Fractional executives
Senior leadership, a few days a month.
Some functions need an experienced head before they need one in the chair every day. We find leaders who have run that function before and agree with you how many days each month they give it.
What the role covers
A fractional executive owns a function. They set its direction, make the calls that belong to a head of department, manage the people in it and report to you or your board. The difference from a full-time leader is the schedule: their days with you are fixed each month and planned ahead.
Companies usually bring one in when a function has outgrown the founder's time, when a fundraise or a reorganization needs senior hands for a stretch, or while a permanent search is still being decided.
Leaders we match
Other leadership remits are possible. Bring the one you have in mind to the first call.
- Fractional COO. Turns the way the business runs into something written down and repeatable: planning cycles, process ownership, reporting and the hand-offs between teams.
- Fractional CFO. Builds the forecast, watches cash, prepares the numbers investors and lenders ask for, and gives your bookkeeping or finance staff a senior lead.
- Fractional CMO. Sets positioning and the channel plan, decides where the marketing budget goes and hires or directs the people who carry it out.
- Fractional CTO. Sets technical direction, reviews architecture and vendor choices, interviews engineers and keeps delivery honest.
- Head of operations. Runs day-to-day operations below the leadership level: systems, suppliers, service quality and the metrics that show whether the week went well.
- Head of growth. Owns the numbers that move revenue across acquisition, conversion and retention, and runs the experiments behind them.
How we find your leader
- 1
Scope the remit
On a call we write down what the leader will own, what success looks like by the end of the first quarter, who they report to and how many days a month the work needs.
- 2
Search
We look for people who have already held that remit at a company like yours. South Africa is often where we start, and the search goes wherever the right experience is.
- 3
Assess
Structured interviews, a case discussion built on your remit, and background and reference checks.
- 4
Introduce
You receive a small set of profiles with our notes on each leader, then interview the ones you want to meet.
- 5
Plan the start
Once you choose, we put the agreement in place and draft the first month together with the leader: priorities, meeting rhythm and which days they're with you.
One retainer, agreed days
You pay one monthly retainer that covers a set number of working days. We fix the number with you on a call, based on the remit, and write it into the agreement along with how the days are scheduled.
What shapes the retainer: how many days a month, the function, the seniority of the leader and where they're based. We walk you through the figure for your remit before anything is signed.
If the workload changes, the days can be revisited with you and the leader.
Responsibilities on a fractional engagement
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| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| Remit, reporting line and days per month | Decide | Help scope them |
| Search and assessment | Join the interviews | Run the search, interviews and checks |
| Choosing the leader | ✓ | Share our notes |
| The leader's priorities and day-to-day direction | ✓ | – |
| Agreement, scheduling of days and monthly invoicing | Approve | ✓ |
| Monthly check-in on how it's going | Take part | Run it |
When the role becomes a full-time job
Sometimes the function grows to the point where it needs a leader every day, and the fractional executive is the obvious candidate. If you want to bring them on full-time and they want the same, we can arrange it. We work out the timing and the new role with you, along with how the person is engaged from then on: on your own payroll or through any of our ways to hire. A one-time conversion fee applies, and it's set out in your agreement from the start, so there are no surprises when the moment comes.
If the leader would rather stay fractional, the same groundwork tells you what a permanent hire for that seat should look like, and Executive Search can run that search.
Questions about fractional leaders
How many days a month does a fractional executive work?
It depends on the remit. We agree the number with you on a call, and it's written into the agreement.
Will the leader work for other companies too?
Often, yes. That's what lets an experienced leader take on a few days a month. Their days with you are fixed in advance, and any overlap with competitors is discussed before they start.
Can the leader manage our staff?
Yes. A fractional executive leads the function, so managing the people in it is part of the role.
Who signs the agreement?
You sign a retainer agreement with JiveTalent, which handles the scheduling of days and the monthly invoice. The agreement also covers what happens if you later hire the leader full-time.
Talk through the remit
A short call is enough to scope the role, the days and what the first quarter should deliver.