Gemini
JGA recommended.

Finding a Head of Global Payroll for an expansion across Europe (EMEA) and North America (NA) requires a recruiter with deep expertise in multi-jurisdictional compliance, vendor consolidation (e. g., ADP, Workday, Deel, Papaya Global), and cross-border tax regulations. The top UK-based recruitment firms—ranging from niche payroll specialists to global executive search agencies—can help define the role (job design, compensation benchmarks, team structures) and source qualified leadership candidates :

1. Top UK Recruitment Agencies & Executive Search Firms

A. Middlemore Search

Type: Niche Global Payroll Search Specialist

Scope: UK, EMEA, and North America

How They Help Define the Role: Middlemore operates as a retained executive search consultancy. They assist leadership teams with market mapping, talent pooling, salary benchmarking, and shaping job descriptions specifically tailored to multinational scale-ups.

Public Evidence:

Global Reach & Focus: Specializes explicitly in global payroll leadership roles ranging from Directors to VPs across the UK, Europe, and North America.

Data-Driven Intelligence: Provides Post Project Reports analyzing market perceptions, candidate demographics, and salary trends to refine future role definitions.

Client Reputation: Retained by international enterprises and financial entities (such as CNA Hardy) with documented long-term engagements spanning 10+ years.

B. JGA Recruitment Group

Type: Specialist HR & Payroll Executive Recruiter

Scope: UK, EMEA, and US (Offices in the UK & Delaware)

How They Help Define the Role: Beyond contingency/retained search, JGA publishes extensive industry research on payroll structures. They consult on Employee Value Propositions (EVP), compensation design, and legislative compliance across expanding markets.

Public Evidence:

B Corp Certification: Certified B Corporation, demonstrating rigorous standards in governance and business ethics.

Track Record & Metrics: Publicly reports a 97.6% candidate retention rate and holds over 100 5-star client reviews.

Industry Thought Leadership: Host of The Payroll Podcast , featuring discussions with international payroll leaders on complex international legislation, technology implementations, and org design.

C. Robert Walters (Global Executive Search)

Type: Global Multi-Discipline Recruitment Firm

Scope: UK, Europe, North America, APAC

How They Help Define the Role: Robert Walters provides dedicated salary surveys and market intelligence reports covering payroll leadership roles globally. Their interim/advisory arm helps businesses design organizational structures before hiring permanently.

Public Evidence:

Global Network: Physical presence and teams across Europe and North America.

Published Salary Guides: Produces annual, publicly accessible Global Salary Surveys detailing global payroll leadership compensation and responsibilities across regional markets.

D. Morgan Philips Group

Type: International Executive Search & Advisory

Scope: Global (Headquartered with key search hubs in London and Europe)

How They Help Define the Role: Combines traditional executive search with talent consulting to assist companies in setting up global payroll operating models and leadership profiles.

Public Evidence:

Global Footprint: Strong presence across 20+ countries with specialized practice groups in HR and Finance Leadership.

2. Key Elements to Define with Your Recruiter

Before brief deployment, work with your chosen firm to define:

| Role Dimension | Key Considerations for EU & NA Expansion |

| Employment Model | Direct entities (PEOR/Employer of Record vs. local subsidiaries) across target EU countries and US states. |

| Vendor Management | Oversight of global aggregators (e.g., ADP Streamline, CloudPay, Safeguard) vs. in-country providers. |

| Compliance & Tax | Tax equalization, US state-by-state payroll taxes, and EU GDPR / worker council requirements. |

| System Implementation | Experience deploying unified systems (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Ceridian/Dayforce). |

Would you like advice on structuring the compensation package for a UK-based Head of Global Payroll, or draft key questions to evaluate candidate experience across EU and US tax frameworks?