CivSec GroupSyndicatedFractional
Acquisition CFO / Finance Director (Fractional)Chief financial officer recruitment agency · Finance Director · fractional, interim, part-time, permanent
CFO Recruitment Agency · Finance Director Recruitment Agency
A CFO recruitment agency for every shape of the seat: Fractional Quest recruits fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent chief financial officers (finance directors). The CFO owns the numbers the board decides against: cash, capital, forecast and the finance function that produces them.
Reviewed by Fractional Quest · updated 23 October 2026 · 5 sources linked below
- £700–£1,400fractional day rate
- 3–5our shortlist
Fractional seats our founder has held
Climatise
One Up Productions
CK Delta
In the press
- Financial TimesThe executives going ‘fractional’, not freelance
- International FinanceRenting the C-suite, and why the fractional executive era has arrived
The agency
What a CFO recruitment agency should find for you
Brief us on the scope, the engagement and the start date. We come back with a shortlist of 3–5, each with rate or salary, availability and IR35 position set out. The board below shows current CFO roles, labelled by engagement.
The CFO owns the numbers the board decides against: cash, capital, forecast and the finance function that produces them. A good CFO recruitment agency recruits for that scope, not for the title: the cash forecast and runway model the board actually decides against, fundraising, debt facilities and lender or investor relationships, unit economics, pricing and margin by product and channel, and board and investor reporting that survives scrutiny and controls, audit readiness and the shape of the finance team.
We recruit the seat in every shape. A fractional CFO holds the seat on a standing weekly commitment, attends the board, owns the forecast and leads any raise, while your bookkeeper keeps the ledger. It suits a business that needs CFO judgement every week but not CFO hours every day. A part-time CFO works set days each week as part of your team, often employed on a pro-rata contract rather than holding a portfolio. It suits a steady-state business that wants the same finance lead on the same days for the long term. A permanent CFO is right when the seat is full-time work: a scale-up past its growth round, a business preparing for audit committee scrutiny, or a group with several entities to consolidate.
The seat in more depth: CFO services · fractional CFO services · interim CFO services · part-time CFO services · CFO recruitment · current CFO roles · what a CFO does.
On the board · last 90 days
Current CFO roles on the board
From our jobs feed. Where a posting states no rate, “est” is our estimate from the seat’s published band; ◆ marks days a week the posting states.
12 of 12 roles
Function
Engagement
- fin-houseSyndicatedFractionalFractional CFO
- KeelCFOSyndicatedFractionalFractional CFO
- Global Digital GroupSyndicatedFractionalFractional CFO (Path to Group CFO)
- AmitoursSyndicatedFractionalFractional CFO
- MotorwaySyndicatedInterimInterim Head of Financial Control (3-6 month contract)
- Marks & SpencerSyndicatedContractHead of Finance Controllership - 18 Month Fixed Term Contract
- LRO Financial ConsultancySyndicatedFractionalFractional Financial Controller
- PHIXSyndicatedFractionalPart time / Fractional Finance Director
- FermtechSyndicatedFractionalFinancial Controller (fractional)
- fin-houseSyndicatedContractFinance lead - fast track to fractional cfo
- Cyber Chain AllianceSyndicatedFractionalFractional Head of FP&A | Shape the financial future of a growing cyber consultancy
Every fractional role in the UK is on the fractional jobs board.
Three seats
What does a fractional seat look like in practice?
Three fractional seats our founder has held. Real companies, named with their permission; we state only what the seat covered.
Fractional seats our founder has held
ClimatiseFractional · go-to-marketA carbon-reporting software company that needed go-to-market leadership before a full-time hire.
- Seat
- Fractional go-to-market lead
- Days
- Two days a week
- Scope
- Go-to-market
One Up ProductionsFractional · go-to-marketA production company that needed both the go-to-market strategy and its execution.
- Seat
- Fractional go-to-market: strategy and execution
- Days
- Two days a week
- Scope
- Go-to-market
CK DeltaFractional · technologyTechnology work: tech stack implementation.
- Seat
- Fractional technology lead
These are seats our founder has held, not placements.
The scope
What we assess — and what we do not confuse it with
Assessed against the brief. The cash forecast and runway model the board actually decides against; fundraising, debt facilities and lender or investor relationships; unit economics, pricing and margin by product and channel; board and investor reporting that survives scrutiny; controls, audit readiness and the shape of the finance team.
Out of scope. Bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns and statutory accounts preparation sit with your bookkeeper or accountant. A CFO absorbed into that work has been mis-scoped and is the most expensive way to buy it.
The neighbouring seats. A CFO answers "what happens if we do this"; a financial controller answers "what happened last month". In the UK the same seat is often sold as finance director at smaller revenue.
When companies come to a CFO recruitment agency: A raise or refinance on the horizon, a lender asking for a plan, revenue that has outgrown the accountant, or a board that no longer trusts the forecast.
