This is the short version of the full fractional head of growth guide — the definitional answer for anyone Googling the term.
A fractional head of growth is a senior growth operator (8-15+ years of experience) embedded part-time with a company to architect and run their growth motion. Typical engagement: $8K-$20K/month, 1-2 days/week, 12-month commitment. Best fit for $1M-$20M ARR companies with product-market fit whose growth has plateaued.
A fractional head of growth is essentially a part-time VP of Growth. They bring 8-15+ years of experience designing and running growth motions, but instead of working full-time at one company, they work 1-2 days per week with multiple companies on a retainer basis.
The role focuses specifically on the growth function: acquisition (paid, organic, partnerships, content), activation (onboarding, time-to-value), retention (churn reduction, expansion), and the experimentation infrastructure that makes the function compound over time.
Same level of seniority, different scope.
A fractional CMO owns all of marketing: brand, positioning, demand gen, content, PR, team leadership, board credibility.
A fractional head of growth owns growth specifically: acquisition channels, activation flows, retention programs, experimentation velocity. Often more quantitative, often closer to product.
Different functions entirely.
A fractional CRO owns revenue: sales motion design, sales ops, customer success, comp plans, pipeline forecasting.
A fractional head of growth owns growth: acquisition and activation mechanics.
Three typical buyer profiles:
1. Post-PMF startups ($1M-$10M ARR) where founder-led growth has hit its limits
2. Scale-up companies ($10M-$20M ARR) between full-time heads of growth
3. PE-backed mid-market companies that need senior growth expertise without a $400K full-time hire
$8K-$20K/month for 1-2 days/week. Compare to full-time VP Growth at $350K-$500K all-in annually. Fractional is 30-50% of full-time cost for senior-level work.
For the full breakdown including pricing, scope, and what to expect in the first 90 days: the full guide. For the comparison to a fractional CMO: fractional head of growth vs fractional CMO.