Fractional CFO jobs UK — live roles, rates & how to hire.
Fractional CFO jobs are part-time chief financial officer roles — 1–3 days a week, £700–£2,500 a day by company stage, outside IR35. Browse live UK mandates below, graded on rate, fit and IR35 — or bring a brief and get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Updated Tue Jul 21 · every role carries Google JobPosting structured data
Live fractional CFO jobs, updated daily.
Real vacancies, honestly sourced. Exclusive roles you apply for through us; syndicated roles live elsewhere that we surface and analyse; fractional-curious roles not advertised as fractional but structurable.
Fractional CFO
Midland Health UK · Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Fractional CFO (6 month contract)
tem · United Kingdom
Fractional CFO
Chair Capital · London, England, United Kingdom
Fractional CFO
Rossenrode Partners · England, United Kingdom
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"description": "Midland Health, an independent healthcare provider based in the West Midlands is looking for a Fractional CFO. Over the past few years we've grown significantly, expanding our range of specialist services and building a strong platform for the next stage of our journey.\n\nWe're now looking to appoint a fractional CFO to join our leadership team and work closely with our Board, helping us scale the business through strategic growth initiatives, including potential M&A opportunities, improved financial reporting, profitability, and overall business performance. As part of our growth plans, we may also be recruiting a Chief Operating Officer, so we'd value someone who can help shape the wider leadership structure.\n\nThe ideal candidate will be responsible for financial strategy, financial planning and analysis, financial reports, company audits, compliance, and bank relationships. They will collaborate with the CEO and the executive team to make decisions regarding company's financial strategy and operations. The candidate will possess a strong background in finance, M&As and equity investments. \n\nResponsibilities\nCreate and present financial and tax strategy recommendations to CEO \nSupport the financial planning and analysis efforts \nOversee cash flow, cash management, working capital, and company audits \nPrepare financial statements and reports \nEnsure legal compliance on all financial functions \nManage relationships with banks \nLead M&A negotiations \nPrepare for equity investment\n\nQualifications\n\nStrong finance-based analytical skills\n7 - 10 years' of finance experience\nCPA or MBA preferred but not require\ndHealthcare sector experience desirable but not essentia\nl",
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}Syndicated and fractional-curious roles link to the original source with full attribution. We never invent a vacancy to fill a slot — if the board runs thin, it says so.
Fractional CFO rates by company stage — and what you could earn.
Day rates and monthly retainers scale with company complexity. SME, growth-stage, mid-market, PE-backed and pre-exit mandates carry different bands.
| Stage / context | Day rate | Monthly retainer | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| SME (£1–5m revenue) | £700–£1,000 | £3,000–£6,500/mo | Broad scope, semi-autonomous |
| Scale-up / VC-backed | £900–£1,400 | £4,500–£10,000/mo | Fundraising, investor reporting |
| Mid-market (£10–50m) | £1,000–£1,600 | £5,500–£12,000/mo | Full strategic CFO remit |
| PE-backed portfolio | £1,200–£2,000 | £7,000–£15,000/mo | Covenant management |
| Pre-exit specialist | £1,500–£2,500 | £8,000–£18,000/mo | Process leadership |
Bands from Fractional Quest mandate data and published UK market rates — VERIFIED. Fundraising-heavy mandates command the top of each band because the work compresses into 60–90 days.
Your £1,000/day sits near the 40th percentile for UK fractional CFOs (£700–£1,600 core band).
For a hiring company, a 2-day mandate costs a fraction of a full-time CFO package (salary plus 15% employer NI, pension and bonus).
What are fractional CFO jobs?
Part-time chief financial officer roles where you own the finance function at board level — more than a bookkeeper, more strategic than a controller. Four ideas define the model.
Part-time
Senior, proven CFO capability across a defined slice of the week — 1–3 days, without a full-time salary.
Owns the number
Owns the forecast, the runway, the board pack and the fundraise — not a bookkeeper, not a controller.
