Skip to main content
Consortia
Consortia
Get Help HiringFind work

Service

Fractional Leadership

Fractional leadership for growth, change and key priorities.

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

Not every leadership need calls for a full-time hire. Fractional leadership gives you experienced senior talent for the stage your business is actually at, and for the time it needs.

A fractional leader is an experienced executive who joins your business part-time and takes real responsibility for agreed priorities. That could be a fractional CTO, a fractional CPO, a fractional Chief Data Officer or a fractional UX leader. The arrangement follows what you need: a set number of days each week, a monthly commitment, or support through a defined period.

They become part of your leadership team, not an outside voice looking in. What separates a fractional leader from someone brought in for a single project is continuity. They stay close to founders, executives and teams, and turn priorities into action rather than handing over a report and leaving.

You might be scaling faster than your current team can support. You might be leading through a period of change, preparing for investment, or bringing a new product to market. In each case, a fractional leader can give you direction and a steady hand while the business works out what it needs longer term.

Consortia has placed senior talent across Product, UX, Data and Engineering since 2010. We help businesses across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE find fractional leaders with the right experience, working style and commercial awareness.

Discuss your fractional leadership needs

When should you hire a fractional leader?

Fractional leadership tends to fit when a business needs senior experience, but the role does not yet justify a permanent full-time appointment.

It can be the right move when:

  • Growth has outpaced your current leadership capacity.
  • A function needs clearer ownership and stronger management.
  • You are preparing for investment, expansion or a period of major change.
  • A founder or senior executive needs experienced support on important decisions.
  • You want to build a function properly before hiring a permanent leader.
  • There is an immediate leadership gap that cannot sit open.

A good fractional leader has usually seen your situation before, in businesses at a similar stage. That experience is what lets them spot what needs attention early, help the team focus, and put the foundations in place for what comes next.

Ways to hire

Other ways to hire

  • Executive Search

    Retained search for technology leaders and hard-to-find specialists.

  • Contract Recruitment

    Day-rate and fixed-term specialists for projects, change programmes and interim cover.

  • Permanent Recruitment

    Permanent hires for specialist and leadership roles across technology teams.

Fractional leadership with Consortia

Finding the right fractional leader starts with understanding the problem you need them to solve.

We work with you to define the scope, the outcomes you expect and the amount of leadership time the situation really calls for. We will also tell you honestly if fractional is not the right answer, and whether an interim, contract or permanent hire would serve you better.

Our consultants draw on established networks across Product, UX, Data and Engineering. We assess fractional leaders on relevant delivery experience, availability, knowledge of your business stage, working style, and their ability to make a difference inside a limited number of days. We can also benchmark rate expectations and help both sides agree clear responsibilities from the start.

What our clients and candidates say

Swipe to read more reviews

  • “Diligent, responsive and properly on top of things. One of the best recruiters I've worked with. I'd happily recommend them.”

    Daniel R.

    Software Engineer

  • “Every candidate they sourced was an exact match, which saved us real time. More of a trusted partner now than a recruiter.”

    Mark T.

    Director of Engineering

  • “Brilliant people work here. They care about the whole recruitment process and are always there for candidates throughout.”

    Satish C.

    Candidate

  • “An extremely smooth experience, with quality candidates and outstanding precision throughout the process.”

    Johanna B.

    Talent Acquisition Manager

  • “Expert developers are thin on the ground, but Consortia swiftly provided a strong shortlist and we made a successful appointment.”

    André L.

    CTO

  • “Napoleon was very helpful in mediating between me and my new employer :-).”

    Mirre S.

    Co-Founder

  • “Charlie is a very good professional, very caring with the whole process and gives exceptional feedback.”

    Álvaro M.

Customer Stories

How we've helped

View all case studies

Market insights· Updated October 2026

Fractional leadership insights

The biggest shift we're seeing is growth on both sides. More experienced tech leaders are open to fractional work, and many now choose it. More tech businesses are asking for fractional leaders too. What used to be a stopgap is becoming a normal way to bring senior experience into a team.

The closest comparison is often a non-executive director. Both bring outside experience, a fresh read on the market and a network the business couldn't easily reach. The difference is where they sit. A fractional leader works inside the team, owns outcomes and is there every week, not once a quarter.

Most fractional leaders work with more than one business at a time. That is part of what you're paying for. They see how other teams handle the same problems, often in other sectors, and bring back what works. In fast-moving markets, that wider view can be worth as much as the days themselves.

The model also suits uncertain conditions. Leadership time can go up through a fundraise or a launch, then come back down once things settle. That is a big part of why SMEs and scale-ups use it, where every senior hire is a serious commitment.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between fractional and interim leadership?

An interim leader usually works full time for a fixed period, often covering a gap until a permanent hire starts. A fractional leader works part time on an ongoing basis, often alongside other businesses. Interim tends to suit an urgent vacancy. Fractional tends to suit a business that needs senior experience but is not ready for a full-time role. We will talk through which fits before any search begins.

How many days a week does a fractional leader work?

Roughly one to three days a week is common. In practice, it is set by the budget and by what needs doing. Some arrangements work on a set number of days a month instead. Agree how the leader can be reached on the days they are not in, so decisions do not wait.

How long does a fractional engagement usually last?

It depends on the brief. Some cover a defined stage, such as preparing for investment or building a new function. Others run longer, with the leader becoming a regular part of the leadership team. Agreeing review points at the start makes it easier to change the days, extend, or plan a handover.

How do we make a part-time leader effective with the team?

Be clear from the start about what they own. Agree the decisions they can make, who they report to and how they work alongside existing leaders. Tell the team why they are there. A fractional leader who is treated as part of the leadership team, not as an adviser, tends to get more done in limited days. We help both sides agree those responsibilities before the engagement begins.

Can a fractional leader help us hire a permanent one?

Often, yes. A good engagement leaves a clear brief for the permanent role that follows. A fractional leader can help define that role, sit in on interviews and hand over once the new person starts. Sometimes they become the permanent hire themselves, if the fit is right and they want to go full time. When you reach that stage, we can run the permanent or executive search too.

How are fractional leaders paid?

Most work on a day rate or a fixed monthly fee, usually through their own limited company. Experienced fractional leaders often charge senior rates, so the saving comes from fewer days, not a lower rate. IR35 can apply here too, especially where the leader is closely embedded in the team. We can benchmark rate expectations for your brief.

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 candidates

Looking for fractional leadership opportunities?

More experienced leaders are choosing portfolio careers, working with several businesses at different stages of growth.

We work with fractional leaders across Product, UX, Data and Engineering. Tell us about your experience, your availability and the kinds of problems you are best placed to solve, and our consultants can talk through relevant opportunities.

Submit your profile View all jobs

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.

Get Help Hiring

For candidates

Looking for work?

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

Register To Find Work