Sponsor Assurance Lead

Sponsor Assurance Lead

Dublin, Hybrid

As a Sponsor Assurance Lead – at ICON, you will act as the primary interface between our new Enterprise AI function and sponsors and clients, ensuring confidence, transparency, and trust in the AI products and services we deliver. You will represent ICON in external forums, demonstrating the rigour, governance, and quality behind our AI capabilities in regulated environments.

What You Will Do:

In this role you will be responsible for leading sponsor assurance activities, maintaining audit readiness, and ensuring the delivery of trusted, compliant AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary assurance contact for sponsors and clients, representing Enterprise AI in meetings, governance forums, and audit engagements
• Present assurance updates including risk posture, validation evidence, compliance status, and quality metrics in a clear, professional manner
• Respond to sponsor queries on AI governance, data protection, model validation, and regulatory compliance
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive assurance framework and evidence repository for AI products and platforms
• Prepare sponsor-facing assurance packs, dashboards, and reports aligned to contractual and regulatory requirements
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (engineering, QA, compliance, legal) to ensure evidence is complete, accurate, and audit-ready
• Manage sponsor assurance reviews, due diligence sessions, and external audits end-to-end
• Communicate risks, incidents, and changes transparently with sponsors, including mitigation and corrective actions
• Drive continuous improvement in assurance practices, governance maturity, and audit readiness across the AI portfolio

Your Profile:

To succeed in this role, you will bring strong experience in assurance, compliance, and client-facing delivery within regulated environments, alongside the ability to represent complex AI systems with confidence and credibility.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related discipline
• Significant experience (5+ years) in assurance, quality, compliance, or client-facing roles within technology or regulated industries
• Proven experience engaging directly with external sponsors, clients, or regulators
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks (e.g. GDPR, EU AI Act, GxP, 21 CFR Part 11)
• Experience managing audits, inspections, or sponsor due diligence activities
• Technical understanding of AI/ML systems and software development practices
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple assurance workstreams and priorities in a fast-paced, complex environment

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