AI Lead at ING in Milan, Lombardy, Italy

AI Lead Location: MILAN The AI Lead is responsible for orchestrating and enabling Artificial Intelligence initiatives across the bank, ensuring strategic alignment, regulatory compliance and measurable business value. The role acts as the central liaison between the CEO and AI SPOCs across business and control functions, operating through functional leadership in a federated and highly regulated environment. The position provides enterprise‑wide visibility and coherence to generative AI adoption, without line management responsibility. Key responsibilities Act as the single point of coordination for AI initiatives across business lines and control functions (e.g. Business, Risk, Compliance, Legal, IT, Operations, HR). Own and coordinate the bank’s AI use‑case portfolio, ensuring prioritization, coherence, and alignment with strategic objectives. Act as liaison with Global AI and Group-level stakeholders, ensuring alignment with enterprise AI initiatives and proactively identifying AI use cases, solutions or practices developed in other countries that may be relevant and scalable to the Italian context. Orchestrate a federated AI operating model, enabling collaboration across distributed AI SPOCs without hierarchical authority. Support the identification, shaping and prioritization of AI use cases, ensuring clear articulation of objectives, benefits, risks and scalability. Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with banking regulations, supervisory expectations, and internal policies, including Responsible AI principles. Contribute to the definition and adoption of enterprise AI standards, including governance frameworks, ethical guidelines and escalation mechanisms. Support the definition of AI and model lifecycle principles, in alignment with model risk management and regulatory requirements. Define and monitor value‑tracking indicators for AI initiatives (e.g., adoption, impact, scalability) and consolidate insights at enterprise level. Prepare decision‑ready materials, insights and recommendations for the CEO and executive forums. Act as a bridge between business, technology and control functions, translating complex AI topics into clear, executive‑level communication. Monitor market, technological and regulatory developments (e.g. GenAI trends, EU AI Act) and advise senior leadership on implications for the bank. Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with Global and Local Technology standard and strategy, aligning CIO and Global functions and on IT investments and expected return and benefits. Key skills & experience Experience in AI, advanced analytics, digital innovation or transformation roles within banking or other regulated industries. Solid understanding of AI and GenAI concepts (e.g. LLMs, automation, decision‑support systems) and their application in financial services contexts. Exposure to AI governance, model risk management, or regulatory frameworks relevant to banking. Proven ability to operate effectively in complex, matrix and federated environments. Strong senior stakeholder management skills, including interaction with executive leadership. Ability to balance innovation, risk and compliance with a pragmatic, value driven mindset. Clear, structured and concise communication style, suitable for executive audiences. Working conditions:Full Time Duration: Permanent Location:Milan (hybrid) About ING ING offers many opportunities to build a diverse and rewarding career. You will be joining an international innovative digital bank, the first in Italy to adopt a fully flexible smart working model, and you will be working in a stimulating environment where you can grow both as an individual and as a professional. Our purpose - empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business - represents our belief in people’s potential. We don’t judge, coach or to tell people how to live their lives. We empower people and businesses to realize their own vision for a better future. #doyourthing is our brand direction with us each and every day. It is how we articulate our purpose and our promise to make banking frictionless to the world. ‘do your thing’ is about people being free to live the life they want to live, knowing that they will make their world a little better for it. Do you think you are "a step ahead"? Apply now! The benefits of joining ING In addition to being a part of a great team, working in a fun and innovative environment, we offer: Super flexible smart working Competitive base salaries and performance based bonuses Diverse cultures & Innovative mindsets International Environment Commitment to sustainability Lots of training development opportunities to help you grow Lots of moments dedicated to physical and mental well-being A special day off when it is your birthday: we call it #doyourbirthday! And of course we can’t forget: free water & coffee at the office! Our Commitment Diversity is a fundamental element of our corporate culture, and we are fully committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment, based on mutual respect and the value of diversity, offering equal job opportunities to all qualified candidates. Job Application Safety Reminder⚠️ We’re seeing an increase in fraudulent job offers. 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