Hire a Fractional CFO · Fractional CFO Jobs UK
Fractional CFO Jobs · Hire a fractional CFO, or hire a CFO · how to hire a fractional CFO
Hire a fractional CFO — a part-time chief financial officer, 1–3 days a week, typically £700–£1,400 a day (specialists to £1,600, FD Capital). Bring a brief and we come back with a shortlist of 3–5 — or browse live fractional CFO jobs UK below.
- £700–£1,400 a day · FD Capital 2026
- 1–3 days a week
- 3–5 candidates per shortlist
- 5 stages of vetting
How a brief runswhat we undertake
- 01Brief30-MINUTE SCOPING CALLDay 0
- 02Shortlist of 3–5VETTED · RATE BENCHMARK · IR35After the brief
- 03InterviewsYOU MEET THE SHORTLISTYour diary
- 04Scoped startFIRST-MONTH OUTCOMES AGREEDYou set the date
- 05Fractional, interim and permanentIR35 POSITION SET OUTOn every brief
Shortlist3–5
In the press
FM Magazine (AICPA & CIMA) How to make the fractional CFO-client relationship effective · 20 May 2026
FM Magazine, the AICPA & CIMA title, asked practitioners what makes a fractional CFO engagement work: agreed scope, real access to the numbers and a set rhythm of communication. It is the checklist to bring to your first call with us.
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes to hire a fractional CFO
Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with fractional CFO candidates, their day rates and availability.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02We scope the role and the days a week
- 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
- 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Pick a day that suits · live availability
Fractional CFO jobs · last 3 months
Live Fractional CFO jobs
01/ one brief, four routes
Fractional, interim, outsourced, full-time.
A fractional CFO is not a smaller CFO, and not a bigger bookkeeper. It is the same seat — the forecast, the runway, the board pack, the raise — bought by the day instead of by the year. The difference that matters most is who actually does the work: an outsourced or virtual CFO service is delivered by analysts with a named CFO overseeing, while a fractional CFO is personally in the seat.
FRACTIONAL
The named CFO, part of the week
1–3 days a week, sustained. Owns the forecast, the cash runway, the board pack and the fundraise, alongside your existing bookkeeper or finance team.
INTERIM
The named CFO, full-time for a period
Cover for a departure, a restructure or a transaction. See hire an interim CFO.
OUTSOURCED / VIRTUAL
A service, delivered by a firm
Analysts do the work and a named CFO oversees it. Suits routine reporting at volume.
FULL-TIME
The CFO and their team, every day
Salary plus employer NI, pension and bonus. Suits sustained scale and complexity.
Owns finance — not a bookkeeper. A fractional CFO owns the forecast, the cash runway, the board pack and the fundraise. The company defines the outcome; the CFO decides how the finance function gets there.
02/ the four ideas
What is a fractional CFO?
A fractional CFO — a fractional chief financial officer — is a part-time CFO who owns the finance function at board level, 1–3 days a week: more than a bookkeeper, more strategic than a controller. Fractional CFO jobs are how finance leaders hold more than one of these seats at once. Four ideas define the model.
01 · cadence
Senior CFO capability, 1–3 days a week.
Senior, proven CFO capability across a defined slice of the week, without a full-time salary.
02 · role
Not a bookkeeper, not a controller.
Owns the forecast, the runway, the board pack and the fundraise.
03 · structure
A defined scope, set out in writing.
The engagement names the outcome, the days a week and the deliverables — often starting with a 1–3 month engagement. IR35 status depends on how the engagement runs in practice.
04 · horizon
Ongoing, not fixed-term.
Engagements run through clean-up, fundraising and early scale-up, often ending when the company appoints a full-time CFO — and the CFO usually holds more than one client.
03/ rates
Fractional CFO rates by company stage.
Day rates and monthly retainers scale with company complexity, and the band, not the person, is what usually moves. Fundraising-heavy mandates command the top of each band because the work compresses into a short window.
