Sébastien David"We need someone to look after data." The sentence comes up again and again in executive meetings. Behind it lies a shared observation: the data is there, the tools too, but no one is steering. Hiring a full-time Head of Data feels disproportionate; doing nothing is getting more and more expensive. A fractional model is a third way.
What a Head of Data (really) does
A Head of Data is not the best engineer on the team. They are the person who connects data to the company's decisions. In practice, they:
- set the direction: a data roadmap aligned with the business strategy;
- make trade-offs between competing requests from the business;
- ensure data is reliable: governance, quality, GDPR compliance;
- structure the team and manage vendors;
- represent data on the executive committee and report on the value created.
In a large group, these responsibilities fill a full-time role, or even a team. In an SME or mid-sized company, they exist just as much… but rarely add up to five days a week.
Fractional, in a nutshell
An experienced Head of Data joins your organisation one to three days a week, on a monthly commitment you can adjust. This is not a consultant who hands over a report and leaves: they take on the responsibilities of the role, sit in leadership meetings, make decisions and are accountable for them.
Six situations where it is the right answer
1. You are starting to structure your data
Your data lives in the ERP, the CRM and a constellation of spreadsheets. You know there is value in it, but no one has the time or the experience to lay the foundations. Hiring a senior profile for work that doesn't exist yet is risky; a fractional leader lays the groundwork and sizes the team you will need.
2. You have a data team, but no leader
One or two talented analysts or data engineers, reporting to IT or finance, handle requests as they come. Without prioritisation they burn out, and leadership doesn't see results. A fractional Head of Data gives them a framework, priorities and a voice.
3. A BI or data project has disappointed
Dashboards nobody uses, disputed figures, an expensive platform: you need a senior outside view to diagnose what went wrong, and the authority to put things back on track.
4. You are preparing to hire a Head of Data
This is one of the most effective uses. The fractional Head of Data defines the role, builds the foundations that will make it attractive, takes part in interviews and then hands over. You hire better, and the new leader arrives in an environment that is ready.
5. A strategic deadline is coming
Fundraising, an acquisition, a sale, new regulatory reporting or an AI project: the quality and traceability of your data become a board-level topic, with a hard deadline.
6. Your platform needs to evolve
Moving to the cloud, replacing a BI tool, integrating a subsidiary: architecture choices commit the company for years. A fractional Data Architect, often paired with the Head of Data, makes those decisions safer.
When it is not the right answer
- What you mostly need is hands. If the roadmap is clear and you lack people to build pipelines or dashboards, hire data engineers or analysts.
- Data is already your core business. With a sizeable data team or a data-driven product, you need a full-time leader. A fractional leader can, however, bridge the transition.
- No one in leadership owns the topic. Even an excellent Head of Data needs a sponsor on the executive committee. Without one, no model will work.
Full-time, fractional or consultancy?
| Full-time | Fractional | Consultancy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Permanent contract, high fixed cost | Monthly, adjustable | Per project |
| Start | Often several months of hiring | A few weeks | A few weeks |
| Seniority | Depends on who you can attract | Senior profile from large groups | Varies with the team assigned |
| Role | Decides and leads day to day | Decides and leads, at an agreed pace | Advises and delivers a defined scope |
| Knowledge transfer | Internal | An explicit goal | Often limited |
What a typical engagement looks like
- Assessment (3 to 4 weeks). Interviews and a review of tools, data flows and practices: a clear picture of your data maturity.
- Roadmap. Costed priorities and a realistic action plan, approved by leadership.
- Leadership. At the agreed pace, with regular check-ins with leadership and visible results.
- Handover. Hiring, training and handing over to your teams, at your own pace.
Four questions to see where you stand
- Are the figures presented to the executive committee the same from one department to the next?
- Do you know what your data tools cost, and what they deliver?
- Who decides today between two competing data requests?
- If your lead analyst left tomorrow, what would you lose?
In short
If two of these questions make you uncomfortable, your data needs a leader. A fractional model gives you access to that level of expertise now, at the pace that matches your needs.