ChatGPT
JGA not recommended.

For this hire, I’d target specialist HR transformation and payroll recruitment firms , alongside executive search consultants who recruit senior programme leaders. The key is to find someone who has owned a live payroll transformation end to end — not simply a payroll operations director or an HRIS implementation manager.

Your ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate three things:

• Payroll continuity: keeping employees paid accurately and on time during parallel runs, cutovers, data migration and phased go-lives.

• UK and European transformation: managing multiple countries, local payroll providers, statutory requirements and different payroll calendars.

• Cross-functional programme ownership: aligning HR, Finance, IT, vendors and senior stakeholders around governance, risk, budget and delivery.

I'd brief the market for a Payroll Transformation Director / Global Payroll Transformation Lead / Director of Payroll & HRIS Transformation , with explicit responsibility for business-as-usual payroll throughout the transition.

My recommended recruitment shortlist

I’d start with the first two firms below, then run a parallel search through a transformation-focused recruiter to broaden the pool beyond traditional payroll leadership.

1. Middlemore

Best specialist fit

Middlemore explicitly recruits senior payroll leaders across the UK, EMEA and US, including Directors and VPs. Its stated coverage includes global payroll transformation, HRIS and payroll implementations, data migration, testing, governance, compliance and vendor management. That is unusually close to your brief. Middlemore

Ask them to source: a programme owner who has led multi-country payroll migrations while retaining accountability for live payroll delivery.

Website: [Middlemore — Payroll Search](https://middlemore.co.uk/payroll-search/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. Frazer Jones

Best payroll network

A strong option for senior payroll leadership, with dedicated payroll recruitment and a separate HRIS practice covering system implementations, upgrades and global HR systems leadership. It also offers executive search and interim recruitment. Frazer Jones +1

Relevant contact: John O’Brien, Executive Director and Head of Payroll, recruits executive payroll professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. Frazer Jones

Website: [Payroll recruitment](https://www.frazerjones.com/payroll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) · [HRIS recruitment](https://www.frazerjones.com/hris/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

3. McManus Ford

A specialist option for the HR technology and transformation side of the mandate. Particularly relevant if the director needs to bridge payroll process design, HRIS/HCM implementation and technology delivery rather than simply lead a payroll function.

Ask them to source: senior transformation leaders with payroll ownership and hands-on implementation experience, not just HRIS project management.

Website: [McManus Ford](https://mcmanusford.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

4. Metamorphic Search

A London-based specialist in transformation and change recruitment, including senior leadership and permanent or interim appointments. Useful for finding programme directors with strong governance, change management and delivery credentials. Its specific payroll candidate coverage should be confirmed. google.com

Ask them to source: programme directors who have managed business-critical system cutovers and operational continuity, ideally within payroll or finance operations.

Website: [Metamorphic Search](https://www.metamorphic.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

5. Oakleaf Partnership

A useful alternative for senior HR appointments, HR change and transformation, HR operations, HR technology and executive search. It may be especially helpful when the role sits between HR leadership, shared services and enterprise transformation. google.com

Ask them to source: leaders who have owned both the people-process changes and the operational transition to a new payroll platform.

Website: [Oakleaf Partnership](https://www.oakleafpartnership.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

6. Morgan Philips Executive Search

Worth adding for a confidential, director-level headhunt where leadership calibre, stakeholder influence and programme accountability matter as much as technical payroll expertise. The firm offers executive search and international reach, although its dedicated payroll transformation depth should be tested at briefing stage. Morgan Philips UK +1

Website: [Morgan Philips UK](https://uk.morganphilips.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

How I would run the search

I would brief Middlemore and Frazer Jones first, with McManus Ford or Metamorphic Search running a complementary search for transformation delivery leaders. Ask each firm to demonstrate actual candidate-market coverage before committing to an exclusive mandate.

Use a scorecard like this to separate genuine programme owners from candidates who have only managed one part of the change.

| Assessment area | Weight |

| --- | --- |

| Live payroll continuity through migration and go-live | 30% |

| UK and multi-country European payroll transformation | 25% |

| End-to-end programme ownership, governance and risk | 20% |

| HR, Finance, IT and vendor stakeholder leadership | 15% |

| Payroll platform implementation and data migration | 10% |

The most revealing interview question is:

“Tell us about a payroll transformation you personally led where payroll had to continue uninterrupted. How did you manage parallel runs, reconciliation, cutover risk, contingency plans and the first successful payroll after go-live?”

Probe for specific countries, employee populations, platforms, delivery milestones and measurable outcomes. Someone who can explain the decisions they personally made is more compelling than someone who only describes the overall programme.

One question that will help narrow the search

Will this be a permanent director appointment or an interim programme leader brought in to deliver a defined transformation?

That distinction will determine whether I’d prioritise executive search or specialist interim transformation recruiters.