Fractional Leadership
Fractional HR Director and CHRO for founder-led tech, AI and creative companies
Senior People leadership embedded in your business a day or two a week. The strategic weight of an HR Director or CHRO, sized to where your company is now, without the full-time cost.
15 years scaling People functions, Series A to exit · 15+ M&A integrations · CIPD Level 7
Get in touch →The role
What a fractional HR Director actually is
A fractional HR Director, sometimes called a fractional CHRO, is an experienced People leader who works with your company part-time and on an ongoing basis. You get senior strategic thinking on hiring, pay, structure and culture, plus someone who builds the systems underneath it, for a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full-time hire.
It sits at the senior end of my fractional People leadership services: the option founders reach for when the people side has outgrown being handled in the gaps.
HR Director or CHRO: what is the difference?
In practice, very little. Both describe senior ownership of the People function: strategy, pay, structure, culture and the systems that hold it together. Larger or later-stage companies tend to say CHRO, founder-led scale-ups tend to say HR Director. The title matters less than the seniority of judgement in the room, which is the same either way.
The signals
When founders bring one in
- Headcount has pushed past twenty or thirty and the people work no longer fits in the gaps.
- Pay is decided deal by deal, with no levelling framework behind it.
- First-time managers are leading teams with no support or structure.
- A raise, a scale-up or a restructure is on the horizon.
- Contracts, policies and compliance have not kept pace with the team.
- You need the judgement of a senior People leader, not a full-time salary.
The work
What a fractional engagement covers
- People strategy and org design. The shape of the team as you scale, not just the next hire.
- Compensation and levelling. Pay bands and progression that hold up to scrutiny.
- HR systems and People Ops. The right HRIS and processes, built to last.
- Manager capability. Coaching first-time and stretched managers into the role.
- Hiring and onboarding. A process that scales without lowering the bar.
- Policy and compliance. The foundations that protect you and the team.
The engagement
How it works
- A day or two a week, ongoing. Embedded in your team, not arm’s-length advice.
- Clear scope, flexible as you grow.
- You work directly with me, at CHRO level, not a junior delegate.
I’m Miriam Kerbache, CIPD Level 7 qualified. I’ve spent 15 years scaling People functions inside tech, AI and creative companies, from Series A to exit, including more than fifteen M&A integrations across the UK, Ireland, the US and Europe. More about me.
Getting started
The First Fortnight
Every engagement starts the same way: two weeks of listening before any plan lands on your desk.
- I meet the founders and every senior lead, and hear where the friction actually is.
- I review pay, contracts, policies, systems and people data as they really are, not as the wiki says.
- By the end of week two you get a prioritised plan: what to fix now, what can wait, and what is already working.
The right shape of help
Fractional, interim or full-time hire?
- Under ten people: you probably need a defined HR project, not ongoing leadership.
- Ten to a hundred and fifty: fractional territory. Senior judgement a day or two a week, embedded and ongoing.
- Two hundred plus: hire a full-time People leader. I will help you define the role, hire well and hand over.
- Need full-time cover for a fixed period, say parental leave or a restructure? That is an interim HR Director, and I do that too.
Industry fit
Built for tech, AI and creative companies
Tech & SaaS
Fast-scaling product teams where levelling, pay and management need to mature as quickly as headcount.
AI
Research-led and applied AI companies hiring scarce, high-cost talent who expect clarity on pay and progression.
Creative
Studios and creative businesses balancing project-based work with the structure a growing permanent team needs.
Client example
Embedded with Azur Technology since Nov 2024
I joined Azur Technology as their fractional People leader in November 2024, just after a £4M raise. I am still there, which tells you more about how fractional works than any brochure could.
In that time I have built the People function as the team scaled internationally, led their migration from BambooHR to HiBob, consolidated a patchwork of EOR and PEO arrangements, and now own employee relations across EMEA, North America, the Philippines and India.
One embedded day or two a week, compounding over years. That is the model.
“Miriam is a breath of fresh air and I would move mountains to work with her again. She gained the trust of my team quickly and set the right tone in discussions that could have been challenging… she is an essential piece to any puzzle.”
Pricing
What a fractional HR Director costs
Fractional HR Directors in the UK typically charge £800 to £2,000 a day, structured as a monthly retainer. Most of my engagements run one to two days a week.
For comparison: a full-time HR Director or CHRO costs well north of £200,000 a year once you add employer NI, pension, bonus and equity. A fractional arrangement usually lands at a quarter to a third of that fully loaded cost, for the same seniority of judgement.
I have published a full breakdown, including what drives the price up or down, in my guide to fractional HR Director costs in the UK.
FAQ
Common questions
What is a fractional HR Director?
A fractional HR Director is a senior People leader who works with your company part-time, on an ongoing basis, owning people strategy and the systems beneath it. You get the seniority of an HR Director or CHRO without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.
What is the difference between a fractional HR Director and a fractional CHRO?
Very little in practice. Both own the People function at a senior, strategic level. CHRO tends to be used by larger or later-stage companies, HR Director by founder-led scale-ups. The seniority of judgement is the same.
When should a startup hire a fractional CHRO?
Usually once headcount passes twenty to thirty, when pay decisions, levelling, first-time managers and compliance start to need real ownership, but a full-time CHRO is not yet justified.
How much does a fractional HR Director cost in the UK?
Typically £800 to £2,000 a day in the UK, structured as a monthly retainer based on days per week and scope. That usually works out at a quarter to a third of the fully loaded cost of a full-time hire. I break the numbers down in my guide to fractional HR Director costs, or get in touch for a figure based on your stage.
Is a fractional HR Director right for a company under 50 people?
Often, yes. Companies between roughly ten and a hundred and fifty people are exactly where fractional People leadership fits best: the people challenges are real, but a full-time senior hire is hard to justify.
What is the difference between a fractional and an interim HR Director?
A fractional HR Director works with you part-time on an ongoing basis, usually a day or two a week over years. An interim HR Director is a full-time cover for a fixed period: parental leave, a sudden gap, or a defined piece of change. If the need is ongoing senior judgement, fractional. If the need is temporary cover, interim.
Where are you based, and where do you work?
I am based in Belfast and work with companies across the UK and Ireland. Most of my clients are remote-first tech, AI and creative businesses, so the model works wherever your team is. Embedded does not mean in the building; it means in the room where decisions get made.
Bring senior People leadership into your business.
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