Fractional Chief Growth Officer or Head of Growth?
Both own growth. They suit different moments. Here is how the choice tends to break down, what each costs in the UK, and what to ask before you decide.
The distinction is about maturity, not seniority
It is tempting to frame this as part-time senior versus full-time execution. In the companies I have worked with, the more useful difference is where the growth motion currently sits. How many days a week someone is present matters much less.
A Head of Growth's responsibilities vary a great deal by company stage and structure. The role may cover acquisition, retention, product-led growth, and cross-functional alignment, or a narrower slice of it. It is not inherently a narrow role, and framing it that way would be unfair to the people doing it well.
I would ask something else first: is the growth motion already written down and repeatable? Where it is, a full-time hire has a playbook to run and scale. Where it is not, someone has to decide what the motion should be before headcount can execute against it.
| Head of Growth | Fractional CGO | |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | Full-time employee | Recurring part-time leadership, commonly one to two days a week, with agreed review points |
| Best fit | A growth playbook already exists and needs full-time management and scaling | The motion is still being decided, or sits fragmented across marketing, sales, and retention |
| Scope | Varies by company; may be broad or focused on one area | May help align growth priorities, metrics, and responsibilities across marketing, sales, and customer retention, within the authority agreed with the company |
| Ramp | Notice period, then onboarding; typically months to full contribution | Can start quickly, though outcomes depend on internal resources and alignment |
| What remains after | The person, and whatever they built while there | The operating rhythms and playbooks built during the engagement |
What each costs in the UK
These are market figures. Scope is calibrated on a first call.
Head of Growth
£80,071
Average UK base salary, with a typical range of £58,250 to £113,906. The London average is around £85,279 (range £61,637 to £122,463). Employer National Insurance and pension add roughly 15.5 to 16%, so the fully loaded cost of an average hire lands above £93,000.
Sources: Glassdoor UK salary data; GOV.UK employer National Insurance; The Pensions Regulator. Verified July 2026. Self-reported salary data, so treat as directional.
Fractional CGO
£4,000 to £9,000/month
UK market range at one to two days a week. More complex or private-equity-backed mandates can exceed £14,000 a month. There are no employer on-costs, and the commitment carries agreed review points.
Sources: Dean Maskell; Boardroom Advisors; Ortent. Verified July 2026. Published market ranges, so treat as directional.
The signals founders describe
In founder forums, the run-up to this decision tends to sound like this:
- “Every important decision still comes back to me.”
- “The team cannot move forward without founder approval.”
- “Growth responsibilities are unclear.”
- “The business slows down when I step away.”
Those read as questions about decision rights, ownership, and operating systems. Hours are a smaller part of it. Founder dependency does not automatically mean a fractional CGO is the answer, though it does suggest the answer is more than another pair of hands.
If the fractional route fits, the way I work is simple. Three parts.
Operate
I work inside your team, operating the growth function week to week.
First result
A concrete growth outcome inside the engagement window, on a number we agree at the start.
Hand back
A repeatable motion your team runs without me. The handover is planned from the start.
Questions people ask
Is a fractional CGO cheaper than a Head of Growth?
Often, on a monthly basis, and there are no employer on-costs. But cost is the wrong first question. If you already know the motion and need it run full-time, a permanent hire is usually the better value. The comparison only favors fractional when what you need is a decision about the motion itself.
Can a part-time leader really own a growth number?
Within the authority and resources agreed at the outset, yes. Without that authority agreed in writing, no one can, part-time or full-time. Negotiate that agreement carefully.
Could we do both?
Frequently the useful sequence. A fractional CGO settles what the motion is and installs the operating rhythm, so a permanent Head of Growth can then be hired against a defined role. The brief writes itself more easily once the motion exists.
How long does a fractional engagement usually run?
Commonly structured as recurring part-time support, with agreed review points and exit conditions.
Not sure which side of the line you are on?
Usually a thirty-minute conversation. If you would rather start with a number than a call, the diagnostic scores seven pillars of your growth surface and shows you the weakest one.