Guide
What is a fractional COO?
A fractional COO — fractional chief operating officer — is a senior operations executive who runs your operation part-time, on an ongoing basis. You get board-level operating judgement and ownership, without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.
The short answer
Most growing technology and manufacturing businesses reach a point where the founder can no longer run the operation and lead the business at the same time — but a permanent chief operating officer is too expensive, too slow to hire, or simply more than the business needs yet.
A fractional COO fills that gap. Typically one to three days a week, they take genuine ownership of how the business runs: the operating plan, the management cadence, the supply chain, the systems and the metrics. Not advice from the sidelines — executive accountability for the operation, scaled to what the business actually needs.
For hardware, technology and regulated-product companies this matters more than most: the distance between a prototype and a reliable, certifiable, manufacturable product is where value is made or lost, and it is operational work — not commentary — that closes it.
The models compared
Fractional, interim or permanent — which fits?
All three put senior operational leadership in the business. The difference is cadence, duration and what the business is ready for.
| Model | Commitment | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional COO | 1–3 days per week, ongoing | Businesses that need senior operational ownership but not yet a full-time COO — scaling, funding or industrialising. | Owns the operating agenda alongside the founder or CEO, on a retained cadence. |
| Interim COO | Full-time, fixed period | A leadership gap, a turnaround, or a defined transition such as a restructure, acquisition or exit preparation. | Steps in with full executive ownership, then hands over to a permanent successor. |
| Permanent COO | Full-time, permanent hire | Established businesses with the scale and budget to justify a permanent executive, and time to hire well. | A long-term executive hire — often the right next step after a fractional COO has built the operating system. |
In technology and manufacturing
What a fractional COO actually does
The remit is the whole operation — but in product, hardware and manufacturing businesses, these are the areas where a fractional COO earns their keep.
Operating strategy and planning
Translating the business strategy into an operating plan — priorities, capacity, and a sales and operations planning (S&OP) cadence that aligns demand, supply and inventory.
Product industrialisation and NPI
Taking products from prototype through EVT, DVT and PVT into volume manufacture — design for manufacture and test, tooling, yields and launch readiness.
Manufacturing and supply chain
Make-buy-partner decisions, contract manufacturer (CEM/OEM) selection and management, sourcing, logistics and 3PL networks serving global markets.
Operating systems and control
The ERP/MRP backbone, KPI framework and management rhythm that make the operation visible and controllable — one version of the truth for leadership and the board.
Quality, regulatory and risk
Quality management systems, regulatory approvals and operational risk run as part of the operating rhythm, not as one-off events.
Funding and investor readiness
Operational evidence, plans and reporting that stand up to due diligence — from seed and growth rounds through private equity transactions and strategic exits.
When to hire one
The signs a fractional COO would pay for itself
You may recognise the point at which:
- Every important operational decision still comes back to you.
- Engineering is driving product release but nobody owns industrialisation.
- Sales forecasts are moving faster than manufacturing capacity.
- Your board keeps asking questions about cost, supply risk or scale that nobody can answer confidently.
- The same quality and delivery problems keep returning.
- You are preparing for Series A, B or PE diligence and realise the operational story is not as strong as the commercial story.
- You know you need senior operational leadership, but cannot yet justify another £300k+ executive hire.
How it starts
What the first 90 days look like
- Weeks 1–4
Diagnose
A structured review of the operation: processes, people, systems, suppliers, metrics and risks. You get a clear, honest picture of where the operation stands and what matters most.
- Weeks 5–8
Design
Agree the operating priorities and the plan: what will be fixed, built or changed, in what order, with named owners and measures. No 80-page report — a working plan the business can run.
- Weeks 9–13
Run
The management cadence starts: operating reviews, KPI reporting and issue resolution on a rhythm. Quick wins land while the longer structural work is set in motion.
Free download
The operational story diagnostic
A two-page briefing that turns the signs above into a scored self-assessment, with the test behind each one and what the first 90 days would target. Built for you to work through with your leadership team or take to your board.
PDF · 2 pages · no sign-up
- Seven recognition points, each with a concrete test
- A 0–21 scoring guide and what each band means
- The first 90 days: diagnose, design, run
- A clear next step and direct contact details
Self-assessment
Score your operational readiness
Ten questions on decision load, industrialisation, supply, quality, systems and investor readiness. It takes about three minutes, scores out of 30, and recommends the next step. Nothing is recorded — the result is calculated in your browser.
Next step
Book a discovery call
Pick a time that suits you and tell me a little about the business. Thirty minutes, no charge and no pitch — we work through where the operation stands and whether a fractional COO is the right answer.
Not ready to book a slot? Send an enquiry instead — it comes straight to me.
1. Pick a time
30 minutes, by video or phone. Times shown are UK time over the next two working weeks.
