Data Governance and Risk Specialist

Job Req ID: 62481

Function: Data & AI

Location: Birmingham-Three Snowhill

About the role

BT Group has an ambitious vision to become a market leader in AI-powered connectivity, solutions and services. Strong Data and AI governance is fundamental to achieving this responsibly, ensuring that data is appropriately managed, risks are understood and governance requirements are effectively embedded across the organisation.

As our Data Governance and Risk Specialist, you will play an important role in helping teams across BT Group understand and implement Data and AI governance requirements.

This role can be based in Bristol, Birmingham or London and our hybrid working model means you are expected to be in the office 3 days per week.

What you’ll be doing

This is not simply a policy or compliance role. Success will depend heavily on your ability to engage stakeholders, build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders across a large and complex organisation. You will work with colleagues across business, technology, engineering, legal, risk, compliance and delivery teams, translating governance and risk requirements into practical actions.

You will also prepare senior-management briefings and present Data and AI governance matters to senior stakeholders, potentially including Executive Committee-level audiences. Experience or a strong interest in AI is desirable.

• Deliver and support awareness sessions, governance training, and capability uplift, tailored to unit contexts.
• Act as the primary governance interface for BT’s units, supporting adoption of Data & AI Governance policies and frameworks.
• Embed governance practices by working closely with data owners, delivery teams, compliance leads, and engineering partners across units.
• Own the unit Working Groups that delivers the detailed, operational, and evidence-based governance needed to maintain compliance and drive improvements in Data & AI maturity across the unit.
• Run the unit Data & AI Councils, preparing compliance updates, risk summaries, and progress reports on unit performance against key metrics.
• Monitor and support implementation of governance controls (e.g. metadata, retention, classification, AI governance) and track compliance and maturity metrics.
• Liaise between business units and central teams to capture unit needs, coordinate input into enterprise frameworks, and support change management and communications.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience of building trusted relationships and confident in presenting complex subject matter to senior stakeholders
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical, regulatory and governance information into language appropriate for the audience.
• Data & AI Governance & Compliance Knowledge
• Good working knowledge of data governance controls (metadata, ownership, classification, quality, retention, AI governance).

Desirable Skills / Experience

If you have a strong understanding of Data Governance and Risk, but equally importantly can build relationships, influence senior stakeholders, communicate complex information clearly and turn governance requirements into practical business action, we would like to hear from you.

• Familiarity with compliance frameworks and regulations (GDPR, DORA, Ofcom, EU AI Act) and how they apply in a large, federated organisation.
• Understanding of AI tooling available today and emerging trends within the market.
• Experience in tracking compliance, control adoption, and governance KPIs.
• Confident working across technical, legal, compliance, and delivery teams to influence behaviour and drive accountability.
• Interpersonal & Execution Skills
• Able to operate independently, balancing detail with big-picture alignment.
• Programme Management skills
• Strong problem-solving skills, especially where governance implementation meets operational complexity.

Our Package

• 10% on target annual bonus
• Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family
• Market-leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off
• Equalised maternity, paternity and adoption leave: 18 weeks' full pay and 8 weeks' half pay
• Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband
• Market-leading pension scheme: 5% from you and 10% from us
• Holiday purchase scheme