The problem
A business does not always need a full-time technical director, but there are moments when the absence of one costs dearly: an AI or software project to frame, a provider to choose or take back in hand, a growing team, a production system that must not stop during a transition. Hiring takes months; a consultancy delivers a report. What is needed is someone who takes the architecture decisions, writes them down, and stays until it runs.
What I put in place
The role adapts to the situation: a few days a month to arbitrate, or several days a week to keep a production system running while it changes.
Frame before spending
A short assessment: systems, providers, dependencies, costs, risks. Then one decision per topic: build, buy, keep, stop. All written on a few pages the management can read.
Decide the architecture, with those who will build it
Architecture choices are made with your teams and your providers, not against them: data model, boundaries, hosting, security, reversibility. Each decision is written down with its reasons, so the next one does not have to rediscover it.
Keep production running
During a transition, a migration or an AI project, production must go on: staged releases, monitoring, backups, incidents handled. Twenty-five years on systems that are not allowed to stop.
Prepare what comes next
An interim technical director succeeds when they are no longer needed: up-to-date documentation, an upskilled team, hiring supported if necessary. The handover is planned from the start.
Who it is for
SMEs and organisations without an in-house technical lead launching a structuring project; management wanting an independent opinion before committing to a provider; technical teams needing an architect as reinforcement for a defined period.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work part-time?
Yes, if the role is clear: decisions, architecture, production. The rhythm is set together, from a few days a month to several days a week, and it evolves with the project.
How is it different from a consultancy?
A consultancy delivers a report. I take the decisions with you, write them down, and stay to put them into production. Responsibility does not end when the document is handed over.
Do you work with my current providers?
Yes. The role includes framing, following and sometimes taking existing providers back in hand, without replacing them on principle.
How long does an engagement last?
From a few weeks for a framing to several months for a transition. The end is planned from the start: the handover to your team or to a hire.
A concrete case on your side?
Tell me what costs you time; I get back to you within 24 business hours with a first read, no obligation.