ChatGPT
JGA recommended.

For this hire, I’d prioritise executive search firms with HR transformation, payroll technology and enterprise programme leadership expertise , rather than a generalist payroll recruitment agency.

Your ideal candidate is a senior transformation owner who has kept payroll operational throughout a complex migration, moved UK and European payroll onto new platforms, and coordinated HR, Finance, IT, vendors and local-country stakeholders.

I’d run two recruitment channels in parallel: a specialist HR/payroll search firm for domain expertise, and a transformation-focused executive recruiter for candidates who have led large, business-critical programmes.

The recruitment firms I’d shortlist

1. Frazer Jones

Best payroll leadership specialist

Frazer Jones has a dedicated payroll recruitment team and executive-level search, including UK, EMEA and global payroll professionals. Its UK payroll lead is a particularly relevant contact for this mandate.

Why approach them: Find a Payroll Director who combines operational credibility with multi-country payroll leadership.

Ask for: John O’Brien, Executive Director and Head of Payroll.

Website: [frazerjones.com ](https://frazerjones.com/uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. JGA Recruitment Group

Best payroll and HR technology overlap

JGA recruits across global payroll and HR technology, including senior executives and specialists in Workday, Dayforce, UKG, SAP, Oracle and ADP. Its published expertise spans EMEA and global markets.

Why approach them: They should be well placed to target candidates who understand payroll operations as well as the technology implementation ecosystem.

Ask for: Tom Croughton, Director, for global payroll and HR-tech search.

Website: [jgarecruitment.com ](https://jgarecruitment.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

3. Rise Group

Best transformation delivery fit

Rise specialises in senior permanent and contract recruitment for HR and Finance transformation. It covers Workday, SAP, Oracle and UKG across the UK, Europe and the US, and describes experience staffing a UKG payroll implementation and global payroll carve-out.

Why approach them: Your requirement is as much about programme ownership and cross-functional delivery as payroll expertise.

Ask for: A search for a transformation leader who has personally owned payroll continuity, migration, testing, cutover and stabilisation.

Website: [risegroup.io ](https://risegroup.io/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

4. Portfolio Payroll

Portfolio Payroll has dedicated permanent, executive search and contract recruitment services, including senior payroll leadership.

Why approach them: A useful specialist channel for candidates with deep payroll delivery knowledge, particularly if you want a permanent Director or an interim leader to start quickly.

Watch-out: Explicitly test for enterprise-wide systems transformation and European programme ownership, not just payroll team management.

Website: [portfoliopayroll.com ](https://portfoliopayroll.com/payroll/recruitment-services/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

5. TLM Talent

TLM focuses on transformation leadership across Business, Finance and IT, including Transformation Directors, Programme Directors and ERP delivery professionals in the UK and Europe.

Why approach them: Particularly relevant if the role reports to a COO, CFO or CIO and needs to coordinate several functions, vendors and workstreams.

Watch-out: Pair their programme leadership search with a payroll specialist such as Frazer Jones or JGA to ensure sufficient payroll depth.

Website: [tlmtalent.com ](https://tlmtalent.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

How I would prioritise them

| Firm | Primary strength | Priority |

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

| Frazer Jones | Senior payroll leadership, UK/EMEA | 1 |

| JGA Recruitment | Global payroll and HR technology | 2 |

| Rise Group | HR/Finance systems transformation | 3 |

| Portfolio Payroll | Payroll leadership and interim hiring | 4 |

| TLM Talent | Cross-functional programme leadership | 5 |

These are recommendations based on their published specialisms, not a claim that each firm currently has a matching candidate available.

What to put in the search brief

I would define the role as Payroll Transformation Director — UK & Europe , with accountability for both business continuity and transformation outcomes.

The must-have criteria should be:

• Payroll continuity: Has kept employees paid accurately and on time during a major system migration, parallel runs, cutovers and early-life support.

• Multi-country delivery: Has led UK payroll alongside multiple European country payrolls, with an understanding of local statutory requirements and country-specific operating models.

• Systems implementation: Has led a substantial payroll or HCM migration, ideally involving Workday, SAP, Oracle, UKG, Dayforce or ADP.

• Programme ownership: Personally accountable for scope, budget, milestones, dependencies, risks, vendors, governance and executive reporting.

• Cross-functional leadership: Able to align HR, Finance, IT, data, integration teams, payroll providers and local business stakeholders.

• Operational controls: Can demonstrate payroll reconciliation, data quality, parallel-run sign-off, exception management and contingency planning.

One important distinction: don’t hire someone whose experience is limited to implementing an HR platform while another team owns payroll delivery. You need someone who has been accountable for the payroll service itself throughout the transition.

Suggested first outreach

Email

Subject

Search mandate: Payroll Transformation Director — UK & Europe

Hello, We are looking to appoint a UK-based Payroll Transformation Director to lead the migration of UK and European payroll operations onto new systems while maintaining uninterrupted, accurate payroll delivery. The individual will be the senior programme owner, working across HR, Finance and IT, with responsibility for implementation governance, data and integrations, testing and parallel runs, cutover, risk management and post-go-live stabilisation. We are specifically looking for candidates who have personally led complex, multi-country payroll transformations while retaining accountability for business-as-usual payroll operations. Could you outline your experience sourcing candidates for this type of mandate, the relevant talent pool you can access, and whether you would recommend a permanent executive search or an interim appointment? Please also share examples of comparable assignments and your proposed search approach. Kind regards

One question that would sharpen the shortlist

Which payroll platform or platforms are you moving to? For example, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors/Employee Central Payroll, Oracle, UKG, Dayforce or ADP.

That will help determine whether to prioritise a payroll-first Director, a platform-specific transformation leader, or a senior programme owner with both capabilities.