Fractional Senior IT Strategy Consultant (vCTO)

Focus Group is looking for a Senior IT Strategy Consultant to deliver fractional vCTO/vCIO services across a portfolio of SME-enterprise clients. You'll work directly with boards and C suite stakeholders, shaping long-term technology strategy, driving transformation, and providing clear, practical guidance on the use of AI within their organisations.

What you'll do

• Lead 6-8 concurrent vCTO/vCIO client engagements.
• Conduct technology assessments and develop multi year strategies and roadmaps.
• Present strategic recommendations to boards and executive teams.
• Advise clients on the practical use of AI tools (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude) to support productivity and decision making.
• Lead digital transformation initiatives, including cloud migration and application modernisation.
• Develop technology operating models, governance frameworks, budgets, and business cases.
• Support vendor strategy, contract negotiation, and technology risk management.
• Contribute to consulting methodology development and support business development activities.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.

What you'll bring

• Senior technology leadership experience (CTO, CIO, Head of Technology, etc.).
• A proven track record delivering major transformation programmes (£500k-£5m+).
• Strong capability in technology strategy, enterprise architecture, and roadmap development.
• Familiarity with modern AI tools and the ability to advise customers on responsible and valuable use cases.
• Strong knowledge of cloud and hybrid environments, particularly Microsoft Azure.
• Excellent communication and board level presentation skills.
• Consulting, fractional CxO, or interim leadership experience preferred.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including ROI modelling.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel.

Nice to have

• Certifications such as TOGAF, ITIL, Azure Architect, PMP/PRINCE2 or Agile.
• AI or data-related training.
• Experience in regulated sectors or M&A environments.
• Background in software engineering, DevOps, or enterprise applications.
• Thought leadership or speaking experience.