CHIEF Data Officer

# Chief AI OfficerGlobal EnterpriseHybrid · London / New York / Dubai £200,000–£350,000 42 days ago 24 interestedAI StrategyExecutive LeadershipAI GovernanceEnterprise AIBoard Reporting## Job DescriptionThe Chief AI Officer is the most senior AI leadership role in an enterprise — owning the AI vision, strategy, governance and transformation agenda at board level. The CAIO is not a title given to a data scientist who got promoted, nor a CDO with AI responsibilities bolted on. It is a distinct executive role that combines deep technical credibility with the strategic, commercial and political skills to lead organisation-wide AI transformation.As of 2026, fewer than 15% of Fortune 500 companies have a dedicated CAIO. Within three years, this will be considered a standard C-suite position. The organisations hiring now are getting their AI governance, culture and capability foundations right before regulatory pressure, competitive disruption or a high-profile AI failure forces the issue.Role & Responsibilities:• Define and own the enterprise AI strategy: identifying where AI creates competitive advantage, building the investment case and securing board-level commitment and budget• Lead the AI transformation agenda: coordinating AI initiatives across business units, eliminating duplication, building shared infrastructure and ensuring AI programmes collectively advance enterprise strategy• Own the enterprise AI governance framework: responsible AI policy, ethics committees, model risk management, regulatory compliance and board-level AI oversight• Build the AI organisation: hiring the CAIO leadership team, establishing the AI Centre of Excellence, designing the operating model that balances centralised governance with business unit execution• Manage the AI vendor ecosystem: Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, AWS, Databricks and specialist AI vendors — commercial relationships, strategic partnerships and make-or-buy decisions• Represent the organisation externally on AI: industry bodies, regulatory consultations, media, investor relations and talent brand positioning as an AI-forward employer• Report to the board on AI performance: portfolio progress, value realised, risk posture, capability maturity and competitive benchmarking• Shape AI culture: building AI literacy across the organisation, creating the psychological safety needed for employees to engage constructively with AI changeRequired Skills & Experience:• 15+ years of technology leadership experience with at least 5 years at VP or C-suite level• Demonstrable track record of delivering AI programmes at scale in production — not just strategy documents• Deep technical credibility: you can assess AI architectures, challenge vendors on capability claims and evaluate whether an engineering team's approach is sound — without needing to write the code yourself• Board-level communication: you have presented AI strategy and risk to non-executive directors, institutional investors and regulatory bodies• P&L ownership: you have managed significant technology budgets and are accountable for business outcomes, not just delivery milestones• Experience across the full AI stack: data infrastructure, model development, AI application delivery, MLOps and AI governance• Strong understanding of AI regulation: EU AI Act, UK AI Safety Institute framework, NIST AI RMF and emerging sector-specific AI requirementsWhat We Offer:• Board-level executive role with full AI mandate• Total compensation £200,000–£350,000 depending on organisation size and structure• Equity participation where applicable• Direct report to CEO with board committee responsibilitiesThe Chief AI Officer role is rare today and will be universal tomorrow. If you have led AI transformation at scale, have the technical depth to lead by example and the executive presence to take AI strategy to the boardroom, this is the role that defines the next phase of your career. #J-18808-Ljbffr