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part-time executive recruitment

Hire a Part-Time CIO

Hire a Part-Time CIO: shape a continuing employed technology leadership seat around fewer hours, with board access and urgent cover agreed before appointment.

Brief us on this role →
CIO briefChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Employment

Define hours, reporting line, continuing accountabilities and employment terms.

Hire a Part-Time CIO: what must the role own?

Define hours, reporting line, continuing accountabilities and employment terms.

EmploymentDefine hours, reporting line, continuing accountabilities and employment terms.
Systems remitName the estate, supplier and technology investment decisions the employee will own.
Meeting accessPut essential leadership and risk decisions within the agreed working pattern where possible.
Urgent coverName the operational lead who can respond when the CIO is not working.

Role reference: Acas: part-time workers’ rights. Acas explains part-time employment and protection from less favourable treatment than a comparable full-time worker.

What changes when the CIO is part-time?

Part-time describes employed hours, not a temporary assignment. The CIO still needs a continuing mandate and fair terms, while a named colleague handles urgent decisions outside working hours.

part-timeChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Employment

Define the employed part-time role and its continuing responsibilities.

How would this work in a real brief?

The hiring decision becomes clearer when the work and its boundary are written down together.

Illustrative brief · an organisation with a stable part-week leadership need

An established IT team runs daily services, while a continuing executive must oversee supplier renewals and systems planning on fewer hours.

The employed part-time CIO chairs planned technology reviews and owns the agreed investment recommendations.

The appointment owns

The employed part-time CIO chairs planned technology reviews and owns the agreed investment recommendations.

Another owner retains

The IT lead handles incidents outside those hours; security specialists retain controls and the board keeps reserved approvals.

How should you assess CIO candidates?

Put the same work and evidence in front of each candidate before comparing answers.

The evidenceChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Time design

Ask which leadership meetings and decisions must fall within the agreed hours.

Acas recommends a consistent, fair selection process: choosing who to interview.

Does this hiring pattern fit the work?

Test the amount of the week, the expected end and the continuity needed before writing the contract.

How much of the week does the work fill?
Is this a defined assignment with an end?
For a continuing part-week role, is this an employee?

The working pattern · part-time

A part-time CIO

An employee holds a continuing seat for fewer hours. Agree the schedule, employment terms and cover outside working hours.

Read the part-time CIO hiring brief →

What must happen before the CIO starts?

Agree hours, working days, reporting line and employed terms.

A clear startChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Contract

Agree hours, working days, reporting line and employed terms.
  1. 1

    Contract

    Agree hours, working days, reporting line and employed terms.

  2. 2

    Access

    Share the estate map, supplier contracts, risk register and decision history.

  3. 3

    Cover

    Introduce the named owner of urgent questions outside agreed hours.

  4. 4

    First cycle

    Review one technology decision crossing a non-working day and adjust cover if needed.

A useful CIO brief names the decision, the working pattern and the evidence before it names a candidate.

What should the brief say?

Hire a Part-Time CIO begins with employment, a stated working pattern and the evidence you will ask every candidate to show.

15 minutes · video or phone

Brief us on a CIO

Tell us what the role must own, how it will work and when it must start.

  1. 01A brief built around the decisions and working pattern.
  2. 02A shortlist of 3–5 with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
  3. 03Five-stage vetting before a candidate reaches you.
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  1. A shortlist of 3–5, each with day rate, availability and IR35 position
  2. Fractional, interim, part-time, temporary or permanent — and non-executive directors
  3. Every candidate through our five-stage vetting
  4. Your briefs and their candidates, in one room
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