Fractional CTO
Part-time technology strategy and engineering leadership for companies that need senior judgment without a full-time CTO.
Get StartedFractional Executive Services in Technology
Senior tech roles do not always need a full-time hire. The work changes shape across stages, the right leader for one phase may not be the right one for the next, and most companies need flexibility to match. Tecla covers the full range of engagement models for senior tech leadership: fractional, virtual, and interim, through one network and one point of contact.
Over 10 years placing senior tech professionals in US companies
- 90 days
- Replacement guarantee, no additional cost
- Monthly retainer
- Scoped cadence, scalable as the engagement evolves
- 3 to 5 days
- To first candidates
Teams building with AI trust Tecla to hire
Eleven years, 500+ companies, 50,000+ vetted professionals. What they say about working with us.
Tecla is organized and provides a strong partnership experience. From hiring multiple engineers within weeks to maintaining consistent communication and feedback, they've shown real professionalism. Their follow-up and collaboration made the entire staffing process efficient and enjoyable.
Kristen MarcoeDirector @ Credo AI
I’m very happy with Tecla. Their support has improved our QA process, reduced bug reports by half, and made our onboarding process twice as fast. The team is responsive, cost-effective, and delivers high-quality candidates on time. Tecla has truly become a trusted extension of our internal hiring team.
Meit ShahPrincipal PM @ Stash
It was a pleasure working with Tecla. Their team quickly understood our hiring needs and found candidates that matched our technical requirements perfectly. Communication was seamless, and they were always quick to respond and deliver results. Tecla’s attention to quality made the entire experience smooth and efficient.
Mayya BozhilovaManager @ Three Space Lab
Tecla successfully found candidates for our team and handled the entire process from scheduling to interviews. They were timely, responsive, and always kept communication flowing through email and messaging apps. I was really impressed with Tecla’s follow-up and thoroughness throughout the process.
Jessica WarrenHead of People @ Chowly
Tecla's business model and team set our company up with engineers that we have the real possibility of working with long-term and can grow with our business. Tecla came in highly recommended, and their pace from introduction to engagement to presenting candidates was very fast.
David BradleyFounder @ QPilot
Internally, we're moving much faster than we were without the remote engineers Tecla recruited for us and we've been able to implement far more features. Once we brought on our first full-time designer in South America, it made the quality of our user interface, product, and marketing efforts increase substantially.
Drew BatshawCTO @ Waggl
When we started our recruiting initiatives for LATAM developers, it was crucial for us to rely on a company that could provide deep local expertise to help us identify the best software developers in Latin America. The teams at Tecla really go the extra mile to understand our needs, which is what has made our partnership so successful!
Douglas SantosLead Tech Recruiter @ HomeLight
What are fractional executives?
A fractional executive is a senior leader who takes on a tech role part-time, ongoing, instead of joining the company full-time. The same principle applies to virtual and interim variations: each one trades a different dimension of flexibility for the same outcome, senior judgment without the cost of a full-time hire.
Engagements run months to years, without equity or long-term commitment. Common across startups, scale-ups, and PE-backed companies.
Where it fits?
Pre full-time hire
The role is real, the budget is not
Pre-Series A and early-stage teams that need senior judgment on architecture, hiring, and product before a full-time hire is justified.
Leadership gap
The CTO left, the work cannot wait
A senior exit mid-cycle, with delivery still on the line. An interim leader holds the seat and onboards the successor when they arrive.
Specialist function
The function is permanent, the headcount is not
Security and compliance functions that need executive accountability without a full-time CISO. Common in regulated industries facing audits.
Tech leaders we place
Senior tech roles across every model that matters. The four featured below are the most common placements through our practice.
Fractional CIO
IT strategy, infrastructure direction, and vendor oversight for organizations scaling their technology function.
Get StartedFractional CISO
Security leadership, compliance, and risk strategy for regulated industries and companies preparing for audits.
Get StartedFractional Chief AI Officer
AI strategy, model selection, and applied research leadership for companies building AI-native products.
Get StartedOther roles we place
Sectors we know well
Companies that engage fractional executive services through Tecla come from the sectors below. Each one carries its own demands around compliance, scale, and the kind of leader who fits the work.
