Hire a fractional executive — vetted, in 48 hours, without search fees.
To hire a fractional executive: define the mandate, set a budget (typically $6,000–$18,000 per month for 20–40 hours), post a private role on RecruitFractional, review a vetted shortlist within 48 hours, interview against outcomes, and run a paid 30-day trial before committing to 6–12 months. A flat $1,000 placement fee instead of 25–30% of comp, and no six-month retained search.
RecruitFractional is the curated network of vetted C-suite and VP-level operators — fractional CFOs, CMOs, CTOs, COOs, and more. Every operator is reference-verified and reviewed by prior clients.
All fractional roles
Hire a fractional CFO
A fractional CFO is a senior finance leader who works part-time with your company on cash, fundraising, forecasting, and board reporting. Get a shortlist of vetted CFOs in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CMO
A fractional CMO is an experienced marketing executive who owns your strategy, positioning, and demand engine on 1–3 days per week. Get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CTO
A fractional CTO is a senior engineering leader who sets architecture, hires the team, and owns delivery on 1–2 days per week. Ideal for founders who need executive-level tech judgment before a full-time CTO is justified.
Hire a fractional COO
A fractional COO is a senior operator who installs the systems, rhythm, and accountability that let a scaling company hit plan. Get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CRO
A fractional CRO is a senior revenue leader who owns sales, pipeline, and go-to-market execution on a part-time basis. Get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CHRO
A fractional CHRO is a senior people executive who owns hiring, compensation, performance, and culture on a part-time basis.
Hire a fractional CPO
A fractional CPO is a senior product executive who sets strategy, sharpens the roadmap, and levels up the product team on 1–2 days per week.
Hire a fractional CCO
A fractional CCO is a senior customer executive who owns retention, expansion, and customer experience on a part-time basis. Get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CSO
A fractional CSO owns corporate strategy, M&A, and new-market entry work on a part-time basis. Get a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.
Hire a fractional CISO
A fractional CISO is a senior security executive who owns your security program, compliance posture, and incident readiness on a part-time basis. Also called a vCISO.
Hire a fractional CEO
A fractional or interim CEO is a seasoned chief executive who runs the company part-time or full-time on a fixed term — through a founder transition, turnaround, or search for a permanent CEO.
Hire a fractional CIO
A fractional CIO owns internal IT strategy, enterprise systems, and the tech that runs the business — CRM, ERP, identity, endpoints, and vendor management — on 1–2 days per week.
Hire a fractional CDO
A fractional CDO owns data strategy, analytics, and the AI/ML foundation of the business on a part-time basis — data platform, governance, and the team to run it.
Hire a fractional General Counsel
A fractional GC owns legal strategy, commercial contracts, financings, and employment matters on a part-time basis, coordinating outside counsel and keeping legal spend under control.
Hire a fractional Chief of Staff
A fractional Chief of Staff runs the operating cadence, cross-functional programs, and top CEO priorities part-time — turning executive intent into execution.
Hire a fractional VP Sales
A fractional VP Sales installs pipeline, process, and comp — then hires the AEs and hands off a working sales engine.
Hire a fractional VP Marketing
A fractional VP Marketing owns demand gen, positioning, and marketing operations on 1–2 days per week — filling the top of the funnel and coaching the marketing team.
Hire a fractional VP Engineering
A fractional VP Engineering owns delivery cadence, hiring, leveling, and manager coaching part-time — the people and process side of engineering.
Hire a fractional VP Product
A fractional VP Product runs the roadmap, installs discovery discipline, and coaches PMs on 1–2 days per week.
Hire a fractional VP Finance
A fractional VP Finance owns FP&A, monthly close, and reporting on 1–2 days per week — bringing operational rigor under a CFO or the CEO.
Hire a fractional VP People
A fractional VP People runs hiring, performance, comp, and culture programs on 1–2 days per week — the operational people leader below a CHRO or under the CEO.
Hire a fractional VP Operations
A fractional VP Operations installs operating cadence, tightens core processes, and scales the operating model on 1–2 days per week.
Hire a fractional VP Customer Success
A fractional VP Customer Success owns retention, NRR, and CS operations on 1–2 days per week — coverage model, playbooks, and CS team leadership.
Hire a fractional VP Business Development
A fractional VP Business Development builds partnerships, channel, and strategic alliances on 1–2 days per week — turning relationships into pipeline.
Hire a fractional VP Design
A fractional VP Design owns design strategy, systems, and team development on 1–2 days per week — craft, hiring, and coaching product designers.
Hire a fractional VP Data
A fractional VP Data runs analytics, data platform, and the data team on 1–2 days per week — the operational data leader under a CDO or CTO.
Hire a fractional VP Strategy
A fractional VP Strategy runs strategic planning, market entry, and corporate development on 1–2 days per week — the operational strategy leader under a CEO or CSO.
Hire a fractional CGO
A fractional Chief Growth Officer owns the revenue engine across marketing, sales, and product — driving acquisition, activation, retention, and expansion on 1–3 days per week.
