Companies looking for part-time senior marketing help often see three titles: fractional CMO, fractional marketing director and head of growth, sometimes also offered on a fractional basis. Titles are used loosely, and one person's marketing director is another's CMO. But the roles do describe different scopes, and the difference matters because it shapes what you can expect, how much authority to give and how to judge results. This guide sets out the usual scope of each role, where each sits in the organisation, which business models and stages each suits, and how to tell which one a particular candidate is really offering, whatever their title.
Fractional CMO: leadership-level ownership
A fractional CMO operates at the leadership table. They own the marketing strategy and budget, decide how marketing supports the company's revenue plan, build the measurement that shows what marketing produces, and represent marketing to the CEO, board and investors. They usually also manage the marketing team and agencies, but their distinctive contribution is the senior decisions: which markets and customers to prioritise, what the marketing budget should be, how brand and demand generation are balanced, and how marketing works with sales and product. A fractional CMO suits companies where marketing decisions have a material effect on the business and nobody at leadership level owns them.
Fractional marketing director: running the function
A fractional marketing director usually works one level below that. They run the marketing function: planning campaigns, managing the team and agencies, overseeing channels and making sure work is delivered well and on time. They own the marketing plan within a strategy and budget that is largely set by leadership, often the founder or a CEO with a clear view of marketing. The title is especially common in the UK and Europe, where marketing director is often the most senior marketing role in smaller companies. In those cases the scope may be close to a CMO's. The key question is whether the person sets the strategy and budget or executes within them.
Head of growth: experiments across the funnel
A head of growth, whether fractional or full-time, is defined less by marketing channels than by the funnel. They look for the biggest constraint on growth, from acquisition through activation, conversion, retention and referral, and run experiments to improve it. The role often works closely with product and data, especially in software and consumer apps, and may own pricing experiments, onboarding flows or referral programmes as well as paid acquisition. Growth leaders tend to be strong at analysis, testing and speed. They may be less focused on brand, positioning and long-cycle B2B demand generation. The role suits companies with high volumes of users or transactions, where experiments produce results quickly enough to learn from.
Comparison table
Use the table to compare the typical shape of each role. Individual candidates and companies vary.
| Fractional CMO | Fractional marketing director | Head of growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Strategy, budget, measurement, leadership | Running the marketing function and plan | Experiments to remove funnel constraints |
| Sets marketing budget | Yes | Proposes; leadership usually sets | Often for growth experiments |
| Reports to | CEO or founder, board | CEO, founder or CMO | CEO, founder or product lead |
| Works closely with | Sales, finance, product | Team, agencies, sales | Product, data, engineering |
| Brand and positioning | Owns | Executes and protects | Usually less involved |
| Best for | Material marketing decisions with no senior owner | Clear strategy needing a strong operator | High-volume funnels with fast feedback |
Which one fits your stage and model
A few patterns help. If the founder has a clear view of strategy and budget and wants someone to build and run the function, a fractional marketing director is often the better value. If nobody can set strategy and budget with confidence, and marketing decisions are large enough to matter to the board, a fractional CMO fits. If the business has high volumes of sign-ups, trials or orders, and the biggest gains are in conversion, activation and retention, a head of growth is likely the strongest choice, especially if they can work with product. In B2B companies with long sales cycles and several decision makers, CMO and marketing director profiles usually fit better than growth profiles, because experiments take too long to read and positioning matters more.
How to tell what a candidate is really offering
Titles are unreliable, so test the scope directly. Ask the candidate to describe the last budget they set, not just managed, and how they decided it. Ask how they report to a board and what they put in front of it. Ask about the last experiment they ran, how long it took and what they learned. Ask which decisions they would expect to make alone in your company and which they would bring to you. A candidate who talks mostly about campaign delivery and team management is offering a marketing director scope. One who talks about budget, positioning and board reporting is offering a CMO scope. One who talks about experiments, conversion rates and product changes is offering a growth scope.
Combining the roles
Some companies use more than one. A fractional CMO may set strategy while a full-time marketing manager or director runs the function. A company with a strong marketing director may bring in a fractional head of growth for a defined period to improve conversion and retention. The combinations work when the boundaries are written down: who sets the budget, who owns which part of the funnel, who reports to whom. Without that, overlapping senior roles tend to produce competing plans.
Pricing and time commitment
The roles are usually priced differently because the scope and seniority differ, but there is no fixed ladder, and the market rate depends heavily on location and experience. A fractional CMO is typically engaged on a monthly retainer for a set number of days, reflecting leadership responsibility and board-level work. A fractional marketing director may work more days at a lower day rate, because more of the role is running the function week to week. A fractional head of growth is sometimes engaged for a defined programme of experiments with a clear end point, especially when the aim is to fix a specific part of the funnel. Whichever role you choose, compare proposals on scope and decision rights first and price second. A lower monthly fee for a role that cannot make the decisions you need is not a saving.
Writing the brief so the right people apply
If you are advertising the role or asking for proposals, the brief shapes who responds. Avoid relying on the title alone. Describe the decisions the person will own, such as setting the marketing budget, choosing agencies or running pricing experiments. State who they report to and who reports to them. Describe the sales motion, the business model and the main constraint as you understand it. Say how much time you expect and how you will judge success at six months. A brief written this way attracts candidates whose experience matches the scope, whatever they call themselves, and makes it easier to compare a CMO-level proposal with a director-level one on equal terms.
FAQ
Not usually. A marketing director typically runs the function within a strategy and budget set by leadership, while a CMO sets them. In smaller UK and European companies the scopes can overlap.
Partly. A head of growth works across the funnel, often with product and data, and may own onboarding, pricing tests and retention as well as acquisition.
Usually a fractional CMO or marketing director, because positioning, account targeting and sales alignment matter more and experiments take too long to read.
Often a head of growth or a CMO with strong growth experience, because high volumes give fast feedback on experiments across acquisition, conversion and retention.
Ignore the title and compare the decisions they have owned: budgets set, boards reported to, experiments run and teams built.
Some can, particularly in consumer businesses where brand, acquisition and conversion are closely linked. Check for evidence of both: budgets and positioning decisions owned, and experiment programmes run with measurable results. If a candidate is strong in only one, decide which scope matters more for the next year.
It depends on the constraint. If nobody can set marketing strategy and budget, start with a CMO-level role. If strategy is clear and conversion is the bottleneck, a growth lead may deliver faster gains.