When do you need a VP Engineering vs CTO?

You need VP Engineering skills when: engineering team is growing, delivery is inconsistent, you need to build engineering management layer, or engineering culture needs development. CTO skills are more critical for: major architecture decisions, technical due diligence, or representing technology externally.

What experience should a fractional VP Engineering have?

Look for: 10+ years engineering experience, 5+ years in leadership roles, experience scaling teams from small to medium/large, strong people management track record, and relevant technical background.

Engineering Leadership

Fractional VP Engineering Jobs UK

Part-time engineering leadership at £800-£1,200/day

Overview

Fractional VP Engineering: Building Engineering Excellence

Fractional VPs of Engineering help companies build and scale engineering teams without the commitment of a full-time executive hire. From establishing engineering culture to implementing processes, these experienced leaders bring the operational engineering expertise that complements strategic CTO oversight. The role is particularly valuable for startups transitioning from founder-led engineering to professional engineering management.

Opportunities

Types of Fractional VP Engineering Roles

Scale-Up VP Engineering

£900-£1,200/day

Grow engineering from 5-10 to 30-50+ engineers, establish processes, build management layer.

Startup VP Engineering

£800-£1,050/day

Build first engineering team, establish technical practices, support product development.

Turnaround VP Engineering

£900-£1,150/day

Fix struggling engineering organizations, improve velocity, reduce technical debt.

Interim VP Engineering

£850-£1,100/day

Cover leadership gaps while searching for permanent hire.

What You'll Do

Fractional VP Engineering Responsibilities

Engineering team structure and hiring
Engineering processes and practices
Sprint planning and delivery management
Technical debt management
Engineering culture and retention
Manager coaching and development
Cross-functional collaboration
Engineering metrics and reporting

Role Comparison

VP Engineering vs CTO

The VP Engineering focuses on people and process: building teams, managing delivery, and creating engineering culture. The CTO focuses on technology and strategy: architecture decisions, technical vision, and external technology representation. Many startups need VP Engineering skills before they need CTO skills.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

A fractional VP Engineering provides part-time engineering leadership focused on team building, process implementation, delivery management, and engineering culture. They manage the people side of engineering while the CTO handles technology strategy.

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