State Bank of India (SBI) is hiring a General Manager and Chief AI Officer on a fixed-term contract, with an annual CTC of up to ₹1.6 crore. The post is one of six senior AI roles under advertisement CRPD/SCO/2026-27/30, and the last date to apply online has been extended to 16 November 2026.

The roles span risk analytics, AI governance, data engineering and architecture, a sign that India’s largest lender is building a dedicated AI leadership layer. SBI’s research arm has already been tracking the economics of AI closely, including the debt big tech is raising to fund AI spending.

SBI Chief AI Officer: role, pay and eligibility

According to the bank’s advertisement dated 19 October 2026, the Chief AI Officer will lead the implementation and operation of machine learning, AI and natural language processing tools to improve efficiency and reduce risk. The job profile includes designing an enterprise AI platform for generative and agentic AI, and delivering AI solutions at scale with integrations such as a Cloudera data lakehouse and enterprise API platforms.

Key responsibilities listed by SBI include:

• Setting up permanent control towers for AI and data products with business teams
• Monitoring the performance, impact and ongoing risk of deployed AI models
• Overseeing an independent model validation team
• Running training and adoption programmes for operational staff

Candidates must be 40 to 55 years old as on 30 September 2026, with at least 15 years of experience, preferably in banking, BFSI or IT. At least three of those years must be in senior leadership across AI, analytics, model oversight, governance and business transformation. The advertisement is explicit that “Individual contributor role experience does not count towards these three years.”

The five other AI posts

Alongside the Chief AI Officer, SBI is hiring three Deputy General Managers, for Risk and Operational Analytics, AI Governance and Compliance, and Data Engineering, Model Application Development and AI Ops, with a CTC ceiling of ₹1.2 crore. Two architect roles, AI Solution Architect and Enterprise AI Architect, carry a ceiling of ₹90 lakh.

All six posts carry a three-year term, renewable for two more years. The CTC is negotiable. The posting is in Mumbai or anywhere in India.

How to apply and selection process

Applications are accepted only online through the SBI careers current openings page. A corrigendum dated 4 November 2026 moved the last date from 9 November to 16 November and widened some qualification and experience rules. Selection is by shortlisting, an interview of 100 marks and CTC negotiation; for the Chief AI Officer and DGM posts, the interview includes a 10-minute presentation. The application fee is ₹750 for General, EWS and OBC candidates, with no fee for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.

Why it matters for AI in Indian banking

Three of the six roles focus on governance, model risk and validation. That reflects the pressure on banks to control AI as it moves into core operations, at a time when CERT-In has warned about AI agents reading Indian firms’ data undetected and about the Crafty Falcon AI hacking campaign targeting fintechs.

SBI is not alone. Indian Bank has advertised eight contractual posts for its AI Cell, including a Responsible AI Officer, with applications due by 1 December 2026. Senior AI hiring is picking up across the sector, as seen when Sashikumar Sreedharan joined Sarvam AI as President and CBO.

Key takeaways

• SBI is hiring a Chief AI Officer with a CTC of up to ₹1.6 crore a year on a fixed-term contract.
• Five more senior AI posts cover risk analytics, AI governance, AI Ops and architecture.
• The last date to apply online is 16 November 2026.

FAQ

What is the last date to apply for the SBI Chief AI Officer post?

The last date for online registration and fee payment is 16 November 2026, extended from 9 November 2026.

What salary does SBI offer its Chief AI Officer?

The upper range of the annual CTC is ₹1.6 crore, split 90% fixed and 10% variable.

Who can apply for the SBI Chief AI Officer role?

Candidates aged 40 to 55 with at least 15 years of experience, including three or more years of senior AI and analytics leadership.

Featured image: State Bank of India headquarters, Mumbai. Photo: Digamber / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

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