- Typical UK band£700–£1,400FD Capital 2026
- Growth-stage£600–£750FD Capital 2026
- Senior (PE / listed)£750–£950FD Capital 2026
- Executive (exit / IPO)£950–£1,200FD Capital 2026
- Fundraising specialist£1,200–£1,600FD Capital 2026
Two FD Capital pages, two cuts of the market: the pricing guide’s experience tiers and the CFO guide’s typical and specialist bands. No source publishes regional CFO day rates, so none are shown.
04/ comparison
Fractional CFO vs the alternatives.
How the fractional model compares to interim, outsourced/virtual CFO services and a full-time appointment. Read the “who does the work” row first — it is the row that decides the other four.
→ Interim covers the whole seat for a period; fractional covers part of it for as long as you need.
→ A service gives you a capability; a fractional CFO gives you a person accountable for the number.
→ Either way, the number has an owner. A full-time package, or two days a week.
05/ the contract
The fractional CFO job description: scope, contract and terms.
A fractional CFO engagement is written around a scope — the outcome, the days a week, the deliverables and the notice. IR35 status depends on how the engagement runs in practice, and a medium or large client makes the status determination. CFO office-holder duties need specific care — take advice before accepting a statutory directorship. Consult a tax adviser · gov.uk/CEST · off-payroll rules: HMRC IR35 guidance.
01 / CONTROL
Control of the “how”
HMRC looks at who decides how, when and where the work is done — whether the company sets the outcome or directs the method.
✓ In the contract02 / SUBSTITUTION
Right of substitution
HMRC looks at whether the CFO could send a suitably qualified substitute, and whether that right is genuine in practice.
✓ In the contract03 / MUTUALITY
Mutuality of obligation
HMRC looks at whether the company must offer work beyond the agreed scope, and whether the CFO must accept it.
✓ In the contract06/ the maths
Rate × days × weeks.
What a fractional CFO costs a hiring company against a full-time package — or, switched to “I’m a CFO”, what one mandate bills in a year.
£1,000 a day is within the published band for a UK fractional CFO (£700–£1,400, FD Capital 2026).
Year-one cost
£92,000
2 d/wk · 46 weeks · day fees, before tax
Fractional costs less in year one£110,225
Book a 15-minute call →Our arithmetic, indicative. Full-time CFO = £202,225: the £176,500 Robert Half 2026 UK median salary plus employer NI at 15% above the £5,000 threshold. Excludes pension, bonus and a search fee, so any saving shown is the conservative one.
07/ recruitment routes
CFO recruitment — choose the route before the person.
Most CFO recruitment goes wrong before the first interview, because the brief names a title rather than a seat. Decide first which Chief Financial Officer the business actually needs: a permanent appointment, an interim CFO holding the seat full-time for a defined period, or a fractional CFO for part of the week. The recruitment channel follows from that choice, not the other way round.
For a permanent seat, retained executive search is the usual route — CFO headhunters sets out how it works and what it costs. For a fractional or interim seat the process is shorter: a written brief, a shortlist, interviews built around real board packs and models, then references. We recruit fractional, interim and permanent CFOs: a shortlist of 3–5, with the IR35 position set out on every brief.
Whichever route you take, assess every candidate against the same criteria. The CIPD recommends structured interviews — the same questions, in the same order, scored against criteria agreed in advance — and treats references as one check among several rather than the decision. Verify the qualification at source through ICAEW membership verification or the ACCA member directory.
Two situations change the timetable. In an FCA-regulated firm the finance seat can be the Chief Finance function (SMF2), and Senior Management Function holders need FCA or PRA approval before they start. And if the CFO will join the board as a statutory director, they take on directors’ legal responsibilities for the company’s records and accounts — worth discussing before an offer, not after.
08/ the role
What a fractional chief financial officer owns in practice.
