Part-time senior paid media leadership
A fractional Head of Paid Media, without the full-time hire.
Senior leadership for your paid channels on a part-time basis: strategy, budget allocation, oversight of your team or agency, and reporting your leadership can trust.
What is a fractional Head of Paid Media?
A senior paid media lead who works with your business part-time, usually on a monthly retainer. They own the strategy and budget across Google Ads, Meta Ads and other channels, direct whoever runs the campaigns, in-house or agency, and report results against revenue.
Updated October 2026 · By Farrukh Moin Ahmed, performance marketing consultant
Sound familiar?
When growing teams look for a fractional Head of Paid Media, and what changes.
The problem
“Nobody senior owns paid media, so decisions are made channel by channel.”
Budgets get set by habit, and each channel optimizes for its own numbers.
How I fix it
One owner for strategy and budget
A single plan across Google, Meta and other channels, with budget moved to wherever the next profitable sale comes from.
The problem
“We pay an agency, but nobody internally can check their work.”
Without in-house expertise, reports are hard to challenge.
How I fix it
Independent oversight
I review the agency’s work, set targets and challenge reports, so you get accountability without micromanaging.
The problem
“We cannot justify a full-time senior hire yet.”
A senior salary is a big commitment for a growing team.
How I fix it
Senior experience, part-time
The decisions and oversight of a senior lead, for the time the business actually needs.
The problem
“Leadership does not trust the marketing numbers.”
Platform reports overclaim and disagree with finance.
How I fix it
Reporting leadership believes
Revenue-based reporting reconciled with sales data, so marketing numbers match the business numbers.
The problem
“Our junior team needs direction.”
Execution without a clear plan wastes budget.
How I fix it
Direction and coaching
Clear plans, priorities and reviews for the people running campaigns, and help hiring when the time comes.
What a fractional Head of Paid Media owns
The responsibilities of a senior paid media lead, on a part-time basis.
Strategy and channel mix
Which channels to run, what each one is for and how they work together.
Budget allocation
Where the money goes each month, and when to move it.
Targets and forecasting
Realistic targets tied to margin, and forecasts leadership can plan around.
Team and agency oversight
Briefs, reviews and accountability for whoever runs the campaigns.
Tracking and measurement
GA4, conversion tracking and attribution set up so the numbers can be trusted.
Reporting and hiring
Monthly reporting to leadership, and support defining and hiring in-house roles.
Fractional, full-time or agency only?
How a fractional lead compares with the other ways to run paid media.
| Fractional Head of Paid Media | Full-time Head of Paid Media | Agency only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seniority | Senior | Senior | Varies by account team |
| Commitment | Part-time, monthly | Full-time salary and benefits | Monthly retainer |
| Owns strategy and budget | Yes | Yes | Usually executes against your brief |
| Independent of execution | Yes, can oversee agencies | In-house | No, reports on its own work |
| Best for | Growing teams that need senior direction | Large teams with complex programmes | Teams with a strong internal owner |
How a fractional engagement runs
A clear rhythm from the first month.
01
Discovery
Goals, team, channels, spend and how results are reported today.
02
Cross-channel audit
Accounts, tracking, creative and landing pages reviewed together.
03
90-day plan
Priorities, targets and who does what.
04
Monthly leadership rhythm
Reviews with your team and reporting to leadership.
05
Build the team
Coaching, agency management, and hiring support when it is time.
Who this is for
An honest filter, so we both save time.
A good fit if
- You spend across two or more paid channels
- An agency, freelancers or a junior team run your campaigns
- You need someone to own strategy and report to leadership
- You are not ready for a full-time senior hire
Probably not a fit if
- You only need one campaign set up
- You want daily hands-on management at the lowest cost
- You have no ongoing paid media budget
- You already have a strong in-house Head of Paid Media
Results from accounts I have led
Ecommerce and lead generation accounts.
Case study 01 · Robotics / Ecommerce
Petoi
Teaching the market, not just selling a robot
2.0 → 4.1
ROAS
Case study 05 · Mental Wellness
Modern Minds
Scaling high-intent leads for a mental wellness brand
$165 → $13.50
Cost per conversion
Case study 02 · Ecommerce
Woda Bags
Launching Google Ads as a scalable growth channel
8.12
ROAS · 395 orders
Questions about a fractional Head of Paid Media
How much time does a fractional Head of Paid Media spend with us?
It depends on the scope. The engagement is agreed upfront around what the business needs each month, from strategy and oversight to more hands-on involvement.
Do you replace our agency?
Not necessarily. Often the best setup keeps the agency for execution while I own strategy, targets and oversight.
Which channels do you cover?
Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads and Reddit Ads, with conversion rate optimization and GA4 tracking underneath.
Can you help us hire a full-time lead later?
Yes. Part of the role can be defining the job, interviewing candidates and handing over.
What experience do you bring?
Experience across agency, consultancy and in-house roles, Google certifications, and documented results in the case studies on this site.
Is this the same as a fractional CMO?
No. A fractional CMO covers all of marketing. A fractional Head of Paid Media focuses on paid channels, their budget, tracking and results.
Related reading
Talk about a fractional engagement
Tell me about your team, channels and monthly spend. I will reply with an honest view of whether a fractional lead makes sense.
What happens next
- You tell me about your store and what isn’t working
- I look at what I can see: your ads, site and tracking
- I reply personally with an honest view of the opportunity
- If it’s a fit, we agree the scope of an account audit