Explainer
What is a fractional Head of AI?
A fractional Head of AI is a senior person who runs AI for your company part-time. They decide where AI is worth using, get it built, and train your team to run it. You pay a monthly fee instead of a full-time salary. Some people call the same role a fractional Chief AI Officer.
What they do
The job has two halves. The first half is to decide which processes to hand to AI, and which to leave alone. The second half is to build the agents and automations, run them, and train your team until the work doesn't depend on an outsider.
One person answers for both halves. That's the difference from buying a tool or hiring an agency for one project.
When you need one
01
You bought AI tools, but few people use them.
02
You have ideas for AI, but nobody has time to own them.
03
A board, investor or client asks what your AI plan is.
04
You want a full-time AI lead one day, but not yet.
Fractional, full-time, agency or consultant?
| Question | Fractional Head of AI | Full-time hire | Agency | Strategy consultant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owns the result | Yes | Yes | For their project | No |
| Builds | Yes | Sometimes | Yes | No |
| Trains your team | Yes | Yes | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Cost | Monthly retainer | About $270K base salary (estimate), plus benefits | Per project | Per project |
| Commitment | Monthly, cancellable | Salary and hiring | Per project | Per project |
What it costs
Published fractional AI retainers in the US start at about $3,500 a month and go past $10,000. The price depends on time and seniority. Salary guides estimate a full-time Head of AI at about $270,000 a year in base pay.
I call my version of the role an embedded AI partner, because I work inside your team. My retainer starts at $5K/month, after a 2-week Assessment for $2,500. You pay software and AI usage on top, in your own accounts.
How to choose one
Ask every candidate these questions. Ask me too.
- What have you built that runs today?
- How will my team run this without you?
- Who owns the accounts and the code?
- What are the prices, and how does it end?
Questions
Is a fractional Head of AI the same as a fractional Chief AI Officer?
Yes, it's the same role. I call it an embedded AI partner, because I work inside your team every week. I don't advise from the outside.
Do we need to be a tech company?
No. Crane Stationery and CBRE aren't tech companies. You need repeated work worth speeding up, and one person on the team who wants to learn.