Global Chief AI Officer (CAIO) / VP of AI Engineering

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE / AUTO PARTS

Search Reference: TNF-AU-CAIO-2026 | Enterprise AI Leadership Mandate, Global Automotive

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders has been retained on an exclusive and strictly confidential basis to identify a Global Chief AI Officer / VP of AI Engineering for a global automotive or auto parts manufacturing organization. To protect the interests of our client and of every candidate who engages with us, the identity of the company is disclosed only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. All inquiries and applications are received and managed solely by Top Notch Finders.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer.
• Location: Global, HQ-based with oversight of distributed AI engineering hubs; specifics disclosed to qualified candidates.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Global CAIO defines and executes enterprise-wide artificial intelligence strategy, builds AI engineering and research capability, and governs AI risk and ethics across the organization. This role sits at the center of the automotive industry’s fastest-growing executive hiring category, translating agentic AI and machine learning capability into measurable business ROI.

MARKET CONTEXT

This profile is extremely scarce: an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 qualified U.S. candidates against demand growing more than 40% annually, with roughly 72% of employers globally reporting difficulty filling AI leadership roles.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define the enterprise AI roadmap covering agentic systems, generative AI, predictive analytics, and AI-enabled vehicle features.
• Build and lead AI engineering, data science, and research organizations, including recruiting AI-native technical talent.
• Establish AI governance frameworks and risk management practices aligned with global standards (NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act).
• Partner with the CTO, CFO, and business unit leaders to identify and prioritize AI use cases with measurable ROI.
• Communicate AI strategy, capability, and risk posture to the board, investors, and regulators.
• Evaluate build-versus-buy-versus-partner decisions for AI infrastructure, foundation models, and third-party AI vendors.
• Lead change management and workforce reskilling initiatives to embed AI capability across functions.
• Monitor competitive AI capability benchmarks and ensure the organization remains positioned to attract and retain top AI talent.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years in technology leadership with 8+ years of direct AI/ML leadership experience.
• Background as VP of Engineering at an AI-native company, leadership at a major AI research lab, or CTO experience leading enterprise AI transformation.
• Demonstrated experience deploying agentic AI systems that delivered measurable ROI at enterprise scale.
• Strong understanding of AI governance, ethics, and regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, AI/ML, Data Science, or a related field preferred.
• Executive presence and experience communicating complex AI concepts to boards and non-technical stakeholders.
• Track record building and scaling AI engineering teams in highly competitive talent markets.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND HOW TO APPLY

This is a discreet, retained engagement. Your candidacy will never be presented to any organization without your explicit prior authorization, and no application will be visible to the hiring company at this stage. Accomplished AI executives are invited to submit a resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Please reference search code TNF-AU-CAIO-2026 in your submission. Do not include proprietary, export-controlled, or customer-confidential information of any kind in your application materials. Only candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate will be contacted.