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Product

Fractional CPO and Product Leadership

Specialist fractional CPO and product leadership recruiters working across the US, UK, EU and UAE.

Trusted by tech teams from start-ups to globally recognised brands

  • eBay
  • Ocado
  • Sainsbury's
  • Bose
  • LexisNexis
  • Entain
  • babylon
  • Paymentsense
  • FNZ
  • Auto1
  • Synthace
  • PokerStars
  • eConsult
  • Lloyds Pharmacy
Five-star review
“Consortia have come through for me again and again: my first Head of Product role, strong PMs for my team, salary benchmarking and contract work. Can't rate them highly enough.”

Duncan M. · Head of Product, SaaS scaleup

5.0 on Google from 200+ reviews

Overview

How fractional CPO and product leadership works

Plenty of teams need senior product experience long before they need a full-time CPO. Consortia places fractional CPOs and interim product leaders, including experienced heads of product, who set direction, sharpen the roadmap and build the function a few days a week or for a fixed period.

It fits scale-ups not yet ready for a permanent product leader, businesses between hires, and teams working through a pivot, a fundraise or a step change in growth. Most briefs come down to agreeing priorities, setting a working rhythm the team will keep, and hiring the product managers who carry it on.

Fit with the engagement matters as much as track record. Before anyone is put forward, we agree the days, the length and what the leader is there to fix. It sits within our wider Fractional Leadership service. If a full-time hire becomes the right answer, our permanent product leadership network means we can move straight to that search. We search for product leaders across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE.

Customer Stories

How we've helped

View all case studies

Rates

What a fractional product leader costs

Fractional product leaders charge by the day, and the rate depends on the engagement. Two companies bringing in a fractional CPO in the same month can pay quite different amounts. That is why there is no rate table on this page.

What shapes the rate

  • Time commitment. Roughly one to three days a week is typical, depending on the budget and what needs doing.
  • Length of engagement. A three-month piece of work to reset product direction is priced differently from an open-ended leadership role.
  • Scope. Some fractional leaders advise the founder and the board. Others lead the product team day to day, set priorities and hire.
  • Experience. Someone who has been CPO through a scale-up or an exit sits at a different rate from a first-time fractional Head of Product.
  • Company stage. Early-stage businesses sometimes agree a lower day rate alongside equity.
  • The individual. Fractional leaders set their own rates, often around their other clients and commitments.

A rate range for your brief

Tell us what you need the role to do. We'll give you a realistic rate range based on what fractional product leaders charge now, and tell you if an interim or permanent hire would suit the work better.

Share Your Brief

No job description needed. Prefer to talk it through? Speak to a consultant.

Fractional product leader looking for your next engagement? Get in touch with the product team.

Live jobs

Live Product jobs

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Candidates

Product candidates available now

Anonymous profiles of people we represent today. Ask about one and a specialist consultant will come back to you with the full picture.

  • ContractActive

    Senior Product Manager

    Insurance

    Germany · Remote · €690 a day

    A senior product designer with 6 to 9 years experience focusing on payments, API platforms and AI product development for B2B enterprise customers. They have led delivery in small engineering teams, building a developer platform for AI native developers from scratch and owning end to end delivery. They also secured early funding and ran pilots automating on site energy audits across multiple buildings. Comfortable with stakeholder management and flexible working, they are open to fintech roles.

    Ask about this candidate

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FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Should we bring in a fractional Head of Product or hire a senior product manager?

A fractional product leader suits a business that needs direction: settling priorities, shaping the function, supporting founders or hiring the first product managers. A senior product manager suits a business where the direction is broadly clear and the need is hands-on delivery. Some businesses use both, with the fractional leader setting things up for a permanent team.

What does a fractional product leader usually do in the first few months?

Typically they start by understanding the product, the customers and the team. From there they agree priorities with leadership, set up a working rhythm for planning, discovery and reporting, and look at where the team needs support. Many also help write the brief for permanent product hires. The exact focus depends on what they were brought in to fix.

What should a fractional product leader leave behind?

A product function that runs without them. That usually means clear priorities, a planning and decision process the team actually uses, stronger product managers, and a well-defined brief for the permanent leader who follows. Agreeing what success looks like at the start makes the handover much easier to judge.

Can a fractional product leader help us prepare for investment?

Often, yes. Investors tend to ask about product direction, what customers use and how the team decides what to build. A fractional product leader can help sharpen those answers, put useful product measures in place and show a credible plan for the function. They work alongside founders rather than replacing the founder story.

How do I start working with Consortia?

Clients can get in touch to discuss a brief, and candidates are welcome to register their interest. The quickest route is our contact page or a call to +44 203 397 4565, and one of our consultants will pick things up from there.

For clients

Need help hiring?

Tell us the role and we'll come back inside a working day with the consultants who know the market.

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For candidates

Looking for work?

Browse live tech roles or send us your CV. A specialist consultant reviews every submission.

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