AI Governance Skills Framework — Part II: Professional Profiles
This resource defines core AI governance role profiles based on analysis of AI governance jobs, helping organizations structure AI governance responsibilities, skills, and pathways.
Contributors:
Ashley Casovan
Managing Director, AI Governance Center
IAPP
Editor's note
This resource serves as Part II of the AI Governance Skills Framework (AIGSF).
Part I: Executive Functions identifies leaders responsible for AI governance oversight and accountability.
Throughout 2026, the IAPP collected public job profiles which explicitly called for AI governance work. These job profiles were taken from multiple regions, domains, and industries to try and provide the clearest picture of the breadth of AI governance work.
Based on the analysis of this combined information, we categorized the work into eight types; policy, governance, technical, product, ethics, risk, legal, and assurance. Following the categorization, we mapped the research and public job profiles to a standardized job template.
As part of the research for the AIGSF, we looked at other job classification work including the World Antidoping Agency’s professional standards and role descriptors. Inspired by the work that ENISA, the European Agency for Cyber Security, has done to classify cybersecurity jobs with their European Cybersecurity Skills Framework, the AIGSF adopts the same template the ECSF uses to describe cyber security profiles.
Based on feedback from experts, there was also a desire to expand the types of profiles within each category to reflect the different versions of work including more senior and junior roles and various functions. It is important to note that, while these are referred to as profiles, it is unlikely that any given organization will require every profile to be included within their AI governance teams. There are overlaps between the deliverables and tasks within several of these profiles. This is because, at present, the work of AI governance is not streamlined and is being done in practice by many different types of individuals. It is anticipated that overtime this will evolve and be streamlined.
Policy profiles
Policy is a core AI governance function that helps enable safe, trusted AI adoption. Policy professionals monitor evolving regulations, develop and implement AI policies and standards, engage with regulators and industry groups, and track market sentiment through public engagement activities.
Governance profiles
Governance professionals build and manage the processes, committees, inventories, risk registers, and accountability structures that make responsible AI operational. They oversee governance activities, support compliance, build AI literacy, and translate policies and principles into day-to-day oversight, training, and decision-making processes.
Technical profiles
Technical professionals integrate governance into AI systems, data, and infrastructure. They develop controls, assessments, monitoring, and compliance capabilities while evaluating AI for safety, fairness, explainability, robustness, and security.
Product profiles
Product professionals guide AI risk, compliance, and lifecycle management through product strategy and roadmap planning. They evaluate AI use cases, coordinate cross-functional reviews, prioritize initiatives, and translate governance and regulatory requirements into practical, auditable product features.
Ethics profiles
Ethics professionals assess the legal, social, and ethical impacts of AI, promoting fairness, transparency, accountability, and human-centered values. They conduct ethics reviews, evaluate risks, engage stakeholders, and help organizations balance innovation with responsible AI practices.
Risk Management profiles
Risk Management professionals identify, assess, and monitor AI-related risks across the organization. They maintain risk registers and dashboards, support risk assessments and incident response, provide insight on emerging threats, and help ensure risks are effectively communicated to governance bodies and leadership.
Read risk management profiles →
Legal profiles
Legal professionals support AI governance through policy development, regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and legal guidance on AI adoption. They help translate evolving AI laws and legal risks into practical business and technical controls while advising on the responsible use of AI across the organization.
Assurance profiles
Assurance professionals assess and validate AI governance, controls, and compliance through audits, evaluations, and review processes. They help organizations prepare for and conduct technical and management-system assessments, requiring expertise in either AI systems and models or governance, policy, and oversight frameworks.
Contributors:
Ashley Casovan
Managing Director, AI Governance Center
IAPP