A fractional chief financial officer is accountable for the same outputs as a full-time one, delivered in fewer days. The brief usually covers four areas, and a good engagement letter names each of them.
Cash and the forecast. A rolling cash flow forecast, checked against actuals, so the board sees a shortfall before it arrives — the discipline the British Business Bank sets out in its guide to building a cash flow forecast. Management information. Monthly management accounts the board can act on — KPIs, profit and loss, cash position and balance sheet, as the British Business Bank’s finance management guidance lists them.
Funding readiness. The business plan, the model and the numbers behind the pitch deck; lenders and investors judge the financial fundamentals first, as the British Business Bank’s guide to getting ready for finance explains. Governance. Board papers and controls — and, in a listed company, the reporting the UK Corporate Governance Code expects, which now asks boards to declare on the effectiveness of their material internal controls.
What a fractional CFO does not usually own is the day-to-day ledger, the close or the tax return; those stay with your bookkeeper, accountant or financial controller. Where the need is more operational, a fractional finance director may fit better; where you want the same days each week with one company, see part-time CFO jobs.
09/ vetting
How we vet fractional CFOs.
What we undertake on every brief, before a candidate reaches a shortlist. There is no legal requirement for a chartered qualification, but the UK market expects one — so we check it at source. Chartered bodies: ICAEW · ACCA · CIMA. Directorship history: Companies House.
- 01
Credential check
ACA, ACCA or CIMA verified at the institute, plus Companies House directorship history.
QUALIFICATION - 02
Numbers read
Owned board packs, fundraises and audits at CFO or FD level. We read the numbers, not the narrative.
TRACK RECORD - 03
Board-level references
Two references from chairs, investors or auditors who sat across the table — not colleagues.
REFERENCES - 04
Shortlist
3–5 candidates, each with day rate, availability, stage fit and IR35 position set out.
SHORTLIST OF 3–5
10/ hiring
When to hire a fractional CFO.
Four situations where a part-time chief financial officer is often the right answer.
Which sounds like you?
Series A–B data rooms, the model, the narrative and investor Q&A — compressed, senior work a bookkeeper can’t carry.
- → Fundraising
Revenue has outgrown the accountant. A fractional CFO builds the function — controls, reporting cadence, runway discipline.
- → First finance leader
Portfolio companies need covenant management and monthly packs to an institutional standard, without a full-time package.
- → Covenant reporting
Clean numbers, defensible forecasts and a data room that survives scrutiny, well before a sale process.
- → Pre-exit
11/ the buyer’s guide
How to hire a fractional CFO.
Scope the mandate first — board reporting, fundraising support or financial planning — and set the budget against the published retainers: £2,500–£4,000 a month at 1 day a week up to £10,000–£15,000 at 3 or more (FD Capital).
Source through a specialist fractional recruiter, your investors’ networks and referrals; interview on portfolio evidence and scenario planning, and take two or three recent client references.
Then start small: a 1–3 month engagement with clear deliverables — a defined project such as the board pack or fundraising prep — is easier to scope and measure than an open-ended retainer. For a permanent Chief Financial Officer, see CFO headhunters.
12/ where
Fractional CFO UK: London, the regions and remote.
The fractional CFO UK market runs on hybrid work: board packs, models and forecasts travel, while the board meeting and the investor pitch need a CFO in the room. We shortlist fractional CFOs across the UK for hybrid or remote engagements, with each candidate’s availability set out, so on-site days can be agreed before an offer.
Whether it is a fractional CFO Newcastle founders need for a raise or a fractional CFO Nottingham manufacturers want for costing and cash, the brief and the shortlist of 3–5 work the same way as for a London hire. For a part time CFO, London-based or not, on the same days each week, see part-time CFO jobs.
Fractional CFO London: hybrid, not London-only
A fractional CFO London scale-ups bring in need not live there or be there every week: the close and the modelling can be remote, the board and the raise in person. Say which days you need someone present in the brief.
