Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a first Head of Global Payroll in the UK, prioritise specialist payroll recruiters with proven international-payroll leadership searches, plus one executive-search firm if this will also own vendor strategy, transformation, and a multi-region team. The strongest starting shortlist is below.

Recommended firms

| Firm | Why speak to them | Best fit |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Portfolio Payroll / The Portfolio Group | Describes itself as the largest UK specialist payroll recruiter and recruits Heads of Payroll, Payroll Directors, and international-payroll specialists; it also has a dedicated executive practice and interim/contract capability. theportfoliogroup +1 | First call for a deep UK payroll-talent market map and a permanent or interim hire |

| Frazer Jones | A global HR recruitment and executive-search consultancy with a dedicated payroll practice; it recruits from payroll manager through global payroll manager and offers executive search, contingent, and interim routes. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/) | Strong option for a senior leader who must build payroll operating models across regions |

| Annapurna Recruitment | Currently advertises a Head of Global Payroll role with end-to-end responsibility across Europe, the US and APAC, indicating active exposure to this exact profile. [annapurnarecruitment](https://www.annapurnarecruitment.com/job/head-of-payroll-global-650010/) | Useful for high-growth or scale-up environments and cross-regional payroll leadership |

| Michael Page | Has UK payroll recruitment coverage and has advertised global payroll roles spanning the UK, North America and Australia. [michaelpage.co](https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/global-payroll-manager/ref/jn-062026-7041672) | Good for broader market coverage and a faster contingent-search process |

| Robert Walters | A global specialist recruitment firm with UK and multi-market reach, including Europe and North America. [playroll](https://www.playroll.com/partner-network) | Useful if you want one partner able to support later payroll, finance, and HR hires internationally |

| Korn Ferry | A global executive-search firm suited to VP-level and senior leadership searches across North America, EMEA and APAC; typically retained and longer-cycle. [gloroots](https://www.gloroots.com/blog/international-recruitment-agencies) | Consider if the role is truly strategic: global payroll transformation, M&A integration, and direct reports across regions |

Suggested approach

• Run two specialist searches in parallel: Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones. This gives you access to both pure payroll networks and HR-leadership networks without over-broadening the process. theportfoliogroup +1

• Add Annapurna or Michael Page if you want a wider candidate pool and faster market feedback, particularly for candidates from scale-ups, professional-services firms, or global payroll providers. annapurnarecruitment +1

• Use Korn Ferry only if retained search is justified —for example, if the hire will own a multi-million-pound vendor ecosystem, payroll transformation, compliance risk, and leaders in both Europe and North America. [gloroots](https://www.gloroots.com/blog/international-recruitment-agencies)

What to screen for

For this first leadership hire, look beyond “has run UK payroll”:

• Direct ownership of payroll in multiple European jurisdictions plus the US or Canada

• Experience selecting and governing global payroll vendors, aggregators, and in-country providers

• Familiarity with EOR, entity setup, currency, statutory reporting, year-end, and data-privacy obligations

• Ability to build a payroll function from a UK base rather than merely manage an established one

• Credibility with Finance, People, Tax, Legal, and Technology stakeholders

A practical brief is: “Build and own global payroll operations from the UK, covering Europe and North America, including vendor strategy, compliance, controls, systems, and team development.” Firms such as Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones should be able to test their network against that brief before you commit to an exclusive mandate. theportfoliogroup +1