Data Governance Technical Program Manager

About the Role:

Gusto is becoming an AI-native company and that only works if our data governance keeps pace. As the Data Governance TPM you'll own the definition and delivery of that program across Data Platforms R&D Legal & Compliance Security AIT and Risk. You'll stand up new controls harden the data flows that feed our models and make sure every workstream meets our regulatory audit and business bar. You'll drive the timelines manage the dependencies head off the risk and use AI plugins to do the work itself so governance becomes something that helps Gusto move faster instead of slowing it down.

About the Team:

The TPM organization is part of our AIT Risk and Security team. We deliver the cross-functional work that lets Gusto securely accelerate its AI and platform modernization. The Data Governance program sits right at the intersection of security compliance and platform engineering and it's foundational to how Gusto scales its AI ambitions responsibly. This is one of the most strategic programs on the team and you'll lead it across a complex fast-moving group of stakeholders.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

Set the strategy and the roadmap

• Work with leaders across Security Legal Compliance Privacy GRC Data Platforms and Risk to shape where data governance goes as Gusto becomes an AI-native company.
• Define what good governance looks like for an AI-first business and set the multi-quarter vision that gets us there.
• Run intake and prioritization with senior stakeholders and make the call on what gets built first.
• Decide where governance should clear the way for AI speed and where it needs to hold the line and bring leaders along on the why.
• Put AI plugins to work to pull together stakeholder input map dependencies and keep the roadmap grounded in what's really happening.

Run the programs and the change

• Lead delivery across the governance portfolio. That includes RBAC and User Access Reviews DSAR Kafka and data pipeline governance ITGC disaster recovery feature stores for Risk models and cleaning identifiable data before it ever reaches a model.
• Build governance workflows that run on AI plugins by default so control checks and evidence collection happen automatically instead of by hand.
• Build the plans manage scope and risk track milestones and deliver against every audit and regulatory commitment.
• Roll out new controls and help teams adopt them with training comms and runbooks that plugins keep up to date for you.
• Keep a busy fast-moving group of stakeholders aligned with clear steady updates on where things stand.

Manage stakeholders and vendors

• Hold vendors and partners to their commitments and push them toward AI-forward ways of working.
• Stay on top of how every workstream is tracking raise flags early and get teams unstuck when they stall.
• Watch the program budget tooling spend and implementation costs.

Here's what we're looking for:

You'll need

• A history of taking programs from ambiguous to shipped in regulated environments.
• 8+ years leading cross-functional TPM or delivery work with real time spent on security compliance data or infrastructure.
• A solid handle on data governance from access controls and data lifecycle to privacy audit and ITGC and data pipelines and a sense for how they help Gusto move faster on AI.
• A way of working where AI plugins drive your everyday delivery and you help the people around you work the same way.
• The ability to speak the language of engineering legal privacy data platform and security and keep everyone rowing together.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with AI and ML governance including training data hygiene feature stores and ML platform tooling.
• Hands-on experience using AI clients and plugins (MCPs) to generate program artifacts and take the busywork off your plate.
• A working knowledge of control frameworks like SOC 1/2 ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 plus privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
• A PM certification (PMP CAPM Scrum or Prosci) and time spent in high-growth fintech or another regulated fast-paced industry.

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $138000-165000 in Denver. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.

What We Do

Gusto is a modern online small business platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll Gusto offers health insurance 401(k)s expert HR and team management tools. Today Gusto offices in Denver San Francisco and New York serve more than 400000 businesses. Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds not just because it's the right thing to do but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses you will find a home at Gusto.

Why Work With Us

We help small businesses—the backbone of the economy—thrive. Everything we do ladders up to empowering entrepreneurs and supporting their teams. Gusto empowers builders at every level to take initiative and make things better. You'll be solving meaningful challenges that shape the future of work.

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