Fractional
Test whether responsibility can be held on planned days with cover between them. Agree how founders and team members raise decisions.
London Startup Jobs
London Startup Executive Jobs
Executive and senior roles in London's startup ecosystem — fractional, part-time, and full-time opportunities with high-growth companies.
From seed stage to Series C, covering fintech, healthtech, AI, and emerging technologies across London's innovation districts.
The startup briefChoose the question to explore
Part 01 / 04
Stage
Ask what exists now: customers, team, systems and decisions. Do not infer resources from a funding label.
Part 02 / 04
Work
Separate functional leadership from hands-on delivery and founder coordination.
Part 03 / 04
Location
Read office attendance, travel and remote conditions separately from the London label.
Part 04 / 04
Evidence
Match your application to the stated brief and confirm missing pay or working conditions.
Europe's #1
Startup ecosystem · by funding
Dealroom, 2026
~$15bn
Annual funding · London startups
Dealroom, 2026
40+
Unicorns · $1bn+ valuations
Dealroom, 2026
Fintech, AI, Health
Key Sectors · leading verticals
On the board · last 3 months
London startup jobs on the board
- SyndicatedChief Revenue Officer (Advisory, Fractional) — Enterprise Software Pricing & Go-to-Market
Norven · London
Rate not stated2 d/wk - FractionalAvailable now · our mandateFractional Executive Assistant
Confidential client (Fractional Quest mandate) · London
Rate not stated2–3 d/wk - FractionalSyndicatedAcquisition CFO / Finance Director (Fractional)
CivSec Group · London
est £1,500/dayLondon - FractionalSyndicatedBusiness Affairs Executive (Fractional / Per-Project)
Twenty-Nine Palms Entertainment · London
est £1,100/dayLondon - FractionalSyndicatedFractional IT Director – Technology & AI (FTC)
Flat Iron · London
est £1,000/day2 d/wk - FractionalSyndicatedFractional General Counsel
Ffern · London
est £1,000/day1 d/wk - FractionalSyndicatedPerformance & Development Lead (Fractional)
Unity Advisory · London
Rate not stated3 d/wk - FractionalAvailable now · our mandateFractional COO
Confidential client (Fractional Quest mandate) · London
Rate not statedLondon - InterimAvailable now · our mandateInterim Chief Operating Officer
Confidential client (Fractional Quest mandate) · London
Rate not stated5 d/wk
01/ the board
What the board holds.
A read of the roles on the board above, counted as they stand: the seat, how each is engaged, whether the posting gives the days and the rate, and where the work happens.
On this board, last 90 days · 9 roles · London startup
Engagement
- Fractional7
- Advisory1
- Interim1
Seat
- General counsel2
- COO2
- CRO1
- Executive assistant1
- CFO1
- CTO1
- Other seats1
Days a week
- Stated in the posting5
- Not stated4
Day rate
- Verified rate0
- Estimated (est)4
- Rate not stated5
Work arrangement (as the job feed classifies it)
- Remote1
- Hybrid3
- On-site2
- Not classified3
Newest posting on the board: 14 Oct 2026.
Postings per week on this board, last 90 days
9 postings on this board in the last 90 days, counted by the week each was published.
02/ overview
London's Startup Executive Landscape
The shape of fractional work in this market.
London is Europe's largest startup ecosystem — around $15bn of funding a year and 40+ unicorns (Dealroom, 2026) — and its startups and scale-ups create a steady run of executive openings.
The city's unique combination of financial expertise, technology talent, regulatory sophistication, and global connectivity makes it a magnet for high-growth companies.
Shoreditch, King's Cross, and Canary Wharf form the heart of London's startup geography, each with distinct characteristics.
The ecosystem spans from university spinouts in Imperial and UCL to mature scale-ups preparing for IPO, creating opportunities across all growth stages.
London startup job market by stage
Seed/Series A companies often need fractional executives to access senior expertise without full-time costs.
Series B/C scale-ups require permanent and interim leadership to manage rapid growth.
Late-stage companies offer IPO-prep and international expansion roles with significant equity upside.
03/ rates
Fractional day rates for London startups
Published bands only, each with its source. Type your own day rate to see where it sits.
Published UK day-rate bands · £ a day
- Fractional CFO£700–£1,400FD Capital, 2026
- Fractional CTO£1,000–£1,600Leadership Services, 2026
- Fractional CMO£750–£1,400Connectd, 2026
- Fractional COO£800–£1,400Connectd, 2026
Published fractional band
RolePublished day rateSource
Fractional CFO£700–£1,400FD Capital, 2026
Fractional CTO£1,000–£1,600Leadership Services, 2026
Fractional CMO£750–£1,400Connectd, 2026
Fractional COO£800–£1,400Connectd, 2026
UK-wide published bands, not London-specific. Equity, where offered, is negotiated role by role; we don't publish a range we can't source. See the CFO, CTO and CMO hubs for detail.
