Hire a fractional Head of AI / ML — models and features that ship
A fractional Head of AI / ML leads applied AI delivery: architecture, evaluation, data pipelines, and the small team shipping AI features into production.
- • Shortlist in 48 hours
- • Flat $1,000 placement fee, not 25–30% of comp
- • Vetted C-suite and VP operators
- • Fractional, interim, or advisory
When to hire a fractional Head of AI
Most companies hire a fractional Head of AI when the founder or existing team can no longer own the ai / ml function at executive depth. Common triggers:
- AI features are prototyped but never reach production quality
- There are no evals, so quality regressions go unnoticed
- Inference costs are unmanaged and growing
- Your engineers need senior AI guidance, not a strategy deck
- You need to hire ML engineers and have no one to assess them
What a fractional Head of AI owns
A fractional Head of AI operates as your accountable Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning on a part-time basis. Typical scope:
- — Applied AI architecture and model/vendor selection
- — Evaluation harnesses, quality gates, and monitoring
- — Data pipelines, retrieval design, and feature stores
- — Cost, latency, and reliability engineering
- — Roadmap for AI features with product and engineering
- — Hiring bar, interviews, and mentoring for ML engineers
Engagement models
Fractional (ongoing)
1–3 days per week on a recurring basis. Best when you need executive judgment in the business every week, but not a full-time hire yet.
Interim (full-time, fixed term)
Full-time coverage for 3–9 months. Best for a vacancy, a fundraise, an M&A event, or a turnaround.
Project / advisory
Scoped engagement (10–40 hours) tied to a specific deliverable — a plan, a system, a hire, a diligence.
How much does a fractional Head of AI cost?
Hire a fractional Head of AI in your city
Every metro page covers local market dynamics, city-adjusted retainer ranges, and the hiring triggers we see most often in that market. 120 metros across the lower 48 states.
West
Texas & South Central
Midwest
Southeast
Northeast & Mid-Atlantic
Nationwide
Frequently asked questions
- What does a fractional Head of AI / ML do?
- A fractional Head of AI / ML leads applied AI delivery part-time: architecture, evaluations, data pipelines, cost and latency engineering, and mentoring the engineers who ship AI features.
- How much does a fractional Head of AI cost?
- Retainers typically run $10,000–$25,000 per month, or $200–$500 per hour.
- Head of AI or Chief AI Officer?
- Hire a Head of AI / ML when the need is shipping production AI. Hire a Chief AI Officer when the need is enterprise strategy, governance, and portfolio decisions across business units.
Ready to hire your Head of AI / ML?
Post your role or request a curated shortlist — most companies get one inside 48 hours.