No time selected yet.
Contact
Send an enquiry
Tell me where the operation stands and what you need to change. Your enquiry lands directly in my inbox and I reply personally, usually within one working day.
The engagement
What working with me looks like
A fractional COO should feel like a member of the leadership team with real ownership — not a consultant who visits. Here is how an engagement actually runs.
Embedded executive leadership
I join the leadership team as your COO rather than operating alongside it as an external consultant. I participate in the decisions, reviews and difficult conversations required to make the operation work.
Typically 1 to 3 days each week
The commitment is scaled to the need of the business and can change as the operation matures.
Access between working days
Critical operational decisions rarely wait for the next scheduled COO day. Fractional engagements therefore include reasonable access between formal working days for decisions, escalation and advice.
I lead, rather than simply advise
Where appropriate I lead employees, suppliers, CEMs, programmes and functional owners and represent the company with customers, investors and partners.
Built to become less dependent on me
The objective is not to create permanent dependency on a fractional COO. I build the team, systems, operating cadence and capability that allow the company eventually to operate without me or transition cleanly to a permanent COO.
Clear outcomes and accountability
Every engagement is tied to measurable results — KPIs, operating plan delivery, cost, quality and launch milestones — with agreed objectives reviewed at each business cycle. You see what is owned, what is delivered and the difference it makes.
The role, fully defined
See the full operating cadence
A fractional COO is defined by its rhythm — the weekly meetings, standing review agendas and decision timelines that make the operation run.
Built to hand over
See the team and handover stages
Roles and responsibilities around a fractional COO, and how ownership transfers to the permanent team as the engagement matures.
Pricing and terms
Rates, engagement models and the contract
Published rate ranges for advisory, fractional and interim mandates, cost by weekly cadence, and how a COO contract works in practice — including IR35.
Who you would be working with
See the profile and past engagements
25+ years of operational leadership in technology and manufacturing — the roles held, what each engagement was for, and qualifications.
Executive ownership
As your fractional COO, I take executive ownership of
The remit is the whole operation. These are the areas I own and run — not advise on — for the duration of the engagement.
Operational strategy and execution
Annual and three-year operating plans, budgets, KPIs, priorities, risk and governance.
Product delivery and industrialisation
Engineering-to-manufacturing transition, NPI, EVT/DVT/PVT, release readiness and product lifecycle.
Manufacturing and supply chain
CEM/OEM strategy, sourcing, procurement, capacity, inventory, cost reduction, logistics and supplier performance.
Quality, regulatory and compliance
QMS, regulatory readiness, product quality, reliability, audit and operational risk.
People and organisation
Structure, responsibilities, leadership capability, recruitment priorities and operational accountability.
Systems and data
ERP/MRP, S&OP, configuration management, reporting and management information.
Customer and service operations
Deployment, service, repair, warranty, 3PL and lifecycle management.
Board, investor and funding readiness
Operational plans, budgets, due diligence, board reporting, Series A/B readiness, acquisition and exit preparation.
Is it right for you?
A fractional COO is probably right if…
Fractional COO work is powerful when the problem is execution, not ideas. Be honest about which side of this you are on — if several of the 'not right' points land, a different kind of help is the better answer.
Probably right if
- You have a credible product and market opportunity, but execution is becoming the constraint.
- Your CEO, CTO or founders are carrying operational decisions that should sit elsewhere.
- You are approaching a major transition such as industrialisation, commercial launch, Series A/B, geographical expansion or rapid volume growth.
- The company needs somebody capable of owning manufacturing, supply chain, quality, systems, people and operational governance as one connected system.
- You need executive capability now but cannot yet justify a permanent COO.
Probably not right if
- The operation genuinely requires a full-time COO five days a week.
- The founders want advice but are unwilling to delegate authority.
- The fundamental problem is still finding product-market fit rather than execution.
- You need a narrowly defined technical specialist rather than an operating executive.
- You simply want a report telling the organisation what it is doing wrong.
Common questions
Fractional COO questions, answered plainly
- What is a fractional COO?
- A fractional COO (fractional chief operating officer) is an experienced operations executive who works with your business part-time — typically one to three days a week — on an ongoing basis. You get full chief-operating-officer judgement and ownership of the operating agenda, without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.
- What does a fractional COO do?
- A fractional COO owns how the business runs day to day: operating strategy, sales and operations planning, supply chain and manufacturing, quality, systems such as ERP, operating metrics and the management cadence that keeps decisions moving. In technology and manufacturing businesses that typically includes product industrialisation, contract manufacturer management, and making the operation investor-ready.
- How is a fractional COO different from an interim COO?
- A fractional COO works part-time on an ongoing basis alongside the founder or CEO. An interim COO is full-time for a defined period — covering a gap, stabilising a business or carrying it through a transition such as a funding round, restructure or leadership change. The judgement is the same; the cadence and commitment differ.
