Some organisations need senior communications judgement far more often than occasionally, but nowhere near as often as 5 days a week.
A full-time director is out of reach, or too hard to justify. An agency gives you delivery, but nobody sitting inside your organisation, accountable, and with 'skin in the game'.
A fractional communications director fills that gap.
A fractional communications director joins your organisation for an agreed number of days or hours a week or month, sit in the meetings where decisions get made, and owns the communications function while they're there.
The problem
Does this sound like you?
Something significant is changing in your organisation – a restructure, a relocation, technology, processes – and you need someone to handle communications for it so your in-house communications staff aren't swamped.
Your communications director has left or is on an extended leave and you need cover to fill the gap.
You have junior- or mid-level in-house communications roles who need someone senior above them, not another peer.
You don't have in-house communications roles and communications-related work or decisions keep landing on other leaders' desks.
The solution
How can I help?
As your part-time communications lead, I do more than give advice; I take responsibility for the communications function:
Owning the communications strategy and an honest read on whether it's working.
Communications counsel to your leaders, before decisions get made.
Proactive management of communications issues and activities, to keep ahead of the game.
Oversight and mentoring of in-house communications staff.
Managing external contractors and providers.
With a part-time communications lead with senior experience, you get senior expertise without the cost of filling a senior full-time role.
Ways of working
How does it work?
Availability: days or hours a week or month agreed in advance; 1-2 days a week (or equivalent) is common.
Responsibilities: what I do, what I delegate, and what I escalate is agreed at the outset.
Where: on-site when I need to be, remote when I don't.
Term: usually 3-6 months minimum. Long enough to be useful, short enough to test.
Experience you can trust
Why me?
After more than 20 years working in corporate communications across business, government, and consultancy, I've seen most of what can go wrong and what it takes to get it right.
More than half of that time has been spent as a consultant or contractor supporting organisations and projects in this way.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
What's the difference between fractional and interim roles?
A fractional director works part-time on an ongoing basis. An interim director covers a gap, such as when your communications director has left or is on leave, usually for a fixed period and often for more days a week. I do both, and the terms are agreed the same way: availability, responsibilities, and term are set upfront.
Can you lead communications for a single project rather than the whole organisation?
Yes. For a restructure, relocation, system rollout, or other major change, I can own the communications function for that project or program, alongside your existing team, so business-as-usual work doesn't get swamped. The same ways of working apply, scoped to the project.
What happens if something blows up on a day I'm not in?
Get in touch. Being available when an issue or crisis breaks is part of the job, not an extra. At the outset, we agree how urgent and out-of-hours work is handled and charged, so nobody gets any surprises.
Can the days flex when it gets busy?
Sure, within reason. If a period calls for more of my time, such as a major announcement, a restructure, or some other urgent issue, we can increase my hours temporarily and scale back afterwards. Because I keep my client numbers low, there's usually room to do that.
Who would you report to?
Usually the CEO or another member of the executive team for a whole of organisation role. For a program or project, usually the program or project manager. The role is only useful if it's in the room before decisions get made, so reporting lines and access to leaders are agreed at the start.
Will you work in our systems?
Yes, that's usually best. To your staff and stakeholders I should look and act like part of your organisation. An email address, access to the relevant systems and channels, and a seat in the right meetings. I can use my own devices if you give me access to your systems.
Do you work for other clients at the same time? What if there's a conflict of interest?
Yes. I only take on a couple of part-time roles at a time, but I won't take on work that competes or conflicts with an existing client. If a potential conflict comes up, I'll raise it with you before it becomes a problem. Everything you share with me stays confidential.
What does it cost?
Every role is different. We will agree the cost in advance, based on the hours and responsibilities we agree. I usually charge for fractional work by a set fortnightly or monthly fee.
Where can you work?
I can work remotely, from your office (if it's in Melbourne's inner south), or a combination of both. While I prefer to get to know clients in person, I can work remotely for clients elsewhere if needed.
GET IN TOUCH
Let's get coffee
I only take on a couple of part-time roles at a time to ensure I am available for my clients.
Get in touch to discuss how I can help and if I'm available.