Scope

Head of AI is the operator. They hire the team, set the build-versus-buy line, and make sure models reach a product or a process. In a company without a Chief AI Officer, this person often holds the strategy too.

Required experience

Has managed managers, not only researchers. Has taken a model from a notebook into a system other teams rely on. Knows when the work belongs in product and when it belongs in a platform group.

Interview focus

Ask who they hired first, what they refused to build, and how they split research from delivery. Look for a reporting line they can defend.

Sample job description

Build and run the AI team. Set the roadmap with product and engineering. Put the first use cases into production and retire the ones that do not earn their cost. Report to the CEO or the CTO, as the company decides.