You need an AI leader. You do not need a full-time one, and you cannot find one anyway.
A monthly-retainer fractional AI officer for companies that cannot hire a full-time AI leader. We set up a shared calendar and, for three days a month in total, provide advisory, direction and technological leadership across all AI work inside the company — turning one-off projects into a continuously advancing transformation.
Fractional AI Officer (AIaaS) — Monthly Retainer & Technological Leadership
The problem underneath.
The market for senior AI leadership is brutal, and most organizations do not have enough AI work to justify the salary even if they could win the hire. So the role goes unfilled and the work distributes itself across people who each have another job — which is why AI initiatives in mid-sized organizations tend to be a series of unconnected projects rather than a direction.
This model fills the role at the size it is actually needed. Three days a month, on a shared calendar planned in advance, covering advisory across every AI project in the company, prioritisation and decision support, and the technological leadership that guides model, tool and architecture choices and keeps teams aligned. The predictable cadence is the point: a leader who appears only when there is a crisis cannot set direction.
What the program covers.
Shared Calendar & Monthly Cadence
A regular, predictable working rhythm on a pre-planned shared calendar — three days per month in total.
Advisory Across All AI Work
Comprehensive advisory across every AI project in the company, with prioritisation and decision support.
Direction & Technological Leadership
Technological leadership that guides model, tool and architecture choices and keeps teams aligned.
From One-Off Projects to Continuous Transformation
Tying scattered initiatives to a coherent, continuously advancing AI roadmap.
Who this is for — and who it isn't.
Most providers only answer the first half. The second half saves everybody a quarter.
A good fit if
- You have real AI work but not enough to justify a full-time senior hire
- Your AI projects are unconnected and nobody owns the direction
- You tried to hire an AI leader and could not find or afford one
- You want continuity rather than a project-based engagement
Probably not if
- You need hands-on implementation capacity rather than leadership
- Your AI work is a single project with a clear end
- You already have a capable internal AI leader — advisory may be enough
Questions we get asked.
How is this different from consulting?
A consultant delivers a project and leaves. This is a role: continuous, accountable for direction, and present in the decision rhythm of the company. The commitment is ongoing rather than scoped to a deliverable.
Three days a month — is that enough?
For most mid-sized organizations, yes, because the scarce input is judgement rather than hours. The predictable cadence matters more than the volume; the failure mode is not too few days, it is irregular ones.
Who do you work with inside the company?
Whoever the AI decisions actually run through — typically the CTO or CIO, the AI committee if one exists, and the teams building. Access to the board when a decision needs it.
Can it convert to a full-time hire later?
That is often the right path, and we support it — including helping define the role and evaluate candidates. The interim arrangement is not designed to be permanent.
How does this relate to the six-month consultancy program?
The six-month program builds the governance and the vocabulary. This model sustains it afterwards at a lower intensity. Many engagements run in that order.
Often combined with.
C-Level AI Consultancy
An end-to-end six-month consulting and training program designed for executives and decision-makers.
AI Model Watch and Stack Intelligence
A six-month analysis program that reviews and compares every cloud and local AI model in the world against your organization's real needs.
AI-Augmented Coding Consultancy
A six-day technical program that moves software teams to AI-assisted development.
Talk through Fractional AI Officer (AIaaS) with us.
Start with a free 90-minute assessment. We map where this fits, what it would change, and what it would return — then you decide.