What Does a Fractional Job Typically Look Like?

The work itself looks very similar to a full-time job, but because a fractional leader is a part-time independent contractor, there are four other key variables that help dictate what any given fractional job looks like.

These four variables are the length of the engagement, the scope of work, the compensation, and the contract terms.

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Length of Engagement

Typically, a fractional job might last for a few months, to a year or more. The essence of fractional work is that it’s ongoing in nature, NOT project-based.

The length depends greatly on the company trajectory and what the needs are. A high-growth tech startup might need a Fractional CMO for 6 months before they outgrow them and need to hire a full-time CMO. A small business growing 10% per year might engage with a Fractional CFO for 3 years before graduating to a full-time CFO.

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Scope of Work

We already know that a fractional job is part-time in nature. But exactly how much time is required depends greatly on the needs of the business.

A small chain of coffee shops might need a Fractional Head of HR for high-level guidance on policies, compliance, and onboarding/offboarding best practices. This might require just 5 hours a week of commitment.

However, a B2B SaaS startup might have an engineering team of 5, based offshore, that are in desperate need of architecture guidance, code reviews, and mentorship. For this client, a Fractional CTO might need to dedicate 20 hours per week.

Fractional work is designed to flex around a company’s needs and budget - often 2, 5, 10, or 20 hours per week, and covering everything from strategic leadership to hands-on execution. It may even include management of others, including full-time employees.

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Compensation

Fractionals are typically compensated via an hourly rate or a monthly retainer. A monthly retainer tends to be preferred, because it creates a mutual commitment that the relationship is ongoing.

For more details about how fractionals are compensated, including compensation benchmarks, see How Much Fractional Talent Typically Costs to Hire.

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Contract Terms

When starting a fractional engagement, the fractional and the company will sign an Independent Contractor agreement. This agreement is a standard 1099 contract, and for fractional work it usually covers the following:

• Contract length / term
• Compensation
• Cancellation clauses
• Scope of work

For more details about contract best practices for fractional work, [see our article here].

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Other Differences with Fractional Work

A single fractional job in many ways looks like a full-time job, but most fractional leaders have multiple clients. And because of this, fractional work actually feels VERY different compared to full-time work. Fractionals have to find their own clients, they have to juggle multiple clients, they have to manage their LLC, practice good client relationship management, and so much more.

We cover these topics elsewhere in [The Complete Guide to Fractional Work].

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What a Fractional Job IS NOT

Fractional work is not a fixed-scope project. It’s not purely consultative. It’s not an advisory agreement. It’s ongoing, embedded work, just done fractionally.

To see what fractional jobs are available now, check out all the live jobs on Fractional Jobs.

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