Is someone an interim manager, an ad interim manager or a manager ad interim? The quick answer is: an interim manager — this is the normal term in English.
The word interim on its own is used in many contexts to mean ‘temporary’:
Southern Sudan is to receive interim aid.
Iraq approves an interim constitution.
We will be submitting an interim report next week.
During this interim period, we will deal with applications on an informal basis.
An interim government has been appointed.
It is also used as a noun in the phrase in the interim, meaning ‘in the intervening period, meanwhile’:
In the interim, we are issuing these rules of procedure.
What are you going to do in the interim to safeguard public health?
The phrase ad interim exists in English, but is only used in legal or diplomatic contexts, and then it normally follows the noun it modifies:
The new Chargé d’Affaires ad interim has arrived.
Professor James has been appointed Dean of the Faculty ad interim.
So if you’re working as a manager temporarily, you’re an interim manager. And beware — for most native English speakers and readers, the abbreviation a.i. brings to mind ‘artificial intelligence’ (A.I.), not ‘ad interim’!