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SaaS & Enterprise
Fintech
AI & Machine Learning
HealthTech
Cybersecurity
E-commerce & Retail
EdTech
Logistics & Supply Chain
Energy Tech
Models of engagement
Tech leadership comes in different shapes. The three engagement models below cover the full range, each one designed for a different moment in a company's growth.
Fractional
CTO · CIO · CISO
Part-time ongoing strategic leadership for tech roles that need senior judgment without a full-time hire. Includes outsourced and CTO-as-a-Service engagements.
Virtual
vCIO · vCISO · vCTO
Always-available tech leadership delivered as a service. Common in security and IT functions that need continuous oversight and compliance accountability.
Interim
CTO · CIO
Full-time temporary leadership to cover a gap, stabilize a crisis, or lead a transition while a permanent hire is found. Engagements run three to six months.
Start with your brief
Tell us the role, the stage of the company, and the moment you are in. We will come back with the model that fits, and first candidates in 3 to 5 business days.
The two people you'll work with
Every Tecla engagement is supported by two roles, both included from day one.
Dedicated Account Manager
Your single point of contact across the engagement. Same person from briefing through replacement, not a ticket queue.
Success Manager
Accountable for how the engagement performs over time. Stays close to the leader and the company to keep the work on track.
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Shaped by the work in front of you
Every company arrives with a different question. Some need a CTO to build the architecture that will hold for three years. Others need a vCISO to own compliance through an audit. Others need an interim leader to stabilize a team mid-transition. We shape each brief around what the company actually needs. The depth, the cadence, the scope, matched to the moment.
Beyond fractional
Fractional, virtual, and interim engagements solve one shape of the problem. When the engineering team around the executive needs to scale, or when the company moves to a full-time hire, the same network covers what comes next.
Executive Search
Senior tech leadership search for CTO, CIO, VP Engineering, Chief AI Officer, and other c-suite and VP roles.
Explore
Staff Augmentation
Pre-vetted senior engineers added to your team in 3 to 5 business days, fully managed by Tecla.
Explore
AI Staffing
Engineers and specialists across the AI stack, from LLM development to data and infrastructure.
ExploreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between fractional, virtual, and interim executives?
Fractional executives work part-time on an ongoing basis, typically 10 to 25 hours per week. Virtual executives provide always-available leadership as a service, common in security and IT. Interim executives are full-time temporary leaders, brought in for three to six months to cover a gap or stabilize a transition.
When should I hire a fractional CTO versus an interim CTO?
A fractional CTO fits when the role is real but a full-time hire is not yet justified. An interim CTO fits when the role was full-time and the leader just left, or when a stabilization or transformation period calls for full-time leadership with a defined end date.
What is a vCISO and how is it different from a fractional CISO?
A vCISO and a fractional CISO often overlap. vCISO is the term that dominates in security and compliance contexts, often delivered with a team behind the lead leader. Fractional CISO is more common when the engagement is led by a single individual, part-time. Both deliver senior security leadership without a full-time hire.
How does an outsourced CTO compare to a fractional CTO?
An outsourced CTO is a vendor-style relationship where a senior leader is accountable for the technology function. A fractional CTO is a part-time leader who embeds in the company. The two terms are often used interchangeably in the market, but outsourced engagements lean more toward managed services, fractional engagements lean more toward embedded leadership.
What does a fractional executive cost?
Our pricing is all-inclusive, with no upfront fees, no fees to start a search, and no charges for interviews. Clients are billed only on engagement. Fractional and virtual engagements are typically billed monthly. Interim engagements are billed at a full-time equivalent rate for the duration of the engagement.
How long does a fractional engagement typically run?
Engagements range from three months to multiple years. Most start at three to six months and extend as the work continues. Companies often transition fractional engagements to full-time hires when the role grows beyond part-time scope, and we support that transition.
Does the 90-day replacement guarantee apply to fractional engagements?
Yes. If the engagement does not work within the first 90 days, we replace the leader at no additional cost. The guarantee is standard across every engagement model we run.
Can Tecla build a team around the fractional or virtual leader?
Yes. Most clients add staff augmentation engineers or build dedicated teams alongside the leader, sourced wherever it fits the work. One partner manages the full team setup, so the engineering org scales without adding vendors.
What industries do you serve for fractional and virtual executive engagements?
SaaS, fintech, healthtech, cybersecurity, AI and machine learning, e-commerce, edtech, logistics, and energy tech. Each sector carries its own demands around compliance, scale, and the kind of leader who fits the work.