Fractional CFO for hire: what the brief should say
A fractional CFO for hire is matched on the brief, so make it specific: the trigger (a raise, a lender, an exit, outgrowing the bookkeeper), the days a week, the on-site days and your stage.
A fractional CFO company or fractional CFO group — a firm with a bench of associates and analysts — sells a service rather than a person in the seat, so compare fractional CFO companies on who does the work and who owns the models when it ends. We recruit fractional, interim, part-time and permanent CFOs; every shortlist sets out day rate or pay, availability and IR35 position.
13/ sector fit
Which sectors hire fractional CFOs most.
Stage beats sector for CFOs — a “VC-backed, Series A–B” brief is more predictive than a “growth companies” one. But sector still shapes the work, because the thing the board is anxious about differs.
In fintech and other regulated firms the anxiety is capital adequacy, regulatory reporting and the FCA relationship, so the mandate skews toward controls and permissions. In SaaS it is unit economics, ARR quality and the metrics an investor will diligence, so the mandate skews toward the model. In e-commerce it is working capital, stock and cash conversion — the fastest way to run out of money while growing.
In agencies and professional services it is utilisation and project profitability rather than gross margin. In manufacturing and family-owned mid-market businesses it is costing, capex discipline and succession. And in deep tech and life sciences it is grant and milestone accounting alongside an institutional round.
The common thread is that a fractional CFO is bought when the finance question has become a board question — which is why the trigger is usually a raise, a lender, or an exit, and rarely the size of the ledger. This is our reading of the market, not a published survey.
14/ guide
How to become a fractional CFO in the UK.
The path from permanent to portfolio, in five steps.
- 01
Bank the qualification and tenure.
ACA, ACCA or CIMA plus substantial post-qualification experience, including CFO or FD tenure with owned board reporting. Buyers pay for pattern recognition.
BEFORE YOU START - 02
Define the stage niche.
Stage beats sector for CFOs — “VC-backed, Series A–B” or “PE portfolio” beats “growth companies”. Your first mandates come from your network.
WEEK 1 - 03
Set the rate band.
Anchor to the published band: £700–£1,400 typical, £1,200–£1,600 for PE, VC and fundraising specialists (FD Capital). Quote a range, hold the floor, price retainers off days per month.
WEEK 1–2 - 04
Set up to contract.
Form a limited company, understand what HMRC looks at — control, substitution, mutuality of obligation — and check each engagement against CEST on its own facts; take advice on statutory-officer edge cases before accepting a directorship.
WEEK 2–4 - 05
Get on the boards that matter.
Register with fractional specialists, keep your availability current, and work your network — it is where most first mandates come from.
ONGOING
15/ coverage
Where the UK’s fractional CFO jobs actually are.
Fractional CFO roles follow the UK’s finance and scale-up hubs, and much of the work is remote or hybrid. No source publishes regional CFO day rates, so none are shown.
Remote fractional CFO jobs
Remote is not a fallback in finance. The work is board packs, models, forecasts and investor conversations, almost all of which survive being done from anywhere.
Most mandates settle into a hybrid rhythm: remote for the monthly close and the modelling, in the room for the board meeting and the raise. That is why a fractional CFO outside London can hold a London mandate, and why remote fractional roles across every function are worth watching alongside the CFO board.
Looking for a fractional CFO near me rather than a remote one? The city cards above link to each local hub, and the UK-wide board carries every live role regardless of location.
16/ questions
Fractional CFO questions, answered.
The questions people ask about fractional CFO work — each answer also ships as FAQPage structured data.
Book 15 minutes · shortlist of 3–5
Bring the brief. We architect the team.
A shortlist of 3–5. Five-stage vetting. IR35 position on every brief.
For hiring companies
Book a call or submit a CFO brief; we come back with a shortlist of 3–5 candidates.
For fractional CFOs
Browse live CFO and finance leadership roles from our jobs feed, or get in touch about the searches we run.
