Fractional Professional Services Lead

Contract | Part-Time | Ongoing Retainer

We are at a stage where we need experienced PS leadership but are not yet ready to absorb a full-time executive salary. We want a seasoned operator who has built and run services practices before. We need someone who can come in with pattern recognition, move quickly, and drive measurable results within the first 90 days.

• P&L accountability for the professional services practice, such as gross margin, utilization, and revenue performance
• Client relationship health across active engagements, including executive sponsor coverage on key accounts
• Delivery standards and project governance, such as methodology, status reporting, and risk management
• Invoicing discipline and DSO management in partnership with finance
• Capacity planning and workforce forecasting on a rolling 90-day basis
• Scope change management to ensure out-of-scope work is delivered with a signed change order

• Implementation of KPI tracking and weekly operational reporting cadence
• Project health review process and escalation framework
• Billable utilization optimization across the engineering team
• Client QBR cadence and satisfaction measurement process
• Documentation of delivery playbooks, templates, and standard operating procedures

• Hiring priorities and team structure as the practice scales
• Pricing strategy, rate card structure, and margin improvement opportunities
• Service line definition and positioning for new offerings

• 10+ years leadership experience in software professional services, technology consulting, or engineering delivery leadership
• Demonstrated experience operating as a fractional, interim, or portfolio executive across multiple organizations
• Direct P&L ownership history i.e., personally managed gross margin, utilization, and billing rate strategy
• Track record of standing up delivery frameworks and operational processes in growing services businesses
• Executive-level client relationship experience with a history of protecting and expanding accounts

• High output, low overhead - you get things done without needing a large support structure
• Strong written communicator; able to produce clear reporting and documentation independently
• Comfortable context-switching across multiple client situations and internal workstreams simultaneously
• Bias toward pragmatic, implementable solutions over theoretical frameworks
• Capable of influencing without authority - you lead through credibility, not headcount

• Prior experience at a software services firm, SI, or tech company
• Familiarity with PSA platforms, time tracking tools, and project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, etc.)
• Experience with scope change and contract management processes

• Engagement Type: Monthly retainer for a fractional / part-time embedded leader
• Time Commitment: Minimum of 20 hours per week
• Initial Term: 6 months, with an option to extend or convert to full-time
• Compensation: Monthly retainer rate competitive with market for fractional PS executives
• Availability: Must be available for weekly leadership syncs, client escalations, and ad hoc needs
• Location: Remote-first with occasional onsite availability as needed