The process
How does a brief become a shortlist?
Six steps, one accountable person at each. We don’t promise a shortlist by a date; the weeks below are what a well-scoped brief usually takes.
- Day 001The 15-minute callThe seat, the engagement shape, the days or hours, the start date and the budget. No account needed; a call or a written brief.You and us
- Week 102Scope agreed in writingThe outcome the seat exists for, which days, and how the engagement will run for IR35. A brief that describes a person rather than a job, we rewrite with you.Us
- Weeks 1–203Search and approachWe approach people who aren’t looking and verify prior tenure in the seat at your scale and stage.Us
- Weeks 2–304References, taken by usFrom recent clients and boards: what they delivered, not what they titled it.Us
- Week 305Shortlist of three to fiveEach with day rate or salary, availability and IR35 position set out. You interview and decide.You
- Week 406Kick-offScope, first-month outcomes and the contract agreed before day one.You, them and us
What it costs
CFO rates what the published benchmarks say
Every figure is the named source’s own published band. Fractional Quest publishes no fees: each candidate on a shortlist states their own rate.
| Benchmark | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional CFO day rate | £700–£1,400 | FD Capital 2026 |
| Interim CFO day rate | £650–£1,500 | FD Capital 2026 |
| Permanent CFO salary (25th–75th percentile) | £132,500–£220,500 | Robert Half 2026 |
Your figures
What does part of a CFO’s week cost?
Rate × days × weeks, against a loaded full-time package. Move the sliders; the numbers redraw.
- CFO band £700–£1,400 (FD Capital 2026)
Year-one cost, fractional
£96,600
Fractional costs less in year one by£105,625
Our arithmetic. £176,500 Robert Half 2026 median salary + employer NI at 15% above £5,000 (HMRC) = £202,225. Excludes pension, bonus and any search fee.
Against the alternatives
Recruitment agency, headhunter or job board
Four ways to fill a CFO seat, on the dimensions that decide between them.
| Recruitment agency (us) | Retained headhunter | Job board | Your own network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A shortlist of 3–5, each with rate, availability and IR35 position | A retained search for one permanent appointment | Applications, unfiltered | Whoever you already know |
| Engagements | Fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent | Permanent, sometimes interim | Mostly permanent | Whatever they will agree to |
| Assessment | Five-stage vetting against your brief | Deep assessment of a long list | None | Your own judgement |
| Best when | You want options across engagement shapes, quickly briefed | A confidential permanent search at the top of the market | A well-known role with many applicants | You have the right person already |
| Commercials | Agreed in writing per engagement | Retainer, typically in stages | A listing fee | Your time |
The decision
Which CFO engagement to brief us for
Match the shape to the work, not the title.
- Weekly judgementFractional CFOA fractional CFO holds the seat on a standing weekly commitment, attends the board, owns the forecast and leads any raise, while your bookkeeper keeps the ledger. It suits a business that needs CFO judgement every week but not CFO hours every day.
- Now, full-timeInterim CFOA resignation or exit leaves the board without its finance lead mid-year. An interim CFO holds the seat full-time, keeps the audit and the lenders on track, and hands over to the permanent appointment.
- For yearsPermanent CFOA permanent CFO is right when the seat is full-time work: a scale-up past its growth round, a business preparing for audit committee scrutiny, or a group with several entities to consolidate.
Vetting
How do we vet a CFO?
Five stages before anyone reaches a shortlist of three to five.
- Pedigree screenTenureWe verify prior tenure in the seat, at the scale and stage you need. No consultant presenting as an executive.
- Mandate fitFitFit to your stage, sector and the problem the seat exists to solve, not a CV keyword.
- Reference deep-diveVerifyWe take references ourselves, from recent clients and boards: what they delivered, not what they titled it.
- ShortlistShortlistThree to five candidates, each with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
- Kick-offStartScope, first-month outcomes and the contract agreed before day one.
The full process is on how we vet.
how the search runs
How our CFO recruitment agency works from brief to start date
Brief. A scoping call on the seat, the engagement shape, the days or hours, the start date and what success looks like in the first ninety days. The brief names the decisions the CFO will own.
Search and assessment. We search the market for your brief, then assess against the brief through our five-stage vetting: qualification, mandate fit, reference deep-dive, shortlist and analysis, kick-off.
Shortlist. 3–5 chief financial officers, each with day rate or salary expectation, availability and IR35 position set out, so you compare like with like.
Interviews and start. You meet the shortlist; we handle the offer, references and the contract shape. Start dates depend on each candidate’s availability — fractional and interim executives hold a portfolio, so a start date is agreed rather than immediate.
choosing an agency
Choosing a CFO recruitment agency four questions to ask
Do they recruit every shape? Many recruiters place permanent CFOs only, or interim only. If you are not yet sure whether the seat is fractional, interim, part-time or permanent, choose an agency that recruits all four and let the brief decide.
