Unpacking what it means to be an interim leader.

A 101 guide to the interim roles.

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Interim roles provide a fantastic alternative to full-time roles, giving ultimate flexibility to both employer and employee—which is particularly valuable in fast-changing industries, such as tech. But interim positions are not the norm (yet).

Let’s fix that. 

Why am I a good resource to share insights on this topic? I’m glad you asked. My experience comes from holding 4 interim roles: Interim CMO at Miro, Interim Head of Growth at Netlify, Interim Head of Growth at Amplitude, and (currently) Interim Head of Growth at Dropbox.

So, whether you're considering a shift from full-time roles to more flexible contracting work, want to try-before-you-buy your next position, or are simply curious about this unique career path, this guide is your resource. 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Interim vs. Full-time Roles.

2. Finding an Interim Role.

3. Structuring Interim Compensation.

4. Making Interims Successful. 

1. Interim vs. Full-Time Roles.

What exactly is an interim leader? Think of it as a guest star appearance in your favorite TV show—like when Bruce Wills was Rachel’s boyfriend for a few episodes in Friends.

Which is all to say: An interim leader is a short-term (~1 year), full-time, contract-based leadership role that steps in for a limited time to steer a company through a transition, cover for an absence, or lead a specific project. Unlike full-time leaders, who are expected to stay for many many years and constantly evolve their contribution as the business grows, interim leaders are there for a specific purpose and predetermined time. They bring expertise and an outside perspective, often driving change or stability during critical periods.

Interim leaders are hired for a specific purpose and predetermined time.

Let’s clear one thing up, though: Interim roles usually do work 40 hours (or more) per week. So, although I’m contrasting these positions with “full-time roles,” that’s mostly just because “full-time” (as in Full-Time Employee, or FTE) is common language for the traditional, permanent employer-employee relationship… but I think we can all agree that whatever the traditional employment arrangement is, it certainly is not permanent.

Interim leaders are responsible for creating their own succession plans and are tasked with hiring or promoting an internal full-time replacement as their contract winds down. So, imagine that, instead of giving your employer a 2-week notice, you and your employer know months in advance that you are leaving. This opens up a requisition for your own replacement, and you get to interview potential candidates. The goal for an interim leader is to transition out of the company without causing any waves of disruption. 

As an alternative, some interim roles end up sticking and you may have the option to join the company in a full-time capacity. If you want to that is.

2. Finding an Interim Role.

How do you find interim opportunities?

Well, they don’t really exist. At least, you aren’t likely to see one posted on a job board.

But the way I see it, just about any full-time role can be converted to an interim. Let’s dive into situations where this might make sense:

1. You possess specific expertise that is clearly valuable for a period of time, but not on an ongoing basis.

Any full-time leadership role pushes you to be a generalist—be a kitchen sink of solutions, whenever and however business needs you to be. However, as you generalize, you lose your ability to differentiate in the employment market. So while learning to be a generalist, never let go of your specialty. 

For example, my expertise lies in growing scaling B2B SaaS products, particularly at the intersection of Product and Sales-led growth models. Have I led growth teams? Absolutely. Managed full marketing teams? Certainly. Handled analytics? Yes. Overseen product organizations? Indeed. However, I've always maintained a steadfast focus on deepening my expertise in B2B PLG self-serve/sales specific area. This specialty is often what opens doors to interim roles, rather than my general skills in managing product, marketing, or data departments. This approach is particularly effective due to the scarcity of experts in this field. It allows me to invert the typical dynamics of employment, empowering me to engage with the market on my terms, without being bound by the constraints of traditional full-time roles.

Want to see what I mean? Here are my examples:

My Miro Interim: 

I advised Miro on product growth for many years, even attending their company offsite, when they recognized the need for a growth marketing-focused leader. The CEO approached me, asking if I would step in for a few months, knowing well that I was not on the market to do anything full-time, nor that running a full marketing team in a long term was a good fit for me. At that point, I had already transitioned away from full-time roles, focusing solely on advisory work. But with this unique format, I was excited to try something new, especially since I missed working with a team and having more accountability. I ended up leading the entire marketing team, which consisted of about 20 people. Over an 11-month tenure, I expanded the team to more than 50 members while navigating the company through a growth curve during Covid—$12M to $120M in ARR in 11 months! We’ve discussed full-time positions, but although I absolutely loved the company, running a marketing department wasn't my area of expertise. Ultimately, we found an excellent successor, who is still leading the marketing team to this day.

My Netlify Interim:

Netlify was looking for a full-time growth product leader to re-accelerate their self-serve business, and they had a laser focus on me. I insisted that I was only available on an interim basis, and they agreed. I stayed with them for 6 months, not taking on any direct reports (leading through dotted lines, instead) and ultimately they’ve invited me to join their Board of Directors. 

My Amplitude Interim:

Amplitude’s CPO reached out to me to brainstorm the type of growth leader they’d need to hire to introduce self-serve monetization to their existing sales-led model. While discussing what problems they were looking to solve, I offered myself on an interim basis. We signed a contract in a week and I started the following week. I stayed for a year, then coordinated a succession plan to bring an ideal fit, who is still leading growth product efforts at the company today.   

