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Hire a fractional chief AI officer

Fractional CAIO

A fractional chief AI officer is a senior leader who works for you part of the week. They decide how your business should use AI, set the rules and make sure people use it. Tell us what you need and we send you people who fit.

Send your requirement
  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

What a fractional chief AI officer does

A fractional chief AI officer, sometimes called a fractional CAIO, owns AI across the whole business, not inside one product. They work out where AI can save time or make money. They decide what to try and in what order. They set the rules for safe use and bring the other leaders along.

The role sits between planning and building. A fractional CAIO does not usually write code. They know enough about how AI systems are built to brief the people who do, and to judge whether a plan is sound.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

What a fractional CAIO usually owns

  • Five people gathered around a laptop at a shared table
    An AI plan A ranked list of where the business should use AI, why, and what success looks like.
  • A woman explaining a hand drawn diagram on a whiteboard to two colleagues
    Rules Clear rules for what staff may put into AI tools, how results are checked and who signs off new uses.
  • A woman explaining a hand drawn diagram on a whiteboard to two colleagues
    Tool choices Which AI tools and providers to use, and whether to buy a product or build your own.
  • Two people at a kitchen table, one pointing at a laptop while the other listens
    Adoption Training and change work so people use what has been rolled out, and feedback on what is not working.
  • Two people talking through a system diagram on a whiteboard
    Briefing builders Clear briefs for ML engineers, in-house or fractional, so the work matches the plan.

Do you need a chief AI officer yet

You probably do if AI is being tried in pockets across the business and nobody decides what matters. Or if staff use AI tools with no rules. Or if the board keeps asking for an AI plan and nobody owns it.

You probably do not if you have one clear AI feature to build. A hands-on AI engineer, guided by your CTO, will get you further for the same effort. You can hire one as a forward deployed engineer.

What to look for

Look for someone who has led change across a business, not only a technical project. Ask how they would decide what to do with AI in your company, and what they would stop. Ask how they handle the risks your industry worries about, such as client confidentiality or regulated data.

A good fractional CAIO talks plainly about what AI cannot do for you. Be careful with anyone whose plan is mostly tools to buy.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

How hiring a fractional CAIO works with us

  1. 01

    Send your requirement

    Tell us where AI is used today, what the leaders want from it and what worries you. There is no deposit.

  2. 02

    Get a shortlist

    We read every requirement ourselves. If something is unclear, we ask. We send a shortlist of people whose background suits your industry and size, with each person's CV and a short note on why they fit.

  3. 03

    Talk and choose

    You talk to whoever you like and choose. You do not have to hire anyone. You agree what they own, who they report to and how much of the week it takes.

  4. 04

    One agreement and one invoice

    You sign one agreement with us and get one invoice, on terms agreed in writing before anything starts. You pay our fee only when someone starts.

Send your chief AI officer requirement

Tell us where AI is used today and what you need someone to own.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Where fractional AI leaders are based

FAQ

Fractional chief AI officer questions

What does a fractional chief AI officer actually do?

They set the AI plan for the business, write the rules for using AI safely, choose tools and providers, and lead adoption. They do this part of the week, alongside your other leaders.

Do we need a fractional chief AI officer yet?

If AI is being tried in different parts of the business and nobody owns the plan, yes. If you only have one feature to build, not yet. An engineer guided by your CTO is the better fit for that.

Chief AI officer: full time, fractional or not at all?

Full time makes sense when AI is central to the product and needs daily leadership. Fractional suits most companies that need an owner and a plan but not a full week of it. If all you need is one feature built, you may not need the role at all.

How does a fractional chief AI officer compare with an in-house data science lead?

A data science lead usually runs a technical group that builds models. A chief AI officer works across the whole business on where AI is used and how. They may brief a data science lead rather than replace them.

What is the difference between a fractional AI officer and an AI consultant?

A consultant usually gives advice or a report and moves on. A fractional AI officer owns the plan over time and is responsible for whether it works.

How do I vet a fractional chief AI officer before hiring?

Ask for examples of AI work they led that changed how a business ran. Ask how they would handle your risks. Ask leaders they have worked with how decisions were made.

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