Product
Fractional CPO and Product Leadership
Specialist fractional CPO and product leadership recruiters working across the US, UK, EU and UAE.
Trusted by tech teams from start-ups to globally recognised brands
“Consortia have come through for me again and again: my first Head of Product role, strong PMs for my team, salary benchmarking and contract work. Can't rate them highly enough.”
Duncan M. · Head of Product, SaaS scaleup
Overview
Plenty of teams need senior product experience long before they need a full-time CPO. Consortia places fractional CPOs and interim product leaders, including experienced heads of product, who set direction, sharpen the roadmap and build the function a few days a week or for a fixed period.
It fits scale-ups not yet ready for a permanent product leader, businesses between hires, and teams working through a pivot, a fundraise or a step change in growth. Most briefs come down to agreeing priorities, setting a working rhythm the team will keep, and hiring the product managers who carry it on.
How fractional product works
Fit with the engagement matters as much as track record. Before anyone is put forward, we agree the days, the length and what the leader is there to fix. It sits within our wider Fractional Leadership service. If a full-time hire becomes the right answer, our permanent product leadership network means we can move straight to that search. We search for product leaders across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE.
Customer Stories
How we've helped
Customer Stories
Trustpilot
Placing a senior growth product hire for Trustpilot
Trustpilot turned to Consortia for a senior growth product role. A sharper candidate profile and targeted headhunting landed a high-calibre hire.
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48hrs
to first interviews
Customer Stories
Simply Business
Filling an urgent Product Manager gap for Simply Business
With a project already underway, Consortia set up interviews within 48 hours and had a Product Manager working one week from brief.
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2:1
shortlist-to-interview ratio
Customer Stories
Receipt Bank
Placing a Head of Product for Receipt Bank's AI team
Consortia placed a Head of Product for Receipt Bank's AI team through a focused, headhunt-led search.
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Customer Stories
Domotz
Two senior product hires for Domotz across US time zones
Domotz needed two principal product hires from a narrow pool of direct competitors. Consortia hired both the Product Manager and the Product Designer.
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2 days
to shortlist, both roles filled
Customer Stories
HomeServe Labs
Securing product leadership for HomeServe Labs' first IoT product
Consortia hand-picked candidates within two days and filled both a Product Manager and a Customer Development Director for HomeServe Labs' first IoT product.
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Rates
What a fractional product leader costs
Fractional product leaders charge by the day, and the rate depends on the engagement. Two companies bringing in a fractional CPO in the same month can pay quite different amounts. That is why there is no rate table on this page.
What shapes the rate
- Time commitment. Roughly one to three days a week is typical, depending on the budget and what needs doing.
- Length of engagement. A three-month piece of work to reset product direction is priced differently from an open-ended leadership role.
- Scope. Some fractional leaders advise the founder and the board. Others lead the product team day to day, set priorities and hire.
- Experience. Someone who has been CPO through a scale-up or an exit sits at a different rate from a first-time fractional Head of Product.
- Company stage. Early-stage businesses sometimes agree a lower day rate alongside equity.
- The individual. Fractional leaders set their own rates, often around their other clients and commitments.
A rate range for your brief
Tell us what you need the role to do. We'll give you a realistic rate range based on what fractional product leaders charge now, and tell you if an interim or permanent hire would suit the work better.
Share Your BriefNo job description needed. Prefer to talk it through? Speak to a consultant.
Fractional product leader looking for your next engagement? Get in touch with the product team.
Live jobs
Live Product jobs
- Permanent
Lead Product Manager
New York · Hybrid
$200,000 - $220,000
View role - Permanent
Product Engineer
London · Hybrid
£90,000 - £140,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Head of AI Native Product Operations
London · Hybrid
£100,000 - £120,000
View role - Permanent
Head of Product & Technology
London · Hybrid
£90,000 - £125,000
View role - Permanent
Head of Payments
London · On-site
£90,000 - £100,000 per annum
View role - Permanent
Senior Product Manager
Wimbledon · On-site
£80,000 - £80,000 per annum
View role
Related roles
Other roles our Product recruiters fill
Product Managers
Product managers from first PM to senior IC, permanent and contract, across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE.
ExploreProduct Owners
Product owners across agile delivery teams, permanent and contract, in B2B and B2C tech.
ExploreProduct Designers
Product designers who work end to end across UX, UI and research, permanent and contract.
Explore
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Should we bring in a fractional Head of Product or hire a senior product manager?
A fractional product leader suits a business that needs direction: settling priorities, shaping the function, supporting founders or hiring the first product managers. A senior product manager suits a business where the direction is broadly clear and the need is hands-on delivery. Some businesses use both, with the fractional leader setting things up for a permanent team.
What does a fractional product leader usually do in the first few months?
Typically they start by understanding the product, the customers and the team. From there they agree priorities with leadership, set up a working rhythm for planning, discovery and reporting, and look at where the team needs support. Many also help write the brief for permanent product hires. The exact focus depends on what they were brought in to fix.
What should a fractional product leader leave behind?
A product function that runs without them. That usually means clear priorities, a planning and decision process the team actually uses, stronger product managers, and a well-defined brief for the permanent leader who follows. Agreeing what success looks like at the start makes the handover much easier to judge.
Can a fractional product leader help us prepare for investment?
Often, yes. Investors tend to ask about product direction, what customers use and how the team decides what to build. A fractional product leader can help sharpen those answers, put useful product measures in place and show a credible plan for the function. They work alongside founders rather than replacing the founder story.
How do I start working with Consortia?
Clients can get in touch to discuss a brief, and candidates are welcome to register their interest. The quickest route is our contact page or a call to +44 203 397 4565, and one of our consultants will pick things up from there.
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