AI Risk Sr. Manager

Location: Buffalo, NY

AI Risk Senior Manager

Overview

The AI Risk Senior Manager will be the senior leader accountable for AI risk management activities within the First Line of Defense. Responsible for ensuring business and technology partners appropriately identify, assess, manage, monitor, and mitigate risks associated with AI solutions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior subject matter expert on AI and emerging technologies, advising executive leadership and business stakeholders on risk exposures, mitigation strategies, and risk-informed decision making.
• Lead AI risk strategy team, including setting objectives and priorities, to ensure teams operate within established risk appetite and thresholds, developing and executing advanced risk mitigation strategies aligned with organizational imperatives.
• Direct enterprise risk assessments and horizon-scanning activities to identify, assess, and manage emerging threats, evaluate potential impacts, and inform strategic decision-making.
• Lead and optimize risk and control management practices by guiding the team and partnering closely with leaders to implement technology solutions, strengthen controls, and enhance compliance outcomes.
• Partner across technology, cybersecurity, compliance, legal, audit, and business functions to ensure effective governance, regulatory compliance, operational resilience, and risk management practices.
• Monitor and assess evolving regulatory, industry, and technology standards impacting AI risk management, including alignment with frameworks such as NIST and emerging regulatory guidance.
• Lead strategic initiatives through prioritization and implementation of continuous improvement opportunities to strengthen risk management practices, increase operational efficiency, and reduce risk exposure.
• Lead talent development initiatives, enabling Technology and Enterprise Operations with sufficient information on AI risk to support team member career growth, ensuring alignment with strategic workforce planning.
• Direct the creation of training and awareness programs to ensure Technology and Enterprise Operations stakeholders effectively identify, manage, and mitigate AI risks.
• Advise executive leadership on the risk implications of AI adoption, emerging technologies, and evolving industry trends, translating complex risks into actionable business and technology decisions.
• Strategically direct financial and business operations with long-term plans in alignment with business objectives and fiscal responsibility.
• Accountable for the identification, assessment, management, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting of AI risks within Technology and Enterprise Operations.
• Scope and Impact
• Primarily senior people leaders within Technology teams, senior people leaders of Technology and Enterprise Operations Risk and across the bank, and internal partners such as Enterprise and Operational Risk, Internal Audit, and Regulatory Affairs.
• Work is accomplished with periodic direction; strategizes department imperatives based on business unit and Bank imperatives.
• Exercises judgement in all aspects of their role. Exerts significant latitude in determining strategy of team. Takes calculated risks with consultation from expert.
• Typically oversees and leads a team of 3-30 total FTE, with primarily mid- to senior-level analysts as direct reports.
• Lead representative with Regulators.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 9 years’ relevant work experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 13 years’ higher education and/or work experience.
• Demonstrated expert knowledge of AI risk principles.
• Minimum of 8 years' relevant work experience in/with the specific risk area and/or business unit.
• Minimum of 3 years' managerial or supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Law, Business Administration, or related field.

Applicable certification aligned to function or domain such as Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC®), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP), or Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA).

Minimum of 7 years' managerial work experience in risk, audit, technology, or related experience.

Demonstrated ability to lead strategic direction of a team.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; proven ability to effectively convey message to technical and business leaders.

Experience partnering with leadership to design solutions that drive outcomes towards organization strategic imperatives.

Excellent ability to strategically seek critical information and translate into strategic priorities and capabilities.

Excellent ability to prioritize across competing priorities and quickly-changing landscape, and lead team towards execution of outcomes aligned with priorities.

Strong ability to effectively influence peers and leaders.

Excellent mentoring and leadership capabilities, including strong ability to develop people leaders.

Excellent ability to encourage teamwork and guide a team towards executing upon shared goals.

M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $148,300.00 - $247,100.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.

Location

Buffalo, New York, United States of America