- When should a technology or manufacturing business hire a fractional COO?
- The common triggers are: moving from prototype to volume manufacture, preparing for a funding round or due diligence, growth outpacing the operating system, supply chain or quality problems consuming the leadership team, or needing senior operational ownership before a permanent COO is justified.
- How much does a fractional COO cost?
- Fractional COOs are typically engaged on a monthly retainer for an agreed number of days, at a fraction of the fully-loaded cost of a permanent COO hire. Scope and cadence are agreed up front and reviewed as the business changes — you pay for senior operating capacity, not for presence.
- Do I need a fractional COO or a consultant?
- A consultant analyses and recommends; a fractional COO owns and operates. If you need a report, hire a consultant. If you need someone accountable for the operating plan, the metrics and the management rhythm every week, that is a fractional COO.
For UK businesses
Fractional COO for UK manufacturing and scaling businesses
Answers to the questions UK founders, boards and operations teams ask before bringing in a fractional COO — covering IR35, UKCA and CE marking, post-Brexit supply chain, SEIS and EIS funding rounds, and UK contract manufacturing.
- How does a fractional COO engagement actually work in the UK?
- Engagements run through GJM Consultants Ltd as a business-to-business service, typically on a retained monthly basis for an agreed number of days. Working is usually hybrid — on-site at your manufacturing or operations base in the UK, combined with remote working — under an NDA, with clear scope and outcomes agreed up front. You get senior operating ownership scaled to what the business needs, without a permanent hire.
- How do IR35 and the off-payroll working rules apply to a fractional COO?
- A genuine fractional engagement is structured to sit outside IR35 — engaged through GJM Consultants Ltd as a business-to-business service, with no mutuality of obligation, a right of substitution, and the client not exercising supervision, direction and control. The full plain-English position, working examples and who issues the Status Determination Statement are set out in the IR35 section below. This is general guidance, not tax advice — confirm your position with a qualified adviser.
- Can a fractional COO help with UKCA marking, CE marking and UK regulatory approvals?
- Yes. For hardware and manufacturing businesses placing products on the GB market, this means UKCA marking and the supporting technical documentation and conformity assessment; for Northern Ireland and the EU, CE and UKNI marking apply. A fractional COO builds the quality management system, technical file and conformity evidence into the operating rhythm so approvals are maintained rather than re-scrambled for each launch — including responsible-person and authorised-representative arrangements where they apply.
- What about UK manufacturing and supply chain after Brexit?
- Post-Brexit, UK manufacturers often run across two markets at once: GB and the EU. A fractional COO addresses the practical consequences — customs declarations and EORI, rules of origin for tariff preference, dual UK/EU labelling, supplier diversification and the make-buy-partner decisions that determine whether you manufacture in the UK, nearshore or offshore. The goal is a resilient supply chain that still serves global markets from a UK base.
- Can a fractional COO support SEIS and EIS funding rounds?
- For UK scaling businesses raising under SEIS or EIS, investors and due-diligence teams look for operational evidence that the business is investable and under control — operating plans, metrics, capacity and supply-chain readiness. A fractional COO prepares that operating evidence and reporting, and works alongside your legal and tax advisers so the business stands up to investor due diligence. GJM Consultants is not an FCA-regulated adviser; funding-readiness support focuses on operations, not on the structuring of the investment itself.
- Do you work with UK contract manufacturers and the Made in Britain advantage?
- Yes. Selecting and managing UK-based contract electronics manufacturers (CEMs) and build partners — including make-buy decisions, tooling transfer, yield and quality, and scaling from low-volume prototype to volume manufacture — is core operational work. A UK-manufactured product can carry real market and supply-chain advantages, and where volume or cost demands it, a fractional COO builds a hybrid model that keeps high-value steps in the UK while sourcing commodity stages globally.
IR35, in plain English
Where a fractional COO engagement sits for IR35
Engagements run business-to-business through GJM Consultants Ltd (No. 17333662). Status follows the reality of the working relationship — these are the examples and questions UK founders, finance teams and boards ask before signing.
- Outside IR35
Two days a week, fractional
GJM Consultants Ltd holds the operating plan across two or three concurrent clients on a retained basis. Work is delivered to agreed outcomes against a statement of work, using the company's own equipment, professional indemnity and public liability cover. A named substitute can step in for defined tasks. No line manager, no holiday entitlement, no appraisal — the relationship is the supply of a service, not employment.
- Inside IR35
Full-time embedded interim
A COO works four-to-five days a week for a single client, line-managed by the CEO, told what to do and how to do it, integrated into the team and using only the client's tools and processes. With supervision, direction and control, mutuality of obligation and no genuine substitution, the engagement is inside IR35 — and the interim day rate reflects that.
