When interim cover makes sense
Recruiting a permanent IT director typically takes three to six months once notice periods are included. Projects stall, suppliers drift and the team loses direction in the meantime. Interim cover keeps the business moving and gives you time to hire the right person rather than the first available one.
Common situations we step into:
- Your IT director or head of IT has resigned and you're recruiting.
- Your IT leader is off sick, on parental leave or taking a sabbatical.
- The business is going through a merger, carve-out or major programme and needs extra senior capacity.
- The current setup isn't working and you need someone to stabilise it before deciding what comes next.
What an interim IT director does
- Takes the chair quickly. A structured handover in the first two weeks covering people, suppliers, contracts, risks and live projects.
- Keeps the team steady. Line management, one-to-ones and clear priorities, so good people don't leave in the gap.
- Keeps security moving. Patching, access reviews and incident readiness don't pause because the director has.
- Manages suppliers. Holds the MSP and vendors to their commitments and stops contract renewals rolling over by default.
- Helps you recruit. Writes the role profile, sits on the interview panel and gives an honest view of candidates.
- Hands over cleanly. A written handover pack and an overlap period with the permanent hire.
Experience that transfers
We've led IT through exactly this situation. At a fast-growing alt net fibre provider in central London, our consultant stepped in as interim IT director for nine months while the business recruited. In that time the security posture was course corrected, the internal IT and platform team was mentored and engaged, and the permanent director inherited a stronger position and a more confident team.
How it works
Interim engagements usually run for three to nine months, either full time or for a set number of days each week. We agree the scope and fee in a one-page proposal and can often start at short notice. For shorter absences, such as a few weeks of leave, we can provide cover on an advisory basis with a named consultant on call.
If the absence reveals that you only need senior IT input a few days a month, the engagement can move to a fractional IT director retainer instead of a permanent hire.