My Dropbox Interim:

At this point, I had a few interim gigs under my belt, so when Dropbox reached out, the discussion was only about interim engagement, because I had validated it as my market positioning. The role is about scaling existing PLG efforts plus establishing better handshake with sales - my specialty! I’m in this role right now—in fact, I extended my contract because I really love the problem statement and the people I’m working with and want to see more things through before transitioning out. 

Again: These roles were generally possible for me because of the focused expertise I’d established and maintained. Even if you aren’t a known figure in your industry, having a specific focus is a key part of getting your foot in the door. For instance, offering a targeted workshop or consulting services is a way to connect with a company, and that limited engagement could give you the opportunity to pitch an interim role. 

2. You want to try-before-you-buy into the role. 

Not everyone who takes on interim roles does so solely because they prefer temporary engagements. Many are interested in a 'try-before-you-buy' approach for their next role (not my intent, but to each their own :)). 

So instead of navigating a complex interview process and committing immediately to a full-time position, why not consider a contract-to-hire arrangement? Assuming there are no visa implications, this approach allows both you and the company to assess the fit without major consequences. If the engagement isn't right, both parties can part ways amicably, without any negative fallout. Huge bonus - you avoid the burden of explaining why the role didn’t work out for the rest of your career. In fact, an interim role can enhance your resume, while holding a traditional full-time position for a year or less may be viewed negatively. And if you like what you see, you can sign the full-time contract with confidence.

So how can you turn a hiring conversation from full-time toward interim?

Focus on the benefit to the company! Remember: An extended trial period de-risks the equation on both sides. Although not all companies are interested in this kind of arrangement (I tried to get Atlassian to convert their Head of Growth search to an interim role and failed), it never hurts to ask. Let them know that you’re committed to confirming the right fit and that you’re expecting to make a demonstrable impact very quickly, and you may be surprised at the opportunities that open up. 

3. Structuring Interim Compensation.

Talking about money is tricky, but it's crucial. 

In a full-time role, your compensation isn't just about cash and equity – benefits also play a big part, and they shouldn't be overlooked. I can only speak for the US market, but the most common employment methods are either as a 1099 contractor or a W2 employee. As a 1099 contractor, you don't get benefits since you're considered an independent contractor. Remember, benefits can make up about 20-30% of your compensation, which means the 1099 compensation package should reflect this. So start with calculating your current all-in loaded rate: cash, equity, benefits.

I've worked in interim roles both as a 1099 employee and as a regular W2 employee with all the benefits. One thing I’ve learned is that being a people manager as a 1099 contractor is challenging – the internal systems aren't really set up for contractors to have all the access needed to manage a team effectively. So, going forward, I prefer to be onboarded as a normal W2 employee, full-time with all benefits, just with an offer letter that includes a predetermined end date.

When it comes to compensation, for me, it's always a mix of cash and equity. The equity should have a quarterly vesting schedule, without a cliff. Generally, cash makes up less than 30% of the total compensation structure, because equity creates stronger alignment on long-term successful growth (no growth hacks for me). Your rate should be at least equivalent or higher to your full-time market rate (higher if you're offering specialized expertise that's hard to find).

4. Making Interims Successful.

Success as an interim leader hinges on a few factors: quick impact, relationships, pattern matching, and succession.

First, impact is the king. You have very limited time to make an impact, so walking into a company with a very well-defined problem statement and a clearly proposed solution for you to execute against is critical. Your tenure might be brief, but your influence shouldn't be. 

You won’t have time to go through a normal ~3 month onboarding period to get all the ins and outs of the problem. So the fastest path to impact is to validate whether a company's existing hypothesis is right or wrong. This validation usually takes anywhere from 3-6 months, but most importantly it lets you hit the ground running. Most of the time the original hypothesis will be wrong, but then you will have time and learnings under your belt to set a new strategy and hire a full-time operator to execute against it.   

Second, build relationships fast. You're the new kid on the block, and you were most likely hired to change the status quo. Leading with influence will become your critical skill, and asking people to trust you while you trust fall on them is my go-to method of breaking down the walls. Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for natural allies (similar backgrounds or interests), people who hold a disproportionate amount of power, and those who have the most historical context. 

Third, pattern match. As I meet folks, I always ask one specific question: “If you were in my role, what would you do?” This helps me begin pattern matching and developing my strategy for quick wins. 

Fourth, build a succession plan early. Interim roles should not be disruptive to the company, so your departure at the end of the year should be entirely seamless. For this, 6 months before the contract is over, begin working on your succession plan. It’s surprisingly fun to hire your own replacement, but it’s also deeply valuable for the company: you’re literally an expert on this specific role for this specific company. You know *exactly* what they need. I participate in sourcing and interviewing the candidates, and even onboarding them if I get a chance. 

Wrapping Up

Embarking on an interim leadership journey can be both exciting and daunting. But armed with the right approach and mindset, you can make a significant impact wherever you go. Remember, it's about bringing your expertise to the table, adapting quickly, and leaving a lasting impression. So, are you ready to take on the challenge?

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Edited with the help of Jonathan Yagel, checkout his awesome Substack.

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UPDATE: Jonathan wrote a follow-up article for Growth Scoop, sharing his own unique take on landing interim roles. Check it out:

How to land an interim leadership role… if you’re not Elena.