IT Governance Director

Career Guide

An IT Governance Director sets the rules, decision processes, and oversight that keep technology spending, risk, and delivery aligned with business goals. The role ensures technology teams follow consistent standards, meet regulatory expectations, and use budgets responsibly while enabling teams to move quickly and safely.

Key Responsibilities

Set and run IT governance forums and decision processes
Define technology policies, standards, and control requirements
Oversee technology risk management and risk reporting
Lead compliance readiness for audits and regulatory reviews
Create and track technology performance metrics and scorecards
Align technology strategy with business priorities and outcomes
Improve portfolio governance for projects and ongoing work
Establish vendor governance and contract oversight practices
Coordinate incident governance and post incident reviews
Build stakeholder alignment across security, finance, legal, and delivery teams

Top Skills for Success

Stakeholder Management

Executive Communication

Decision Facilitation

Negotiation

Program Management

Technology Risk Management

Control Design

Audit Management

Policy Development

Portfolio Governance

Vendor Governance

Budget Governance

Information Security Fundamentals

Regulatory Compliance

Data Privacy Fundamentals

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Chief Information Officer

Chief Technology Officer

Chief Information Security Officer

VP of Technology Risk

VP of Enterprise Governance

VP of IT Strategy

Transition Opportunities

Enterprise Risk Director

Cybersecurity Governance Director

Compliance Director

IT Portfolio Director

Technology Operations Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Metric DesignBusiness Case DevelopmentChange ManagementCloud GovernanceThird Party Risk ManagementData GovernanceControl TestingTooling Selection

Development SuggestionsBuild a simple governance scorecard tied to business outcomes, lead one end to end policy rollout with adoption tracking, and partner with security and audit to run a quarterly control testing cycle. Strengthen cloud and third party governance by creating clear decision rights, minimum standards, and a lightweight intake process.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 150,000 to 190,000

Mid LevelUSD 190,000 to 240,000

Senior LevelUSD 240,000 to 320,000

Growth Trend

Steady to growing demand, driven by higher cyber risk, stricter regulations, and pressure to prove value from technology investments.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

AccentureDeloitteKPMGPwCIBMMicrosoftAmazonGoogleJPMorgan ChaseBank of AmericaUnitedHealth GroupCVS HealthWalmartExxonMobilAT&T

Industry Sectors

Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareRetailTechnologyTelecommunicationsEnergyGovernmentManufacturing

Recommended Next Steps

Create a one page IT governance operating model with decision rights and meeting cadence

Define a quarterly risk and compliance calendar aligned to audit needs

Build a KPI set that covers cost, delivery, risk, and reliability

Review top policies for clarity and remove outdated requirements

Run a portfolio review to stop low value work and fund priorities

Standardize vendor reviews for performance, risk, and renewal timing

Develop a communication plan for executives and delivery teams

Benchmark pay and scope against similar roles in your industry and region