context in mind.

+ Communication:
You clearly convey information, ideas, and expectations to diverse audiences, adjusting your message to ensure understanding and alignment.

+ Integrity & Ethical Practice:
You act with honesty, professionalism, and respect for policies, regulations, and organizational values in all situations.

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* Qualifications:

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* + Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.

+ Minimum of 4 years of experience in global data governance, compliance, or risk management with exposure to AI and machine learning systems.

+ AIGP certification required.

+ Strong knowledge of data privacy requirements and AI compliance regulations.

+ Proven experience working with governance frameworks in enterprise environments.

+ Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey governance requirements to both technical and non-technical audiences.

+ Experience collaborating with legal, compliance, audit, and cross-functional business stakeholders.

+ Experience developing, maintaining, or supporting policy and governance programs within complex organizations.

+ Experience evaluating legal, regulatory, privacy, intellectual property, or operational risks associated with technology solutions.

+ Legal experience supporting AI governance initiatives preferred.

+ This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

The starting pay range for Minnesota is $80,000 to $105,000 per year. Individual salaries and positioning within the range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, and geography. …