Do they assess the scope? Ask what the agency tests for. For the CFO seat that is the cash forecast and runway model the board actually decides against and fundraising, debt facilities and lender or investor relationships, not a CV keyword match.
Do they check standing? Check a finance leader’s professional standing before you sign; see ICAEW’s directory of chartered accountants.
Do they set out IR35? For a fractional or interim CFO, each candidate’s IR35 position should be on the shortlist, and the engagement written to match how it will actually run — HMRC’s guidance for clients sets out who determines status.
The right route
Agency, recruiter, interim or permanent?
Three taps. Say how much senior work there is, for how long, and whether it is one leader or a run of hires; the tool names the route.
The route · Fractional recruiter
An embedded fractional recruiter.
A hiring plan to work through below the leadership team is a talent-acquisition job: a recruiter inside your business for part of the week, paid for their time. We don’t supply them; the page below explains the role.
The route · Non-executive director
A non-executive director.
Independent oversight and constructive challenge, not executive direction. We recruit NEDs through the same brief process.
The route · Advisor
An advisor, not yet a seat.
Less than a day a week of senior input is advisory. Buy it as a scoped engagement; when it grows into a day or more, brief us for a fractional executive.
The route · Interim
An interim executive.
Four or five days for a fixed period is interim: cover for a departure, a turnaround or a transaction. The IIM puts the UK average at £907 a day and ten months.
The route · Permanent
A permanent search.
Four or five days of work, ongoing, is a full-time seat. We recruit permanent executives through the same brief process.
The route · Fractional executive
Brief a fractional recruitment agency.
Senior judgement for part of the week: a fractional CFO, CTO, CMO or COO on one to three days. We come back with a shortlist of three to five, each with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
We recruit executives. We don’t supply embedded fractional recruiters; where that is the right route, the tool says so.
Clients
What do companies say about our fractional work?
From a company where our founder has held a fractional seat. Name and logo given with the client’s permission.
“Excellent fractional support for building both our go-to-market strategy and our execution.”
Charlie AndersonDirector, One Up ProductionsWhere we are
Where is Fractional Quest?
Where we are
71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ
Fractional Quest Ltd, registered in England and Wales, no. 17322105. This is our registered office; meetings are by appointment, and most briefs start on a 15-minute call.
Questions
CFO recruitment agency questions, answered
It finds and assesses chief financial officers for your brief. Fractional Quest recruits CFOs on fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent engagements (the seat is also hired as finance director): you brief us on scope, engagement and start date, and we come back with a shortlist of 3–5, each with rate or salary, availability and IR35 position set out, assessed through our five-stage vetting.
Our fees are agreed with each client in writing per engagement, so there is no figure on this site. What we can show is what the market publishes on pay: Fractional CFO day rate £700–£1,400 (FD Capital 2026); Interim CFO day rate £650–£1,500 (FD Capital 2026); Permanent CFO salary (25th–75th percentile) £132,500–£220,500 (Robert Half 2026).
Fractional when you need CFO judgement every week but not every day; interim when you need full-time cover or a change led now; part-time when the load is steady and you want the same person long term; permanent when the seat is full-time work for years. A CFO answers "what happens if we do this"; a financial controller answers "what happened last month". In the UK the same seat is often sold as finance director at smaller revenue.
Yes. We recruit fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent executives and non-executive directors. A permanent CFO is right when the seat is full-time work: a scale-up past its growth round, a business preparing for audit committee scrutiny, or a group with several entities to consolidate.
The seat’s real scope: the cash forecast and runway model the board actually decides against; fundraising, debt facilities and lender or investor relationships; unit economics, pricing and margin by product and channel; board and investor reporting that survives scrutiny; controls, audit readiness and the shape of the finance team. We also check what is out of scope, because bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns and statutory accounts preparation sit with your bookkeeper or accountant. A CFO absorbed into that work has been mis-scoped and is the most expensive way to buy it.
A permanent or part-time employee is on your payroll, so IR35 does not arise. A fractional or interim CFO working through their own company falls under the off-payroll rules: for medium and large private-sector clients, the client makes the status determination. Every candidate on our shortlist states their IR35 position.
Sources
Where does every figure on this page come from?
The primary publisher for each number, linked. Where a figure is our own arithmetic, the page says so where it appears.
- FD Capital
- HMRC
- legislation.gov.uk
- 1How much does a CFO earn? 2026 FD CapitalFractional CFO £700–£1,400 a day; London premium of 15–20%.
- 2Understanding off-payroll working (IR35) HMRCStatus depends on how the engagement runs; medium and large clients make the determination.
- 3Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 HMRCEmployer National Insurance at 15% above £5,000 a year.
- 4
- 5Employment Agencies Act 1973 legislation.gov.ukThe law a recruitment agency works under; no fee to a work-seeker.
