AI Program Manager

Job Summary

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.

Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

We are seeking a AI Program Manager to join the firm.

The AI Program Manager leads critical technology initiatives, coordinating across engineering, data, security, and architecture teams with decision-making autonomy.

This role translates business goals into actionable program plans, manages vendors, and ensures responsible AI governance at every milestone.

Operating at the intersection of technical expertise and cross-functional leadership, this role advances data and AI objectives and drives aligned delivery.

Reporting to Director of Enterprise Applications, Data, and AI Platforms, this senior individual contributor drives impactful delivery aligned with organizational priorities.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Director, Enterprise Applications, Data, and AI Platforms; Senior Manager, Automation and Development; Senior Manager, Data Engineering; Senior Manager, Enterprise Applications; Senior Applications Architect; Senior Data Architect; Team Lead, Workflow and Automation; Senior Security Architect; Senior Operations Architect; Security Engineer; Cloud Platform Engineer; Project Manager; Business Relationship Manager; Vendor and Partner Delivery Leads

Essential Duties

• Leading end-to-end planning and execution of complex technical programs spanning multiple engineering, data, security, and architecture teams.

• Translating business objectives into actionable technical plans and milestones by leading requirement sessions, documenting needs, and coordinating timelines, dependencies, and deliverables.

• Owning backlog governance and user story standards within Azure DevOps, ensuring Epics, Features, and Stories have consistent structure and traceability.

• Managing vendor relationships and third-party delivery accountability involving tracking SOW milestones, addressing escalations, and overseeing contract performance across technology engagements.

• Facilitating decision-making among stakeholders to address obstacles and trade-offs, ensuring accountability for meeting delivery commitments, timelines, and outcomes.

• Managing program visibility and tracking delivery in Azure DevOps, including work item organization, Delivery Plans, sprint velocity reports, and executive dashboard setup.

• Serving as an example for the Enterprise Applications team philosophy, promoting enterprise processes, procedures, security, standards, and knowledge-first support principles.

• Defining and overseeing testing strategies at the program level, including quality standards, user acceptance frameworks, and end-user validation processes.

• Establishing and maintaining program governance, reporting, and communication standards, including AI-specific checkpoints, while ensuring alignment with security, compliance, and enterprise technology standards.

• Identifying, tracking, and mitigating program risks, issues, and dependencies while enabling stakeholder decisions to address blockers and ensure delivery outcomes.

• Leveraging AI tools, contributing to AI-powered solutions, and adhering to governance standards, including responsible use, data classification, and model deployment review processes.

Experience & Skills Required

• Possess Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Communications, Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields or exhibit equivalent professional experience

• Demonstrate understanding of software development lifecycles and technical architectures, effectively evaluating technical risks and conveying impacts to senior stakeholders.

• Obtain or hold applicable professional certifications, such as PMP, PMI-ACP, or SAFe. Optional certifications include AZ-900, PL-900, or AI-900.

• Have familiarity with Microsoft AI Foundry, Microsoft Fabric, or similar enterprise AI and data platforms in regulated and compliance-driven industries.

• Support release windows and production support events while showcasing background in Business Administration, Project Management, Communications, Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields. Exhibit equivalent professional experience and hold relevant certifications.

• Demonstrate ability to manage cross-functional dependencies and stakeholder alignment across operations, engineering, data, security, and vendor teams.

• Demonstrate effective communication skills by translating business needs into program plans, visually presenting technical concepts, and collaborating across offices and time zones.

• Possess experience delivering programs within professional services, legal, or comparable sectors requiring strict confidentiality, governance, and adherence to compliance standards

• Bring over five years overseeing complex enterprise technical programs, including 2 years focused on AI, data platforms, or enterprise applications.

• Possess experience managing vendors, contractors, and third-party deliveries, including SOW oversight, escalation management, and contract performance accountability.

• Demonstrate experience applying AI-assisted tools in a professional engineering or enterprise technology environment.

• Demonstrate experience establishing and maintaining backlog structure, user story guidelines, and acceptance criteria within Azure DevOps or similar platforms. Apply Agile, hybrid, or scaled delivery methods to efficiently oversee enterprise programs and associated delivery activities.

Compensation Salary $128,000 - $249,000 / year

The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

In accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants for our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices with arrest and conviction records will be considered.

About The Firm

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices.

We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.

S. based law firms in the world.

We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit.

We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.

The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients.

The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve.

We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Benefits

K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future.

Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:

• Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)

• Back-up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge

• Dental Insurance

• Wellness Program

• Vision Insurance

• Pre-tax Commuting Benefits

• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Sharing

• Business Travel Accident Insurance

• Short- and Long-term Disability Protection

• Pet Insurance

• Life Insurance (including Basic, Supplemental, Spouse, Child, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment)

• Health Advocacy Services

• Paid Time Off (25-30 days per year)

• Identity Protection/Restoration and Fraud Insurance

• Parental Leave (18 weeks of which 6 are paid; short-term disability may provide additional paid time off)

• Student loan refinancing options and access to a student loan concierge service

• Paid Holidays (12)

• Addiction Resources

• Family Building Benefits

• Breast Milk Delivery and Lactation Support Services

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Employees also may be eligible to receive bonuses and certain expense reimbursements

• Employee Assistance Program

• Professional Development and CLE Credit Opportunities

• 529 Deductions

• Relocation

• Accident Insurance

• Employee Referral Program

• Critical Illness Insurance

• Hybrid/Remote Work Opportunities

• Hospital Indemnity Insurance

• Perks including: Technology, Entertainment, and Travel Discount Programs

• Bereavement Leave

• All other benefits (such as leaves of absence) required by law

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer.

It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence.

Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal.

In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above).

The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR@klgates.com .