- Small company exemption
Early-stage, under thresholds
An early-stage hardware business meeting two of: turnover under £10.2m, balance sheet total under £5.1m, fewer than 50 employees. The off-payroll rules do not apply and the intermediary (GJM Consultants Ltd) carries out its own status assessment. Working practices are still set up to reflect genuine self-employment, so the position holds if the company later grows through the thresholds.
The off-payroll rules (Chapter 10 ITEPA 2003) place the determination on the medium or large client; small companies are exempt. For the full terms, status evidence and a Status Determination Statement, see the proposal and pricing page. This is general guidance, not tax advice — confirm your position with a qualified adviser.
- Will my company have to determine IR35 status?
- If you are a medium or large private-sector organisation, yes — since April 2021 the client determines status and issues a Status Determination Statement. Small companies are exempt and the determination stays with GJM Consultants Ltd. Small is defined by two of three Companies Act tests: turnover under £10.2m, balance sheet total under £5.1m, and fewer than 50 employees.
- What makes a fractional COO engagement outside IR35?
- A genuine fractional engagement looks like a business supplying a service: contracted through GJM Consultants Ltd business-to-business, with multiple concurrent clients possible, no employment-style mutuality of obligation, a right of substitution, the client not exercising supervision, direction and control over how the work is done, and the company carrying its own equipment and insurance. Working practices — not the contract wording — are what HMRC tests, so the engagement is run to match.
- Could a part-time engagement still be inside IR35?
- Yes. Status turns on the working relationship, not the day count. A part-time COO who is line-managed, told what and how to do, uses only the client's systems, serves a single client and has no right of substitution could be inside IR35 even at two days a week. Part-time does not by itself mean outside.
- Does the contract decide it, or the working practices?
- The working practices. HMRC tests supervision, direction and control, mutuality of obligation and substitution ahead of the wording. A contract that matches reality is good evidence; one that says one thing while the engagement runs differently carries little weight. The written terms and the day-to-day reality are kept aligned.
- Is this tax advice?
- No — it is commercial orientation to help you ask the right questions. Each engagement's status depends on its specific facts and written terms. Take advice from your accountant or an IR35 specialist before deciding; where useful, a status check using HMRC's CEST tool or an independent review can be arranged before signing.
- We're a small company and exempt — do we still need to think about IR35?
- Yes. The exemption shifts the determination to the intermediary, it does not remove the need for one. A scaling hardware business can grow through the size thresholds mid-engagement, and investors and acquirers often review contractor status during due diligence. We set the working practices up to reflect genuine self-employment from day one, so the position holds as the company grows rather than becoming a problem later.
Free downloads
Market readiness checklists for manufacturers
Three practical, print-friendly checklists covering the compliance ground UK manufacturers have to hold across their home market, the EU and the United States — marking and conformity, customs and origin, tax, and legal exposure. Compiled by Dr Gareth Mills.
- UK
UK compliance checklist
Readiness for scaling UK manufacturers: engagement structure, GB market conformity and the supply chain basics that underpin them.
- IR35 / off-payroll: status determinations and contract reality
- UKCA, CE and UKNI marking, technical files and DoCs
- EORI, rules of origin, supplier agreements and continuity
Download the UK checklistPDF · 2 pages · A4, print-friendly - EU
EU market readiness checklist
What it takes to keep placing product on the EU market from a UK base, after divergence — conformity, representation, customs and tax.
- CE marking, notified bodies, technical files and EU DoCs
- Authorised Representative, importer duties and WEEE / packaging EPR
- EU EORI, rules of origin under the TCA, CBAM and Incoterms
- VAT registration and One Stop Shop, permanent establishment risk
- GDPR, Article 27 representation, NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act
Download the EU checklistPDF · 2 pages · A4, print-friendly - US
US market readiness checklist
There is no CE equivalent in the United States. This is the regime-by-regime ground UK exporters have to cover before first shipment.
- FCC certification or SDoC, NRTL safety approval and Prop 65
- Importer of record, customs bond, HTSUS classification and Section 301
- State sales tax nexus, entity structure and treaty position
- Product liability cover, US-law contracts and distributor statutes
- 3PL, returns and field service capability inside the US
Download the US checklistPDF · 2 pages · A4, print-friendly
These checklists are general operational guidance from GJM Consultants Ltd (company number 17333662), not legal, tax or regulatory advice. Requirements change and depend on your product, markets and structure — confirm your position with qualified legal and tax advisers.
Senior operational leadership, without the permanent hire
Dr Gareth Mills is a fractional and interim COO with 25+ years in operations — a Doctor of Business Administration, Chartered Engineer, and the operator behind 50+ product families, seven ERP implementations and £200m+ of funding supported. If your operation needs ownership, let’s talk.