All answers / S01-D-claude-r2
S01-D | Claude | Observation 2
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Exact question
Our CFO wants advice on the scope, salary and candidate market for a first UK-based global payroll leadership appointment covering Europe and North America. Which specialist recruiters can help shape the brief and then run the search?
Complete saved answer
I’d shortlist two payroll specialists as the core of the process, and add a generalist or retained executive search firm if you want a wider net. I haven’t verified fees, track record or current capacity for any of these, so treat them as firms to put through a proper pitch.
Recruiters to approach
Frazer Jones
(part of The SR Group) is the strongest fit for the brief. Its payroll practice is led by John O’Brien, who recruits executive payroll and benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. Its own site describes him as the UK’s leading executive payroll recruiter, though that is the firm’s claim about itself. Two things matter for your Europe and North America remit:
[frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=2395)
• It has a US presence. It hosted a payroll event in New York and publishes a US East Coast salary guide. It is currently advertising a Vice President, Global Payroll role in New York or Los Angeles, so it is active in the North American candidate pool. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/nl/?p=154049)
• It places at your seniority. Recent listings include a Director of Payroll role at £125k–£150k plus bonus and a Head of Reward and Payroll role at £175k–£225k. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/nl/consultants/john-obrien) [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/nl/?p=154049)
JGA Recruitment
describes itself as a global specialist search firm dedicated exclusively to Payroll, HR, Workforce Management, and HCM technology talent, covering permanent, interim and executive hiring across the US, EMEA and APAC. Its client base leans towards payroll providers and HCM vendors, which suggests a strong network of people who have run payroll at vendors and outsourcers. That can be a plus or a minus, depending on whether you want practitioner-side candidates. It also publishes salary commentary and has a UK-and-EMEA salary calculator.
[riseworks](https://www.riseworks.io/es-es/partnerships/jga-recruitment)
Generalist finance and HR firms
such as Morgan McKinley, which has an executive search arm, are worth a conversation, particularly if you want the brief tested against adjacent profiles like reward, global mobility, HR operations or finance operations. For a first-of-its-kind role I’d expect them to be weaker on the payroll-leader network than the two specialists above.
What to ask in the pitch
• Who they have placed in global payroll leadership roles in the last 24 months, and whether the reporting line matched yours.
• How they would handle the US and Europe split. Some candidates are strong on UK and EMEA only, and North American payroll leaders are a different pool.
• Whether they will work on a retained or exclusive basis, and what the shortlist and replacement terms are.
• Whether they will give you a candid market map before you commit, including who is realistically movable.
Salary markers from the market
These are indicative advertised ranges from recent roles, not a survey:
• London, startup or scale-up: a Global Head of Payroll role covering the US, Europe and Israel was advertised at £110k–£150k plus equity. [elementalimpact](https://jobs.elementalimpact.com/companies/remix/jobs/83001601-global-head-of-payroll)
• London, executive level: Frazer Jones listings reach £175k–£225k for a Head of Reward and Payroll, and bonuses of 20–30% appear in several ads. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/nl/?p=154049)
• New York: a Head of Global Payroll role was advertised at USD 180k–250k. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=178127)
• Lower end: a retailer’s London-based global head role was advertised at up to £100k, but that role managed an established team with no transformation mandate. [drapersjobs](https://drapersjobs.com/job/global-head-payroll)
So your range depends mostly on scope. A hands-on leader building a function from scratch sits near £110–150k. A strategic leader owning governance, systems and vendors across two continents with a team behind them points to £150–225k plus bonus. Anything involving a US-based reporting population or US candidates will push expectations towards the dollar ranges above.
Points to settle before the briefing
1. Operating model: how much is in-house versus outsourced or run through a global provider. This changes the profile from a hands-on operator to a vendor and governance leader.
2. Mandate: run versus transform (systems consolidation, new country launches, M&A integration). Candidates who have done both are scarcer and cost more.
3. Reporting line and seniority: CFO, CHRO or Head of Finance Operations. This affects who will apply.
4. Location: hybrid expectations and how much travel to North America.
If you tell me the headcount covered, the number of countries, and whether payroll is outsourced, I can help draft the brief and a first-pass scope document to take into those pitch conversations.
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