Fractional Retail Head Of Development Service

Retail technology delivery rarely fails because of lack of ambition. It fails when development teams are busy but not aligned, and no one owns how work is prioritised, delivered and maintained.

The Fractional Retail Head of Development Service from Cogent2 provides senior, part time engineering leadership for retail businesses that need stronger control over development delivery across ecommerce, in-store and operational systems. This role focuses on how development work is planned, executed and improved, rather than on high-level strategy.

It is designed for retailers with internal developers, agencies or multiple suppliers, but without a senior engineering leader to bring structure, consistency and delivery discipline.

Cogent2’s Fractional Retail Heads of Development work inside the organisation, setting standards and leading teams day to day. Alongside leadership, you gain access to a joined-up technical and integration team that can support execution and refinement where required.

When to hire a Fractional Retail Head Of Development

This service is particularly well suited to retailers that:

• Have multiple development streams across ecommerce and retail systems

• Experience delivery delays or inconsistent quality

• Lack clear ownership of development standards and priorities

• Rely heavily on agencies without internal leadership

• Need senior development leadership on a part time basis

Hiring a Fractional Retail Head of Development brings clarity, momentum and accountability to engineering delivery.

What the service delivers

Cogent2 Fractional Retail Heads of Development embed directly into development teams with a strong focus on execution.

This typically includes:

• Acting as a Fractional and Part Time Retail Head of Development

• Owning development standards, processes and delivery cadence

• Leading internal developers and external partners

• Improving planning, estimation and prioritisation

• Reducing technical debt and rework

• Supporting recruitment, onboarding and team structure

Because Cogent2 combines leadership with delivery capability, improvements are implemented, not just recommended.

Retail development delivery and execution control

Retail development spans multiple systems and trading cycles.

The Fractional Retail Head of Development Service focuses on making delivery predictable and reliable across ecommerce, stores and operational platforms.

This includes:

• Aligning development work to retail trading priorities

• Supporting safe releases around promotions and peak periods

• Improving visibility into development progress and blockers

• Balancing speed with stability

• Ensuring teams deliver value, not just output

The emphasis is disciplined execution rather than constant firefighting.

Quality, standards and technical consistency

Without clear leadership, retail development quality drifts.

Cogent2 Fractional Retail Heads of Development establish and maintain:

• Clear coding and delivery standards

• Consistent review and testing practices

• Practical documentation and knowledge sharing

• A culture of ownership and accountability

This improves confidence in every release.

Cross-functional leadership

Retail development must support the whole business.

Cogent2 Fractional Retail Heads of Development work closely with:

• Ecommerce and trading teams

• Store and operational stakeholders

• Product and UX

• Technology and integration teams

This ensures development decisions reflect real operational needs.

Programme support and delivery stabilisation

Fractional Retail Heads of Development are often engaged when delivery confidence has dropped.

This can include:

• Stabilising underperforming development teams

• Supporting major replatforming or system changes

• Improving delivery ahead of peak trading

• Reducing reliance on reactive fixes

• Protecting platform stability during change

Cogent2’s joined-up delivery capability allows issues to be resolved quickly.

Ongoing leadership and continuity

Many clients retain this role as ongoing support rather than a short engagement.

This can include:

• Regular weekly or monthly leadership input

• Cover during team transitions or growth

• Supporting long-term delivery planning

• Acting as a consistent senior engineering presence

This model provides leadership without building permanent overhead.

The Cogent2 Difference

Cogent2 works alongside retail platforms and delivery teams so our Fractional Heads of Development can focus entirely on execution and delivery quality. We do not sell software. We take ownership of how development supports the retail business.

By combining Fractional Retail Head of Development leadership with a joined-up technical team, Cogent2 removes the gap between delivery intent and reliable execution.

Level up your retail development delivery

Retail development struggles when ownership is unclear.

Hire a Retail Head of Development from Cogent2 on a Part Time, Fractional basis to bring structure, pace and accountability to your development teams.