Interim IT leadership
Your IT manager or CIO has gone, or a programme needs a leader this month. An experienced interim CIO, IT manager or CTO from LogicX takes charge until the permanent hire starts or the programme lands.
At a glance
What does an interim CIO or IT manager do?
An interim CIO or interim IT manager takes over IT leadership for a limited period, usually 4 to 5 days a week for 3 to 18 months. The engagement ends when the permanent hire starts or the programme lands. You contract directly or through your interim agency, at a day rate agreed before the start.
Who it is for
Interim fits when someone has to take charge now, for a defined period.
- Your IT manager or CIO is leaving and the successor starts months from now.
- An ERP or system replacement needs a programme director.
- After a merger or reorganisation, two IT departments have to become one.
- The relationship with a supplier is stuck and someone has to negotiate on your behalf.
- Your CTO has left and the engineering team needs someone to set direction until the successor arrives.
The first 30 days
This is how an engagement usually starts.
Take stock
Interviews with management, the IT team and suppliers. An overview of running projects, contracts and risks.
Prioritise
A priority list and a plan for the rest of the engagement, agreed with management.
Report
The first report to management or the board, with agreements on what must be ready at handover.
What you hold when the engagement ends
- A handover document with open items, the decisions taken and the risks still live.
- A successor who has been onboarded, not handed a folder.
- The priority list, the plan and the supplier agreements, handed over to your organisation. The documents we make for you are yours. Our own templates and methods stay ours.
Interim, fractional CIO or fractional CTO: the difference
| Interim IT leadership | Fractional CIO | Fractional CTO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Fill a temporary gap or lead a programme | IT strategy, budget and suppliers, alongside the board | Architecture, engineering team and roadmap |
| Commitment | Usually 4 to 5 days a week | Usually 1 or 2 days a week | Usually 1 or 2 days a week |
| Duration | Usually 3 to 18 months | Usually 6 months or longer | Usually 6 months or longer |
| Fits | A gap in leadership, or a programme that needs a leader | Organisations where IT supports the business | Companies whose product is software |
| Form | Day rate on request, agreed up front | Fixed monthly fee, agreed up front | Fixed monthly fee, agreed up front |
| Ends | When the permanent hire starts or the programme lands | When the role is no longer needed, with a handover | When the role is no longer needed, with a handover |
Not for
Three requests that often arrive as "interim" but belong elsewhere.
A standing role of usually 1 or 2 days a week
That is fractional: a CIO or CTO alongside the board, usually 6 months or longer, for a fixed monthly fee.
SeeA verdict on one stalled project
That is the Programme Recovery Review in 3 weeks, or smaller: the Project Health Check in 5 working days.
SeeExtra hands in the team
A LogicX team builds, tests and delivers software, with day-to-day management included.
SeeFrequently asked questions
Do you work directly or through an agency?
Both. You contract with LogicX directly, or through the interim agency you already use. The day rate is in the proposal.
How soon can you start?
That depends on current engagements. You get a concrete start date in the first call, so you know straight away whether it works.
What does an interim CIO cost?
A day rate, agreed up front and available on request. We do not publish amounts. The proposal gives you the rate, the days per week and the expected duration.
How is interim different from a fractional CIO or CTO?
An interim fills a temporary gap, usually 4 to 5 days a week, and stops at handover. A fractional CIO or CTO is a standing role alongside the board, usually 1 or 2 days a week for 6 months or longer. Fractional is an ongoing role, not temporary cover.
Interim IT manager, interim CIO or interim IT director: what is the difference?
Titles vary by organisation. What matters is the mandate: which decisions on budget, suppliers and team the interim takes, and which go to the board. We write that into the proposal before the engagement starts.
We are still recruiting a permanent hire. What does an interim do in the meantime?
The interim takes the decisions that cannot wait and keeps running projects and suppliers on track. When the permanent IT manager or CIO starts, the interim onboards them and hands over.
Does the interim work on site?
Part of the week on site and the rest remotely. The split depends on the engagement and is agreed before the start.
What happens at handover?
You get a handover document with open items, decisions and risks, and we onboard the successor. The duration is a guide: shorter or longer is possible, by agreement.