ISO 27001/SOC 2 certification
Compliance
push — need accountable security leader to guide certification and audit preparation
Hire a Fractional CISO · Fractional CISO Jobs UK
Fractional & Virtual CISO Jobs UK
Hire a fractional CISO at 1–3 days a week — board-level cybersecurity leadership for SMEs and scale-ups facing tighter regulation. Fractional CISO jobs provide credible security programmes and accountable risk ownership.
Day rate range
£900£1,650per day (to £2,500 regulated)
Monthly retainer
£3,000£12,000per month (tiered by intensity)
vs Full-time CISO
£60k–£96kvs £150k–£300kannually (loaded)
Fractional CISO vs Virtual CISO (vCISO) vs CISO-as-a-Service
These names describe the same thing: senior security leadership on a part-time, retained basis, usually remote or hybrid. The nuance: virtual CISO (vCISO) emphasises remote, advisory delivery; fractional CISO jobs emphasise an embedded leader who sits in your meetings and owns outcomes; CISO-as-a-Service is often the same capability packaged by a provider.
Fractional CISO jobs have day rates, scope and deliverables that are essentially the same. Choose by how embedded you need the leader to be — advisory oversight, or hands-on programme ownership. All fractional CISO jobs models put board-level cybersecurity leadership in place without a full-time hire or 3–6 month recruitment process.
What a Fractional CISO Actually Does
Core responsibilities: Security strategy and roadmap, risk register and risk management, certification leadership (ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials Plus), policy and governance framework ownership, incident response planning and on-call escalation, third-party supplier security assurance, board and investor reporting on cyber risk.
Compliance and assurance: Regulatory compliance (UK GDPR, FCA requirements, EU DORA for financial entities), answering customer security questionnaires (a common B2B sales gate), cyber-insurance readiness, security tooling and vendor decisions, security-awareness programmes. Typical engagement: 6–18 months ongoing, scaling with regulatory complexity.
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Fractional CISO Rate Comparison
Day rates, monthly retainers, and full-time comparison with current market data
Fractional CISO Rate Comparison
●Currency: GBPVERIFIED · INSTITUTIONAL DATA
Unit
Engagement mode
DAY · FRACTIONAL
ASSUMPTIONS: 220 BILLABLE DAYS · 1.42× LOADED FOR FT
ASSUMPTIONS: 220 BILLABLE DAYS · 1.42× LOADED FOR FT
CISO / Security Headrange · £900–£2k/day
£900
low
£1k
mid
£2k
high
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CISO rates by engagement intensity
£900–£1,650/day typical, up to £2,500/day for FCA-regulated or critical infrastructure — rates scale with regulatory complexity and certification urgency
CISO rates by engagement intensity
| Engagement Tier⬍ | Commitment | Monthly Retainer⬍ | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light-touch governance | ~1 day/week | £3,000–£5,000 | Board reporting, policy oversight, incident response on call |
| Active programme | 1–2 days/week | £5,000–£8,000 | ISO 27001/SOC 2 certification, risk register, supplier assurance |
| Intensive transformation | 2–3 days/week | £8,000–£12,000 | Certification push, FCA compliance, post-incident remediation |
Engagement Tier:Light-touch governance
Commitment:~1 day/week
Monthly Retainer:£3,000–£5,000
Scope:Board reporting, policy oversight, incident response on call
Engagement Tier:Active programme
Commitment:1–2 days/week
Monthly Retainer:£5,000–£8,000
Scope:ISO 27001/SOC 2 certification, risk register, supplier assurance
Engagement Tier:Intensive transformation
Commitment:2–3 days/week
Monthly Retainer:£8,000–£12,000
Scope:Certification push, FCA compliance, post-incident remediation
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When to hire a fractional or virtual CISO
Common scenarios where fractional CISO expertise delivers cybersecurity leadership without full-time commitment
Customer security questionnaires
Sales enablement
— enterprise customers gate deals on security; need credible answers and governance
Cyber insurance requirements
Insurance
readiness — insurers demand board-level security governance for coverage
FCA/DORA compliance
Regulatory
requirements — financial services need senior security accountability
Post-incident recovery
Incident
response — rebuild security programme and stakeholder confidence after breach
IT team support
Strategic
overlay — technical team needs senior security leadership and board reporting
Healthcare data compliance
Health & life sciences
— GDPR for patient data, NHS Digital standards, medical device cyber-security frameworks
Digital health platform
Healthtech
security — remote consultations, patient portals, telehealth cyber-security governance
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How vetting and placement works
Our structured 5-stage process for matching cybersecurity leaders with businesses needing CISO expertise
A five-stage method for blended teams.
How we take a founder or board's brief and turn it into a delivery system across core, fractional, network, and outsourced functions.
CONFIRM — REAL PROCESS- 01
Diagnose the shape
Stage · pressure · the work nobody is doing.
We run The Team Architect on every brief. Stage, headcount, sector, pressure. The output is the org shape we'd build with you — including the seats to hold for now. We turn briefs down here, gracefully, when the answer is 'not yet'.
- 02
Scope the seats
Core. Fractional. Network. Outsourced.
Each function gets a verdict and an intensity. Engineering core. Finance fractional at 2.5 d/wk. Paid-media on the network. IT helpdesk outsourced. We commit to days, IR35 status, and replacement terms in writing before search starts.
- 03
Source the operators
Network-first. Outbound where it needs to be.
Fractional candidates have portfolios, not job alerts. We run from our own network plus a structured outbound for the senior end. Shortlist in 8–12 days. Honest scoring against the rubric — no padding.
- 04
Embed the engagement
First-week plan. Success criteria. IR35 live.
Calibration calls. Onboarding plan written down. IR35 structure live before day one. We sit in the first cross-functional meeting if it helps. The replacement guarantee runs for 90 days.
- 05
Manage the workforce
Quarterly cadence. Bridge to core when right.
Monthly check-ins for the first quarter, quarterly after. We surface when a fractional should convert to core (Series A → Series B finance is the modal moment) and we own the bridge. Replacement, conversion, off-ramp — it's all the same firm.
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about fractional CISO roles and engagements
They describe the same offering: senior cybersecurity leadership on a part-time, retained basis, usually remote or hybrid. Virtual CISO (vCISO) stresses remote, advisory delivery; fractional CISO stresses an embedded leader who attends your meetings and owns outcomes; CISO-as-a-Service is often the same capability packaged by a provider. Scope, day rates and deliverables are essentially the same — the practical question is how hands-on and embedded you need the leader to be.
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Live Fractional CISO Job Opportunities
Current openings and market opportunities
No live roles in this view right now. But we know what they pay.
We don't fabricate listings to pad a feed. Register for alerts and we'll surface roles in this shape the moment they appear — exclusive, syndicated, or fractional-curious.
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Related resources
Additional tools, guides, and role information
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