04/ by function
London Startup Roles by Function
What hiring teams and candidates need to know, function by function.
FinanceCFO/Financefundraising focus — seed to IPO financial leadership and investor relations
TechnologyCTO/Engineeringscaling tech — architecture and team leadership for rapid growth
GrowthCMO/Growthuser acquisition — performance marketing and growth hacking expertise
CommercialCCO/Salesrevenue scaling — enterprise sales and partnership development
OperationsCOOoperational excellence — scaling people, processes, and systems
ProductCPOproduct leadership — user experience and product-market fit optimization
05/ startup experience
Finding a fractional executive who understands the UK startup ecosystem
Founders who want a fractional executive who understands the UK startup ecosystem usually mean something specific: someone who has done the job inside a venture-backed company, knows how UK rounds are put together, and can talk to investors without a translator.
Senior experience in a large company is valuable, but it is not the same thing.
Test for it directly.
Ask which rounds a candidate has worked through and in what role; whether they have prepared a company for the SEIS and EIS venture capital schemes, including HMRC advance assurance; and how they read the funding market you are raising into.
The British Business Bank's Small Business Equity Tracker tracks UK equity finance by stage, sector, nation and region, and a candidate with real startup experience should be able to talk you through the trends it describes.
In the capital, London & Partners, the city's growth agency, runs free support programmes for London small businesses and scale-ups.
Then check the ground truth: references from founders, not only from investors.
For roles outside London see fractional jobs for startups; the fractional CTO and fractional CFO hubs cover those two roles in detail.
06/ startup finance
Startup finance jobs in London: CFO, FD and finance lead
Startup finance jobs in London run from a first finance hire who keeps the books and payroll in order, through a finance director who owns forecasting and the board pack, to a CFO who leads fundraising and investor relations.
Early-stage companies often cover the senior end part-time with a fractional CFO, and hire full-time as the finance function grows.
What startups look for: a professional qualification from ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA; experience of a funding round, including investor due diligence; and the tax work early companies depend on, from the venture capital schemes above to R&D tax relief claims and, for a company holding a grant from Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, the reporting that comes with it.
Candidates who have built a model a board trusts, and then been held to it, stand out.
Published UK fractional CFO bands are in the rate table above (FD Capital, 2026).
Live London finance roles, full-time and fractional, appear on the board at the top of this page.
For more fractional roles see fractional CFO jobs UK; for the wider picture, fractional jobs UK.
Practical guide · Updated
A London startup role needs a clear explanation of the work, the organisation’s stage and the practical attendance requirement. Compare fractional, interim and permanent briefs against those conditions rather than assuming every startup needs the same seat.
The working brief · 01
Read the business context
Startup titles can carry a broad remit. Ask what already exists and what the person is expected to build, because those are different jobs even under the same title.
- 1
Current position
Ask about customers, operating processes and the team already doing the work. Keep stated facts separate from assumptions about the company’s stage.
- 2
Immediate responsibility
Name the decision or delivery gap the role addresses. Ask which other responsibilities remain with the founder.
- 3
Available support
Ask about people, budget and systems. An ambitious remit needs explicit resources or an honest explanation of what is missing.
The working brief · 02
Choose continuity or concentrated cover
A startup can have recurring leadership needs, transition work or a continuing seat. The workload and decision rhythm should explain the choice of engagement.
The decision
Interim
Define the gap or change and how continuity will be maintained. Confirm availability and the handover to a successor.
Permanent
Define continuing ownership and the hours expected. Separate employment terms from any assumptions about startup flexibility.
The working brief · 03
London does not define the working week
A London-based employer may describe on-site, hybrid or remote work. Confirm the practical requirements before deciding that a role fits your location and calendar.
The decision
Office
Ask which activities need attendance, where the team meets and what travel is expected. “Hybrid” leaves these details open.
Remote
Ask about permitted location, time-zone overlap and access to systems. Remote does not necessarily mean work from any country.
Portfolio
Map attendance and recurring meetings against other commitments. Include preparation and travel in your capacity decision.
The working brief · 04
Make founder delegation explicit
An executive can own a function only when decisions and approvals are clear. Use these questions to distinguish a delivery remit from a broad request to “help the founder”.
- 1
Delegated decisions
Ask what the person can decide without returning to the founder. Identify financial, people and product limits.
- 2
Retained decisions
Name approvals and responsibilities the founder or board keeps. Set a route for disagreements and urgent questions.
- 3
Review rhythm
Agree how progress and constraints are discussed. Record scope changes before a temporary task becomes permanent responsibility.
The working brief · 05
Show evidence at the relevant stage
A startup application should explain relevant work and constraints. Acas guidance supports choosing against the actual role requirements; company-stage labels are not a substitute for those requirements.