Hire a fractional Chief AI Officer
A fractional Chief AI Officer sets your AI strategy, picks the use cases that actually pay back, stands up governance and data readiness, and holds delivery accountable — usually 1–3 days per week.
Hire a fractional Chief Compliance Officer
A fractional Chief Compliance Officer builds and runs your compliance program — policies, monitoring, training, audits, and regulator relationships — without the cost of a full-time hire.
Hire a fractional Chief Sustainability Officer
A fractional Chief Sustainability Officer owns carbon accounting, ESG disclosure, supplier requirements, and the reporting your customers and investors now demand — on a part-time basis.
Hire a fractional VP Growth
A fractional VP Growth owns the acquisition and activation engine: channel mix, funnel math, lifecycle, and a real experiment cadence — typically 1–3 days per week.
Hire a fractional VP RevOps
A fractional VP Revenue Operations rebuilds the systems behind revenue: CRM hygiene, stage definitions, forecasting, territory and comp design, and reporting the board can trust.
Hire a fractional VP Talent Acquisition
A fractional VP Talent Acquisition builds the hiring machine: scorecards, interview loops, sourcing strategy, employer brand, and metrics — without a permanent leadership cost.
Hire a fractional VP Partnerships
A fractional VP Partnerships designs and lands the partner motion: channel, referral, integration, and alliance programs with real economics and a working co-sell process.
Hire a fractional VP Product Marketing
A fractional VP Product Marketing fixes positioning, messaging, packaging, competitive strategy, and launch execution so sales has a story that closes.
Hire a fractional VP Security
A fractional VP Security runs the security program day to day: controls, tooling, vulnerability management, incident response, and the evidence enterprise buyers ask for.
Hire a fractional Head of AI
A fractional Head of AI / ML leads applied AI delivery: architecture, evaluation, data pipelines, and the small team shipping AI features into production.
How to hire a fractional executive in 5 steps
- 01
Define the mandate
Write down the top three outcomes you need in 90 days and the two or three functions the operator must own. Clarity here is what separates a fast hire from a six-month search.
- 02
Set the budget and hours
Most fractional engagements run 20 to 40 hours per month at $6,000 to $18,000. Advisory shape is 10 to 15 hours; deep or interim shape is 40 to 80 hours.
- 03
Get a vetted shortlist
Post a private mandate on RecruitFractional. You'll receive a shortlist of pre-vetted, reference-checked fractional executives within 48 hours — a flat $1,000 placement fee instead of 25 to 30 percent of comp.
- 04
Interview against outcomes
Interview three candidates. Ask each one to walk you through a comparable engagement at your stage. Require two references from prior fractional clients, not full-time employers.
- 05
Run a paid 30-day trial
Never sign a 12-month contract cold. Structure a paid 30-day trial with two or three named deliverables, then extend to a 6 to 12 month engagement if the trial delivers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fractional executive?
A fractional executive is a senior C-suite or VP-level operator (CFO, CMO, CGO, CTO, COO, CRO, CHRO, CPO, CCO, CSO, CISO) who works part-time — typically one to three days per week — with one or more companies on an ongoing basis, holding an accountable seat inside the business.
How much does it cost to hire a fractional executive?
Typical US retainers in 2026: fractional CFO $6k–$18k/mo, fractional CMO $8k–$22k/mo, fractional CGO $10k–$24k/mo, fractional CTO $8k–$20k/mo, fractional COO $8k–$20k/mo, fractional CRO $10k–$22k/mo. Day rates run $1,200–$3,000. RecruitFractional charges a flat $1,000 placement fee per confirmed hire instead of 25–30% of comp.
How fast can I hire a fractional executive?
Post a mandate on RecruitFractional and receive a vetted shortlist within 48 hours. Most engagements start within two weeks — versus 6 to 10 weeks for a retained search and 12+ weeks for a full-time hire.
When should I hire a fractional executive vs a full-time hire?
Hire fractional when you need senior judgment for 20 to 40 hours per month, when you're bridging to a full-time hire, or when the mandate is a defined 6 to 12 month build. Hire full-time once the function needs 5+ days per week and the company is past roughly $10M ARR (varies by function).
Fractional executive vs consultant vs agency — what's the difference?
A fractional executive holds an accountable executive seat (owns outcomes, team, board reporting). A consultant delivers a defined project and leaves. An agency executes one channel or function under the executive's direction. Most companies benefit from a fractional executive plus a specialist agency, not either alone.
Do fractional executives take equity?
Occasionally — usually at pre-seed and seed, typically 0.10% to 0.75% with standard vesting. Cash retainers are far more common at Series A and beyond.
Where can I hire a vetted fractional executive?
On RecruitFractional. Every published operator has held a full-time C-suite or VP title, is reference-verified, and is reviewed by prior clients. No open-marketplace freelancer profiles.
Can I convert a fractional executive to full-time?
Yes. Roughly one in four fractional engagements on RecruitFractional convert to full-time. The paid trial and 6 to 12 month engagement act as a de-risked evaluation window for both sides.
Ready to hire a fractional executive?
Post a private mandate. Vetted shortlist in 48 hours. Flat $1,000 placement fee per hire.