Outside IR35
Built outside IR35 by default: right of substitution, no mutuality of obligation, contractor-controlled working.
Portfolio-shaped
Ongoing rather than fixed-term — commonly 12 months to 3+ years, often across 2–4 clients in parallel.
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 — typically alongside your existing bookkeeper or finance team.
Fractional CFO vs the alternatives.
How the fractional model compares to interim, outsourced/virtual CFO services and a full-time appointment.
| Dimension | Fractional CFO | Interim CFO | Outsourced / virtual | Full-time CFO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time commitment | 1–3 days/week, sustained | Full-time, fixed period | Service hours, firm-delivered | 5 days/week, open-ended |
| Who does the work | The named CFO, in the seat | The named CFO, full-time | Analysts; CFO oversees | The CFO and their team |
| Cost basis | Day rate £700–£2,500 or retainer | Day rate, premium | Monthly fee | Salary + 15% NI, pension, bonus |
| IR35 position | Outside by default | Often inside | N/A — service contract | Employee |
| Best for | Scale-ups, fundraises, PE portfolios | Departure cover, transactions | Routine reporting at volume | Sustained scale and complexity |
Outside IR35 by default.
All fractional CFO engagements are structured outside IR35 from day one. Three tests, contract-tested against CEST.
Control of the "how"
Fractional CFOs set their own working methods, hours and location. The company defines the outcome; the CFO decides how to achieve it.
CEST-TESTEDRight of substitution
The contract includes an explicit right to provide a suitably qualified substitute. Rarely exercised, legally present.
CEST-TESTEDNo mutuality of obligation
The company isn’t obliged to offer work beyond the agreed scope; the CFO can decline additional work.
CEST-TESTEDStatus is decided on the facts of each engagement, and CFO office-holder duties need specific care. Consult a tax adviser · gov.uk/CEST
When to hire a fractional CFO.
Four situations where a part-time chief financial officer is often the right answer.
A raise on the horizon
Series A–B data rooms, the model, the narrative and investor Q&A — compressed, senior work a bookkeeper can’t carry.
Beyond the bookkeeper
Revenue has outgrown the accountant. A fractional CFO builds the function — controls, reporting cadence, runway discipline.
PE and lender cadence
Portfolio companies need covenant management and monthly packs to an institutional standard, without a full-time package.
Getting diligence-ready
Clean numbers, defensible forecasts and a data room that survives scrutiny — 12–18 months before a sale process.
How to become a fractional CFO in the UK.
Most fractional CFOs are ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified with 10+ years post-qualification, including CFO or FD tenure. The path from permanent to portfolio, in five steps.
Bank the qualification and tenure.
ACA, ACCA or CIMA plus 10+ years post-qualification, including CFO or FD tenure with owned board reporting. Buyers pay for pattern recognition.
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.
Set the rate band.
Anchor to the stage table: £700–£1,000 SME, £900–£1,400 scale-up, £1,200+ PE. Quote a range, hold the floor, price retainers off 4 days/month.
Structure for outside IR35.
Form a limited company, get a CEST-tested contract with substitution and no-MOO clauses, and take advice on statutory-officer edge cases before accepting a directorship.
Get on the boards that matter.
Register with fractional-specialist platforms, set your availability once, and let graded mandates come to you while you work your network.
Where the UK's fractional CFO jobs actually are.
London leads demand; Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds follow — and finance is the most remote-friendly fractional function of all.
London
£900–£2,000/dayDeepest market — fintech, PE portfolios, regulated firms.
Manchester
£800–£1,400/dayScale-up scene; strong e-commerce and B2B SaaS.
Edinburgh
£800–£1,400/dayAsset management, fintech and portfolio CFO demand.
Birmingham
£750–£1,300/dayManufacturing, logistics and family-owned mid-market.
Bristol
£800–£1,300/dayAerospace, robotics and creative-sector scale-ups.
Leeds
£750–£1,300/dayFinancial services back-office HQs and health-tech.
