What Is Fractional Leadership for AEC Firms?
The operational, financial, and HR expertise environmental consulting and AEC firms need—without hiring a $200K+ executive.
Get compliance-ready systems, job-cost accuracy, and utilization visibility that scale with government contracting and multi-site growth.
The Leadership Gap in AEC Firms
Your technical expertise won projects. But scaling from $1M to $10M requires operational infrastructure.
No Standard Delivery Process
Projects run but every PM does it their own way. No SOPs, inconsistent QA, margin drift.
Financial Blind Spots
Can't predict cash flow. Indirect rates aren't audit-ready. Job costing is incomplete or siloed in accounting.
PM Turnover & Bottlenecks
Losing senior PMs disrupts delivery. Principal is the bottleneck on every major decision.
Can't Afford Full-Time Executive
Need a COO/CFO but can't justify $200K+ salary and 6-month search for a 20-person firm.
FAR & Caltrans Compliance Anxiety
Regulations keep changing. Worried about DCAA audits, indirect rate approval, or Caltrans prequalification.
Scaling Without Systems
Growth means more chaos. Utilization data is late or not trusted. WIP sits unbilled for 45+ days.
Fractional vs. Traditional Solutions
Fractional Executive
| Accountability | Owns outcomes & results |
| Involvement | Embedded in your team |
| Timeline | Ongoing relationship |
| Deliverables | Systems that work |
| Cost | $3,700-$5,550/month |
| Start Time | Within 1-2 weeks |
Traditional Consultant
| Accountability | Delivers reports |
| Involvement | External advisor |
| Timeline | Project-based |
| Deliverables | Recommendations |
| Cost | $10K-$50K+ per project |
| Start Time | Depends on scope |
Fractional Executive
| Total Investment | $44K-$66K annually |
| Hiring Time | Immediate start |
| Risk Level | Low (month-to-month) |
| Experience Level | Proven AEC expertise |
| Flexibility | Scale up/down |
| Overhead | None |
Full-Time Executive
| Total Investment | $200K-$330K+ annually |
| Hiring Time | 3-6 months |
| Risk Level | High (full commitment) |
| Experience Level | Unknown until hired |
| Flexibility | Fixed commitment |
| Overhead | Benefits, taxes, office |
When Fractional Leadership Makes Sense for AEC Firms
Growth Stage
Revenue between $1M-$20M and experiencing operational growing pains
Immediate Need
Can't wait 6 months to hire—need systems and compliance expertise now
Specific Challenge
Clear operational, financial, or compliance gap (DSO, utilization, FAR readiness)
Budget Conscious
Need COO/CFO/CHRO expertise without $200K+ executive cost
Project Cycle Variability
Workload varies by season, government contract awards, or client cycles
Systems Building
Need to build processes and structure, not just get recommendations
How AEC Firms Use Fractional Leadership
Real results from environmental consulting and AEC firms
Fractional COO
Civil Engineering Firm Installs Delivery Cadence
28-person civil engineering firm had projects running but margin drift and no standard SOPs. Every PM managed projects their own way. The fractional COO installed weekly utilization visibility, standardized PM handoff processes, and implemented delivery cadence that PMs could run without principal oversight.
Result: Reduced DSO from 47 to 19 days in 90 days. Weekly utilization visibility installed. PM handoff standardized.
Fractional CFO
Environmental Firm Achieves FAR Compliance
DBE environmental consulting firm was winning government contracts but struggled with FAR compliance, indirect rate approval, and audit readiness. The fractional CFO developed audit-ready indirect rate policy, installed job costing by client, and implemented monthly financial dashboards principals could actually use.
Result: Reduced finance errors 85%. Indirect rate policy installed. Job costing by client live within 60 days. Passed pre-award audit.
Fractional CMO
MEP Firm Transforms Proposal Win Rate
MEP design firm had technical capabilities but inconsistent RFP responses and low win rates. SF330 preparation took 80 hours per submission. The fractional CMO created proposal templates, competitive positioning strategy, and business development systems that reduced prep time while improving quality.
Result: Win rate improved from 15% to 40%. SF330 prep time reduced from 80 to 24 hours. $35M contract awarded within 6 months.
Common Myths About Fractional Leadership
Myth: "They won't be committed to our success"
Truth: Fractional executives are invested in measurable outcomes. Their reputation depends on your results. Most engagements last 6-18 months.
Myth: "Part-time means they don't understand AEC"
Truth: Luminspire has 20+ years in environmental consulting and AEC firms. We know FAR, Caltrans, government contracting, and compliance requirements inside and out.
Myth: "It's just expensive consulting"
Truth: Fractional executives log into your Deltek, train your PMs, and build systems alongside you. We execute and implement, not just advise.
Myth: "We need someone here full-time"
Truth: Most operational leadership work happens in focused blocks. 20-30 hours per month of strategic work delivers more value than 40 hours of presence.
Ready to Experience Fractional Leadership?
Every day you wait is another day your team struggles with operational problems that have proven solutions. Let's identify where fractional leadership can make the biggest impact in your AEC firm.
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