Role Overview :

The Chief AI Officer (CAIO) will be responsible for transforming the organization into an AI-enabled IT services company. This role combines strategic vision, technical depth, and commercial acumen leading efforts to build internal AI capabilities, develop new AI-led service offerings, and directly support sales and delivery teams in winning and executing AI-focused client projects.

This is a hands-on leadership role suited for a senior professional who can build from scratch, drive execution, sales, and deliver measurable business impact through AI and data-driven transformation.

Key Responsibilities :

1. AI Strategy & Leadership :

- Define a clear, phased AI roadmap aligned with the companys growth goals and client base.

- Identify priority areas (automation, data analytics, GenAI, chatbots, process optimization, etc.) where AI can create immediate value.

- Work with leadership to position the firm as an AI-forward services partner in the market.

- Represent the company at client meetings, conferences, and industry forums as the AI thought leader.

2. Capability Development :

- Build a small, high-performing AI/ML and data engineering team internal or through strategic partnerships.

- Create a Center of Competence for AI that defines reusable models, best practices, and frameworks.

- Mentor internal delivery and pre-sales teams to understand and apply AI concepts in client contexts.

- Stay current on emerging technologies (LLMs, vector databases, MLOps, etc.) and bring practical innovation into the firm.

3. Business Growth & Sales Support :

- Partner with sales leadership to develop AI-driven solutions and proposals for existing and new clients.

- Create case studies, proof-of-concepts, and demos showcasing how AI can solve specific business problems.

- Assist in client consulting, RFP responses, and presentations to articulate the business value of AI.

- Develop go-to-market (GTM) offerings for key verticals (e.g., retail, healthcare, BFSI, manufacturing etc).

4. Delivery & Execution :

- Oversee the design and implementation of AI/ML projects from data strategy to model deployment.

- Work hands-on with data scientists, engineers, and solution architects to ensure quality and scalability.

- Establish processes for AI governance, including model validation, ethics, and performance tracking.

5. Partnerships & Ecosystem :

- Build alliances with cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), AI startups, and open-source communities.

- Explore collaborations with academic and research institutions for innovation and talent access.

Qualifications :

- 10-15 years of experience in IT services / consulting / product engineering, with at least 35 years in AI leadership or practice building.

- Strong knowledge of machine learning, data science, GenAI (LLMs, NLP, Vision, etc.), and cloud platforms.

- Proven experience in developing and delivering AI-led solutions to clients.

- Ability to bridge business and technology articulate value, not just algorithms.

- Experience in sales enablement, pre-sales consulting, and client delivery.

- Bachelors/Masters degree in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or related discipline.

Preferred Attributes :

- Entrepreneurial, hands-on builder mindset

- Excellent storytelling and presentation skills

- Strategic thinker who can balance innovation with execution

- Collaborative, with experience influencing sales, delivery, and leadership teams

- Results-driven with focus on ROI and measurable business impact

Success Metrics :

- % of revenue from AI-led projects or services

- Number of AI-driven client wins or upsells

- Internal AI capability maturity (skills, tools, frameworks)

- Efficiency gains from AI-driven automation in delivery

- Brand visibility and thought leadership in AI