Director of Risk Management, AI & Technology Governance

Location:

Chicago, IL, United States

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide.

Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

Are you energized by the challenge of enabling artificial intelligence innovation while building the governance, controls, and risk frameworks that help an organization adopt new technology responsibly?

As Director of Risk Management (AI & Technology Governance), you’ll play a senior leadership role at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology, risk, and Information Governance (IG). You’ll partner closely with Risk Management and IG leadership, the Office of the General Counsel, Innovations, Information Security, Information Technology (IT), senior attorneys, and third-party vendors to assess emerging technologies, establish practical guardrails, and help design systems and controls aligned with firm policies and standards.

You’ll lead and contribute to cross-functional initiatives spanning the lifecycle of electronic information within commercial and custom-built AI technologies. While this role does not initially have direct reports, you’ll provide functional leadership to employees and contractors supporting AI and technology risk initiatives, while coaching IG colleagues and helping strengthen capabilities across the team.

Preference will be given to candidates based in Chicago or New York.

• Standard Hybrid:
  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the office, with remote work available on other standard workdays.
• Shape AI risk strategy:
  Evaluate complex AI, information governance, and technology risks and translate findings into practical recommendations, controls, and solutions.
• Guide responsible AI adoption:
  Serve as a core stakeholder on the firm’s Responsible AI (RAI) committee and other governing forums, contributing Risk Management and IG expertise as emerging technologies are evaluated and implemented.
• Lead technology assessments:
  Partner with IT, Innovations, Risk Management, and IG teams to assess and document new technology solutions, including AI-driven applications and information repositories.
• Design effective guardrails:
  Help develop systems, processes, architectures, and controls that support responsible technology adoption while aligning with Risk Management and IG policies and standards.
• Partner across the firm:
  Work with the Office of the General Counsel, administrative leaders, legal practitioners, senior attorneys, and technology stakeholders to identify requirements, address information-management risks, and automate governance processes where appropriate.
• Advance information lifecycle management:
  Advise on operational and compliance requirements governing client and administrative information throughout its lifecycle, regardless of media or format.
• Develop policy and guidance:
  Draft and maintain Risk Management policies related to AI and Information Governance, and communicate the function’s vision and guiding principles to stakeholders across the firm.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments:
  Lead and review research into the evolving impact of AI on information governance, compliance, file retention, and disposition requirements, translating developments into actionable…