Fractional CTO jobs
UK on your terms.
Browse live UK fractional CTO mandates and technical roles graded on rate, fit and IR35. Set your tech stack once; get matched to companies actively hiring. Build your portfolio career.
What are fractional CTO jobs?
Fractional CTO jobs are part-time chief technology roles where you own the tech strategy within a defined scope — not a consultant, not an advisor. Four ideas define the model.
A chief technology officer, 1–3 days a week.
Senior, proven CTO capability across a defined slice of the week. You get the technical leadership you need without a full-time salary or a five-day commitment.
Owns the tech strategy — not just advising.
Unlike a consultant or advisor, a fractional CTO is the technology leader: owns architecture, leads the engineering team, and makes the technical decisions.
Structured correctly from day one.
Engagements are built outside IR35 by default — right of substitution, no mutuality of obligation, contractor-controlled working. CEST-tested.
A mandate, not a tenure.
Scoped to an outcome — a platform rebuild, a scale transformation, a tech debt reduction — typically 12–24 months, often with a clean handover to a permanent CTO.
What a fractional CTO delivers.
Accountable for technology strategy and architecture — and answerable to the CEO and board, exactly like a permanent chief technology officer.
Technical strategy & system design
Owns the architecture roadmap, technology choices and platform evolution — accountable for scalability, security and technical debt management.
Team structure & delivery
Scales the engineering organisation, defines team topology, owns hiring standards and delivery processes. Builds a team that ships.
Product-engineering alignment
Partners with product leadership to balance technical excellence with shipping velocity. Translates business needs into technical reality.
Board, investor & customer trust
The technical voice in the boardroom, during due diligence, and with enterprise customers. Brings instant credibility to technical discussions.
Fractional CTO vs alternatives.
How the fractional model compares to interim, executive chair, advisor and full-time appointments.
What could you earn?
Model the cost vs a full-time CTO, or what you could earn across your portfolio.
Outside IR35 by default.
All fractional CTO engagements are structured outside IR35 from day one. Here's how.
You control the "how"
Fractional CTOs set their own working methods, hours and location. The company defines the outcome; the CTO decides how to achieve it.
Right of substitution
Contract includes an explicit right to provide a suitably qualified substitute. This is rarely exercised but legally present.
No obligation
No mutuality of obligation — the company isn't obliged to offer work beyond the agreed scope; the CTO can decline additional work.
When to hire a fractional CTO.
Four situations where a fractional chief technology officer is often the right answer.
Technical founder scaling
The technical founder wants to focus on product vision or step into CEO role. A fractional CTO handles architecture, team scaling and engineering processes while the founder transitions.
Platform rebuild
Legacy tech debt blocking growth. Need senior technical leadership to architect and execute a migration while keeping the lights on. Too critical for consultants, not permanent enough for full-time.
Team scale 10→50
Engineering team outgrowing founder/VP leadership. Need CTO-level thinking for architecture, org design and technical strategy but not ready for £200K+ package.
Due diligence prep
Fundraising or acquisition on horizon. Need credible CTO presence for technical due diligence, architecture documentation and engineering maturity. Fractional CTO brings instant credibility.
How we vet fractional CTOs.
Every candidate through the same four-stage verification before they reach your shortlist.
Pedigree screen
Verify prior CTO/VP Eng tenure, tech stack and scale. No consultants-pretending-to-be-fractional.
SOURCINGTechnical fit
Match to your stack, architecture needs and engineering culture — not just buzzwords.
MATCHINGReference deep-dive
Speak to recent fractional clients and engineering teams. Real delivery, not just strategy.
VERIFYShortlist + analysis
3–5 candidates, each with rate percentile, technical fit and IR35 structure attached.
48 HOURSFractional CEO FAQ.
Common questions from companies hiring and CEOs looking for fractional work.
Other fractional roles.
Explore related fractional executive positions and recruitment services.
Bring the brief.
We architect the team.
Partner-read in 48 hours. Success-fee model. Replacement guarantee.
For hiring companies
Submit your fractional CEO brief and get a shortlist of vetted candidates in 48 hours.
Submit a brief →For fractional CEOs
Browse live mandates graded on rate, fit and IR35. Build your portfolio career.
Open the console →