[Hiring] Chief AI Officer @5WPR

Role Description

5W Public Relations is building a standalone AI Communications practice — with its own P&L, product suite, and market position. This is not a title inside an existing org. It is a practice to build from scratch.

LLMs are reshaping how brands are perceived. Citations in AI outputs are the new search ranking. Generative Engine Optimization is an emerging discipline with no established leader. This role exists to make 5W that leader — and to build the revenue engine behind it.

What You'll Do

• Productize GEO and Citation Share into three priced offerings with defined SOWs and a recurring revenue structure — within the first 90 days.
• Close five enterprise pilots at $250K+ each and build the pipeline behind them.
• Build the AI Communications org — drawing from 5W's existing talent and external hires you recruit directly.
• Own the public narrative for the practice: keynotes, earned media, podcasts, and LLM citation presence.
• Co-own the category story with firm leadership across all client-facing and market-facing channels.

Qualifications

• Proven track record building or scaling an AI-native or martech business to $10M–$100M in revenue. An exit is a plus.
• Direct experience selling AI, data, or measurement products into Fortune 500 marketing organizations — to CMOs and CEOs, not intermediaries.
• Demonstrated ability to package services into productized, recurring-revenue offerings.
• Technical fluency in LLMs, retrieval, embeddings, and GEO mechanics — enough to be credible with both clients and builders.
• Experience as a public-facing operator: conference stages, media appearances, thought leadership that generates inbound.
• A network of brand-side CMOs, CCOs, and Heads of Growth — not agency-side relationships.
• Founder or P&L ownership experience. You build teams and carry numbers.

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of experience in revenue-generating roles at AI, SaaS, or data companies.
• At least one example of closing six- or seven-figure deals with enterprise brand-side buyers.
• Ability to travel to clients. Role is hub-agnostic; preferred locations include Miami, Austin, LA, London, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, or Singapore.
• Must be based outside the New York metro area.

This Role Is Not For You If

• Your background is primarily agency-side — PR firms, holding companies, or innovation titles without P&L ownership.
• Your last three roles were VP-level positions inside large agencies with no independent revenue responsibility.
• You are a researcher or academic without commercial operating experience.
• You are looking for a title, a team to manage, and a defined playbook. This role requires building all three.