Fractional Chief AI Officer Jobs UK

A fractional Chief AI Officer in the UK typically costs £4,000-£9,000 per month or £1,000-£1,800 per day, depending on AI maturity and use case complexity. According to Tech Nation and the Turing Institute (Jan 2026): SME/mid-market CAIOs charge £900-£1,300/day, scale-up CAIOs charge £1,000-£1,400/day, financial services AI specialists charge £1,200-£1,700/day, and GenAI/LLM specialists command £1,400-£1,900/day. This represents 53-76% savings compared to a full-time CAIO hire (£180,000-£350,000 annually including benefits and equity).

Most fractional CAIO roles require 10+ years of technology leadership with 5+ years specifically in AI/ML. A strong technical background (PhD in ML/AI, or MSc with extensive industry experience) combined with business acumen is essential. Experience with modern ML frameworks, cloud AI platforms, and increasingly LLMs/generative AI is expected. Board-level communication skills and strategic planning experience are critical.

UK fractional CAIOs typically earn £1,000-£1,800 per day, with financial services and PE-backed tech at the premium end (£1,500-£1,800). Working 2-3 days per week across multiple clients, annual earnings of £200,000-£400,000 are achievable while building a diverse AI leadership portfolio.

Initial engagements typically run 6-12 months with 2-3 days per week commitment. Many CAIOs are brought in for specific initiatives: AI strategy development, LLM implementation, governance framework creation, or building AI teams. Some evolve into ongoing advisory relationships.

About 70% of fractional CAIO roles offer remote or hybrid arrangements - higher than most C-suite roles. AI leadership can often be delivered remotely, though some on-site presence may be needed for stakeholder workshops, board presentations, and team building.

A CAIO has broader strategic responsibility than a Head of Data Science. The CAIO owns AI strategy, governance, ethics, and transformation at the enterprise level, reporting to the CEO or board. They focus on how AI creates business value and manages risk. A Head of Data Science typically focuses on technical execution and team management within a narrower scope.

The most effective approaches are: registering with specialist platforms like Fractional Quest, networking through AI and tech leadership communities (AI UK, Turing Institute events), building relationships with PE firms and VCs who place AI leaders in portfolio companies, and developing a strong LinkedIn presence showcasing AI transformation experience and measurable business outcomes.