Cambridge & Oxford
£900–£1,500/dayDeep tech and life-science spinouts raising institutional rounds.
Remote · UK-wide
£700–£1,400/dayFinance is the most remote-friendly fractional function — the largest single segment.
How we vet fractional CFOs.
Every candidate clears the same four-stage read before their profile reaches a shortlist.
Credential check
ACA, ACCA or CIMA verified at the institute, plus Companies House directorship history.
Numbers read
Owned board packs, fundraises and audits at CFO or FD level. We read the numbers, not the narrative.
Board-level references
Two references from chairs, investors or auditors who sat across the table — not colleagues.
Grading
Rate percentile, stage fit and IR35 posture attached to every profile before it reaches a shortlist.
Reviewed by [NAMED REVIEWER — add founder bio, credentials and photo]. Competing pages lead with a named, credentialed expert; this slot ships empty until a real byline exists rather than inventing one.
[CASE STUDIES — add 2–3 real placements with named clients and outcomes.] Until then, nothing is claimed here. Honest collapse beats placeholder fill.
Fractional CFO questions, answered.
Twelve questions people actually ask Google about fractional CFO jobs — each answer also ships as FAQPage structured data.
A fractional CFO is a chief financial officer who works with a company part-time — typically 1–3 days a week — owning the finance function at board level: forecasting, cash flow, fundraising and investor reporting. More than a bookkeeper, more strategic than a controller.
UK fractional CFO day rates scale with company stage: £700–£1,000 for SMEs, £900–£1,400 for VC-backed scale-ups, £1,000–£1,600 mid-market, £1,200–£2,000 for PE-backed portfolios and £1,500–£2,500 for pre-exit specialists. Monthly retainers run roughly £3,000–£18,000.
At £1,000 a day, a portfolio of 2 clients at 2 days a week each across 46 working weeks earns roughly £184K a year. PE-backed and pre-exit mandates push rates to £1,200–£2,500 a day.
Most engagements are 1–3 days per week, with 2 days the most common. Many fractional CFOs run 2–4 clients in parallel as a portfolio.
A finance director is typically more operational — the close, the team, the controls. A fractional CFO is more strategic: forecasting, fundraising, board-level thinking. In smaller UK businesses the titles are often used interchangeably. Browse fractional finance director jobs at /fractional-finance-director-jobs-uk.
No. An interim CFO is usually full-time for a fixed period — cover for a departure, a restructure or a transaction. A fractional CFO is a sustained part-time engagement, often running 2–3+ years alongside other clients. For consistent-days engagements see part-time CFO jobs at /part-time-cfo-jobs-uk.
An outsourced CFO is a delivered service, often through a firm with analysts, where the named CFO oversees rather than does the work. Virtual CFO usually means fractional delivered remotely. A fractional CFO is personally in the seat.
Well-structured ones are, by default: right of substitution, no mutuality of obligation, and contractor-controlled working. Each engagement should be CEST-tested on its own facts.
Most UK fractional CFOs are ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified with 10+ years post-qualification, including CFO or FD tenure. Define a stage niche, set a day-rate band against the stage table, form a limited company for outside-IR35 contracting, and register with fractional-specialist platforms. ICAEW publishes a practitioner guide to building a portfolio CFO career at icaew.com.
There is no legal requirement, but the UK market strongly expects a chartered qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) plus demonstrable CFO or FD experience — fundraising, board reporting and audit ownership carry the most weight.
Fractional CFO engagements are ongoing rather than fixed-term — commonly 12 months to 3+ years, through clean-up, fundraising and early scale-up, often ending with the hire of a full-time CFO.
London leads demand — fintech, PE portfolios and regulated firms — followed by Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. A large share of mandates are remote or hybrid, and remote CFO jobs appear across the UK board at /remote-fractional-jobs.
Bring the brief. We architect the team.
Partner-read in 48 hours. Success-fee model. Replacement guarantee. IR35 position on every brief.