fractional HR director
Fractional HR Director / Chief People Officer Firm in the UK
Senior HR leadership on a part-time or fractional basis, for businesses that need strategic people leadership before they're ready for a full-time hire.
Part of Outsourced HR Services
The employer challenge
Where fractional hr director / chief people officer helps
A business can outgrow ad hoc HR support before it can justify a full-time HR director salary, leaving a gap in senior people leadership at a critical stage of growth.
Business outcomes
Strategic HR leadership without a full-time senior hire
A people strategy aligned to business goals
Stronger HR governance ahead of scale or investment
What the service includes
- Regular strategic HR leadership time
- People strategy and workforce planning input
- Oversight of HR policy, structure and risk
- Mentoring for existing HR or people-ops staff
Not included in this service
- Acting as a statutory company director, company secretary or other legal officer
- Day-to-day operational HR administration (see Retained HR Services)
- Internal management authority over your existing staff: decisions remain with your organisation
Who we support
Scale-ups and mid-sized businesses that need senior HR leadership without committing to a full-time executive hire.
Our delivery approach
Clear steps, from first conversation to delivery
- 01
Assess current people strategy and HR maturity
- 02
Agree a regular cadence of strategic leadership time
- 03
Set priorities aligned to business objectives
- 04
Review and adjust priorities as the business evolves
Engagement options
Choose the way you want to work together
Fixed days per month
Discuss this optionProject-based leadership for a defined initiative
Discuss this optionContinue exploring
Related expertise
This is senior, strategic HR leadership: distinct from Retained HR Services, which provides ongoing operational advisory access rather than leadership-team-level strategic input.
Relevant sectors
UK-wide coverage
Fractional HR Director / Chief People Officer is available to employers across the UK, delivered remotely and, where useful, on-site.
View all UK locations Apex HR supportsFrequently asked questions
What clients usually ask
Retained HR support is typically operational and advisory; a fractional HR Director or CPO sits at leadership-team level and focuses on strategic direction.
This is agreed based on the business's needs, from a set number of days per month to project-based leadership for a specific initiative.
No. This is an advisory leadership role, not a statutory director or company secretary appointment, and it does not transfer legal or management authority to Apex HR.
Still deciding
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Ready to talk about fractional hr director / chief people officer?
Apex HR's fractional leadership draws on both HR strategy and recruitment delivery experience, useful when growth and hiring plans are closely linked.