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Executive Technology Leadership

Fractional CIO & CTO Services

Senior technology leadership on a part-time basis — strategy, governance, and execution without a full-time C-suite price tag.

What is fractional leadership?

A fractional CIO or CTO is a senior executive who works with you part-time — typically 10–20 hours per week — bringing the strategy and experience of a full C-suite hire without the salary, equity, or long ramp. It’s the right move when you need executive judgment, but not yet a full-time seat.
Up to 50% the cost

A fraction of a full-time C-suite salary, benefits, and equity — with senior-level output.

10–20 hrs/week typical

Enough to lead, not so much you’re paying for idle time. Flex up during big initiatives.

Birmingham + remote

Onsite in Birmingham and across Alabama, remote-first nationwide. Async-friendly.

CIO or CTO — which do you need?

The roles overlap, but they solve different problems. Many of our clients engage both at different points in their journey.

Fractional CIO

Aligns IT with your business

Best for companies whose technology bets are internal: ERP, cybersecurity, vendor sprawl, IT support, data, and infrastructure. The CIO makes sure IT serves the business — reliably, securely, and on budget.

  • IT strategy, governance & roadmap

  • Vendor & contract management

  • Cybersecurity posture & compliance

  • Digital transformation leadership

  • M&A technology due diligence

  • IT budgeting & spend optimization

Fractional CTO

Builds and scales your product

Best for companies whose technology bets are external: a software product, a customer-facing platform, or a SaaS business. The CTO sets architecture, leads engineering, and makes sure what you ship can scale.

  • Technical architecture & audits

  • Engineering team leadership

  • Product & technology roadmap

  • Build-vs-buy & vendor decisions

  • Code quality & security reviews

  • Scaling, hiring & dev process

What we do, day to day

Real deliverables, not just deck-ware. Every engagement starts with a 30-day diagnostic and ends with a written plan and measurable outcomes.

Fractional CIO engagements

IT Strategy & Roadmap

A multi-year plan that ties technology investment directly to your business outcomes.

Vendor & Contract Management

Audit, renegotiate, and consolidate vendors so you stop overpaying for the wrong tools.

Cybersecurity & Compliance

Risk assessment, policy, and posture for SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI, and insurance requirements.

Digital Transformation

Modernize legacy systems, migrate to cloud, and operationalize data without breaking operations.

Fractional CTO engagements

Technical Architecture & Audits

Independent review of your stack, scalability, and technical debt — with a prioritized fix list.

Engineering Team Leadership

Hire, mentor, and structure dev teams. Set sprint cadence, code review, and quality gates.

Product & Technology Roadmap

Translate product strategy into a buildable, sequenced engineering plan your team can deliver.

Build vs Buy & Vendor Selection

Honest, vendor-agnostic recommendations on what to build in-house and what to buy or outsource.

How we engage

Pick the engagement model that matches your moment. We can shift between them as your needs evolve.
Advisory

4–8 hrs/month

Monthly strategy sessions and on-call advice for founders and leadership teams.

Retainer

10–20 hrs/week

Embedded leadership: standups, hiring, vendor calls, board updates — the full role, part-time.

Project-Based

Defined scope

Fixed-fee engagements for specific outcomes: an audit, a migration plan, M&A diligence.

Interim

Bridge role

Step in while you search for a full-time hire, or carry the team through a critical transition.

Who it’s for

If any of these sound like your situation, fractional leadership is probably the right fit.

Growth-stage SMBs that can’t justify a full-time CIO or CTO yet

Private-equity-backed firms preparing for integration, growth, or exit

Companies modernizing legacy infrastructure or migrating to the cloud

Teams responding to a security incident or tightening compliance posture

Founders without a technical co-founder who need an executive in the room

Organizations between full-time hires that need continuity

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a fractional CIO and CTO?

A fractional CIO leads internal technology — the IT, security, and systems your team uses to run the business. A fractional CTO leads external technology — the product or platform you sell to customers. Many companies need both, just at different stages.

How many hours per week is a typical engagement?

Most retainer engagements run 10–20 hours per week. Advisory engagements are lighter (4–8 hours/month), and interim or transformation work can flex higher during critical phases.

How fast can we get started?

Discovery call within a week, written engagement plan within two, and the first 30-day diagnostic delivered by the end of month one.

Do you replace our existing IT team or developers?

No. We lead them. A fractional CIO/CTO sets direction, holds the team accountable, and unblocks them. If you have an MSP or in-house engineers, we work with them, not around them.

Can you bridge to a full-time hire later?

Yes. A common pattern is fractional first, then help you write the JD, interview candidates, and onboard the full-time hire when the time and budget are right.

Where are you based and who do you serve?

We’re headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and serve clients onsite across Alabama and remotely nationwide. We work async-friendly with distributed teams.

Ready for an executive in the room?

Tell us about your business and what you’re solving. We’ll come back with a recommended engagement and the right person for the role.
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Let's turn your ideas into digital reality. Contact us for a free consultation.

Owens Hall
owens@opsolutions.io
Josh Holtzclaw