Vice president, responsible ai

The Enterprise AI Platform team is responsible for defining, building, and scaling the foundational AI capabilities that enable the next generation of products, services, and employee experiences across American Express. Our mission is to accelerate enterprise-wide AI adoption by providing secure, scalable, and trusted platforms, tools, and services that empower teams to build AI-powered solutions responsibly and efficiently.

As AI transforms how software is built and how businesses operate, the Enterprise AI Platform serves as the foundation for AI innovation across the company. We partner across engineering, product, data science, security, infrastructure, architecture, and business teams to enable AI development at enterprise scale.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Vice President of Responsible AI to define and lead the strategy for embedding responsible AI into the Enterprise AI Platform at American Express.

This executive will ensure governance, risk, and compliance are built into the foundation of the platform, enabling teams across the enterprise to develop and deploy AI solutions safely, securely, and at scale. Rather than operating as a centralized review function, this leader will partner closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, Legal, Compliance, and Information Security to translate enterprise requirements into reusable platform capabilities, automated guardrails, and developer experiences that make the responsible path the easiest path.

Success in this role requires combining deep technical understanding of modern AI platforms with the ability to operationalize governance through platform capabilities that accelerate innovation while meeting enterprise standards.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Platform Strategy & Responsible AI

• Define and lead the enterprise Responsible AI strategy, principles, guardrails, governance frameworks, and usage policies.
• Develop governance models that embed responsible AI throughout the AI lifecycle.
• Translate evolving AI regulations and industry standards into scalable enterprise capabilities.
• Establish metrics and reporting to measure governance effectiveness and enterprise adoption.

Platform Governance & Risk Enablement

• Partner with Risk, Legal, Compliance, Privacy, and Information Security to translate governance requirements into platform capabilities.
• Define technical guardrails, policy enforcement mechanisms, evaluation frameworks, and governance workflows that can be consistently applied across AI use cases.
• Continuously evolve platform capabilities to address emerging AI risks, technologies, and regulatory expectations.

Enterprise Leadership

• Influence enterprise AI strategy by balancing innovation, developer experience, and responsible AI.
• Partner with Product and Engineering leaders to prioritize platform investments that improve both AI velocity and governance.
• Represent the Responsible AI platform strategy with executive stakeholders and across the broader AI ecosystem.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in enterprise technology, AI/ML platforms, product management, software engineering, or technology governance, with experience leading large, cross-functional organizations.
• Demonstrated experience building or scaling enterprise platforms, developer tools, AI/ML infrastructure, or other shared technology capabilities.
• Experience translating governance, security, privacy, or risk requirements into scalable technical solutions, platform capabilities, or engineering practices.
• Strong understanding of modern AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), foundation models, agentic AI, model lifecycle management, and AI development workflows.
• Experience partnering across Product, Engineering, Information Security, Risk, Legal, Compliance, and Privacy to deliver enterprise technology solutions.
• Proven ability to define strategy, influence executive stakeholders, and drive alignment across highly matrixed organizations.
• Experience establishing governance frameworks, operational processes, or platform standards that enable secure, compliant, and scalable technology adoption.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills with the ability to translate complex technical, regulatory, and business requirements into actionable platform strategy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a Responsible AI, AI Platform, AI Governance, Machine Learning Platform, or AI Infrastructure organization.
• Experience building platform capabilities for AI governance, including model evaluation, AI observability, policy enforcement, model inventories, prompt management, or lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with industry AI governance frameworks and standards (e.g., NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act).
• Experience in financial services or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience influencing enterprise AI adoption through developer platforms, reusable services, and automation.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Public Policy, or a related field.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the U.S is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.

As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience our powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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