- 1
Comparable work
Describe a situation with similar resources or ambiguity. Explain your own responsibility rather than presenting the company’s growth as yours.
- 2
Practical decision
Describe what you chose, the alternatives and the information available. Show how you worked with founders and colleagues.
- 3
Transferable work
Explain what the team could continue using: a forecast, process, decision log or product practice. Do not disclose confidential former-employer material.
The working brief · 06
A fictional startup’s first finance seat
Imagine a founder needing reliable cash visibility while a small team handles transactions. This invented brief illustrates how to choose a responsibility without assuming a funding stage dictates a title.
The decision
Control gap
If accounts and reconciliations are unreliable, define the preparation and control work first. Name the person who will maintain it.
Leadership gap
If the information is reliable but strategic cash or funding decisions lack ownership, define that leadership responsibility.
Capacity decision
Compare the recurring workload and urgency with fractional or continuing employment. The brief, resources and authority determine the search.
The working brief · 07
Clarify the offer before relying on it
A role description and an employer’s proposed contract answer different questions. Confirm the terms and practical conditions that matter to your decision.
- 1
Pay
Use what the employer actually states. A market guide does not establish an offer, and an unstated rate remains unstated.
- 2
Hours and status
Confirm the hours, availability and engagement contract. Employment and tax status need separate consideration.
- 3
Responsibilities
Confirm the reporting line, access and authority. Resolve material differences from the advertised brief before starting.
The working brief · 08
Build the handover while building the function
When a role creates a new process, continuity depends on how the work is recorded. Plan stages around usable work rather than promising a fixed startup timetable.
- Stage 101
Establish
Record the starting position, decisions and assumptions. Agree what the founder and team need to be able to use. - Stage 202
Make repeatable
Keep ownership, systems and recurring work documented. Check that colleagues can follow the process between your working days. - Stage 303
Transfer
Walk the next owner through open decisions and dependencies. Confirm access and responsibility instead of handing over files alone.
07/ questions
Frequently asked
Common questions about fractional work in this market.
The board at the top of this page lists London roles from the last three months, each linking to its posting, and refreshes every few minutes. Early-stage startups often start with a fractional CFO, CTO or CMO before a full-time hire.
Start from the companies themselves: Dealroom (2026) counts 40+ London unicorns, companies valued at $1bn or more, and each one's own careers page is the primary source for its open roles. We don't tag roles on this board by valuation, so the board is a cross-check rather than a list of unicorn companies in London hiring: search it by company name or function. Scale-ups at that stage usually hire their executives on permanent contracts, with interim cover while a search runs; see interim executive recruitment for that side.
London offers the largest startup ecosystem in Europe with opportunities across fintech, healthtech, AI, proptech, and edtech. From seed-stage fractional roles to late-stage permanent positions, covering all functions and growth stages.
London startups typically offer competitive base salaries plus meaningful equity stakes. Early-stage companies may offer lower cash and more equity; later-stage companies pay closer to market salaries plus equity upside. Smaller companies often grant share options under HMRC's Enterprise Management Incentives, which require the holder to work at least 25 hours a week, or 75% of their working time, for the company. Fractional executives are usually paid a day rate — see the published bands above.
Shoreditch/Old Street (Silicon Roundabout) has the highest concentration. King's Cross hosts Google, Meta, and many scale-ups. Canary Wharf focuses on fintech. South London (Oval, Clapham) has emerging clusters.
Absolutely. Early-stage startups frequently use fractional CFOs, CTOs, and CMOs to access senior expertise without full-time costs. Common for pre-Series A companies or specific growth phases requiring specialized leadership.
World-class ecosystem, access to global markets, strong VC funding, regulatory expertise, and exit opportunities. London's time zone, financial infrastructure, and talent pool create unique advantages for startup growth and career development.
Network through startup events, join accelerator programs as mentor/advisor, leverage fintech/tech expertise, and consider fractional roles to build startup experience. Strong university connections and sector expertise highly valued.
Ask candidates which funding rounds they have worked through and in what role, whether they have prepared a company for SEIS or EIS, and how they read the current equity market. Take references from founders they have worked with, not only investors. We come back with a shortlist of 3–5, with day rates and availability.
From a first finance hire, through finance director, to a CFO who leads fundraising. At seed and Series A the senior end is often fractional. Startups look for an ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA qualification and experience of a funding round. See fractional CFO jobs UK for roles on the board.
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes to hire for your startup
Tell us the seat, the days a week and the start date. We come back with candidates, their day rates and availability.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02We scope the role, the days and the start date
- 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
- 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Pick a day that suits · live availability
Fractional Quest is a fractional recruitment agency: send a brief and we come back with a shortlist of three to five vetted candidates.
