£5–50m turnover
SME
growth stage — need board-level finance capability without full-time hire
Hire a Fractional Finance Director · Fractional FD Jobs UK
Fractional Finance Director Jobs UK
Hire a fractional Finance Director at 1–3 days a week — senior finance leadership for SMEs and growth businesses. Part-time FD roles across the UK without the full-time commitment.
Day rate range
£500£1,400typical
SME engagement
1–3days/weekongoing
vs Full-time cost
40–60%lesstotal cost
What is a Fractional Finance Director?
A fractional Finance Director (FD) is a senior finance leader who works with SMEs and growth businesses part-time — typically 1–3 days a week — providing hands-on senior finance ownership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. They own board reporting, cashflow management, fundraising support, and finance team development.
FD vs CFO positioning: Finance Director is the standard senior finance title in UK SMEs (£5–50m turnover), emphasizing hands-on as well as strategic capability. At larger scale/PE/listed level, the same model is usually called a fractional CFO. In SMEs the titles are largely interchangeable — the model is identical; scale and remit set the label.
What a Fractional FD Actually Does
Core responsibilities: Board & management reporting, cashflow forecasting & working-capital management, budgeting and 3-statement modelling, fundraising/investor reporting/debt facilities, margin & profitability analysis, audit & compliance coordination.
Finance function build: Finance systems & controls implementation, process optimization, finance-team mentoring (supporting FC/Finance Manager step-up), PE value-creation & exit preparation. Typical engagement: 6-18 months ongoing, scaling with business complexity.
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Fractional FD Rate Comparison
Day rates, monthly retainers, and full-time comparison with current market data
Fractional FD 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
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FD rates by engagement type
£500–£1,400/day typical, up to £1,800/day at CFO/PE-backed/listed level — rates scale with complexity and seniority
FD rates by engagement type
| Engagement Type⬍ | Day Rate⬍ | Monthly @ 2 days/wk | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| SME / growth stage | £500–£900 | £4,000–£7,200 | Hands-on + strategic |
| PE-backed / fundraising | £800–£1,400 | £6,400–£11,200 | Transformation/transaction |
| CFO-level complex | £1,200–£1,800 | £9,600–£14,400 | M&A/listed/advisory |
Engagement Type:SME / growth stage
Day Rate:£500–£900
Monthly @ 2 days/wk:£4,000–£7,200
Focus:Hands-on + strategic
Engagement Type:PE-backed / fundraising
Day Rate:£800–£1,400
Monthly @ 2 days/wk:£6,400–£11,200
Focus:Transformation/transaction
Engagement Type:CFO-level complex
Day Rate:£1,200–£1,800
Monthly @ 2 days/wk:£9,600–£14,400
Focus:M&A/listed/advisory
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When to hire a fractional Finance Director
Common scenarios where part-time senior finance leadership delivers maximum value for SMEs and growth businesses
Fundraising active
Investment
readiness — investor deck, financial model, due diligence preparation
Finance function build
Systems
& controls — implementing finance systems, mentoring FC/Finance Manager
Board reporting gaps
Management
information — monthly board packs, KPI dashboards, variance analysis
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How vetting and placement works
Our structured 5-stage process for matching Finance Directors with SMEs needing senior finance leadership
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 FD roles and engagements
UK FD day rates typically £500–£1,400, scaling with experience and engagement complexity. SME/growth stage: £500–£900/day. PE-backed/fundraising: £800–£1,400/day. CFO-level complex: £1,200–£1,800/day. Monthly retainer: typically £4,000–£11,200 for 2 days/week ongoing engagement.
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Live Fractional Finance Director 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
Read more
More of the same shape — internal.
INTERNALFractional CFO Jobs UKCFO-level roles and scale-up finance leadership
→INTERNALFractional Finance Director SalaryDetailed FD salary and day rate analysis
→INTERNALFractional Jobs UKAll fractional executive roles across functions
→INTERNALFractional Jobs FinanceAll finance sector fractional opportunities across functions
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