Services / Fractional
Fractional CTO & Ops Retainer
A senior engineer who already knows your stack, on call for architecture, vendor, and hiring decisions.
Scope
Monthly retainer covering architecture reviews, vendor and security questionnaires, hiring support, roadmap pressure-testing, and incident escalation. For hands-on build work, the Dev Subscription queues one request at a time.
25+ years running infrastructure for 2,000–7,000-user companies; NIST 800-53 implementation; five enterprise identity migrations.
What’s included
- Standing weekly or biweekly call plus async access on Slack or email
- Architecture and code review on anything your team or vendors ship
- Security and vendor-questionnaire support (SIG Lite, bank TPRM packets)
- Hiring help: job descriptions, technical screens, contractor vetting
- Incident escalation during business hours
- Quarterly infrastructure cost and risk review
Not included
- Full-time availability or on-site presence
- Unlimited development hours (that is the Dev Subscription or a fixed-price build)
- Acting as a named officer of your company
FAQ
Questions buyers ask.
Why fractional instead of hiring?
A full-time senior engineer costs $180–250K loaded and is hard to find in regulated niches. A retainer gets you the judgment without the headcount, and you keep the option to hire later.
How many clients do you take?
Two retainers at a time, so each one gets real attention.
Can this convert to a build?
Yes. Retainer months are credited against any fixed-price engagement started during the term.
Ready to scope the fractional work?
Twenty minutes, no deck. I’ll tell you if it’s a fit and what it would take.