ChatGPT
JGA recommended.

For a UK buy-and-build business, I would target executive search firms with a specialist finance, transformation or HR/payroll practice , rather than relying solely on generalist payroll recruiters.

Your brief is quite specific: a Group Payroll Director who has personally led the integration of payroll following acquisitions, across the UK and multiple European jurisdictions. The key is to find someone who has dealt with fragmented payroll providers, different payroll calendars and systems, acquired-company data migration, controls and compliance — ideally in a private-equity-backed environment.

I would run two search channels in parallel: specialist payroll recruiters who understand the candidate market, and senior finance/HR search firms that can reach candidates already operating at Group Director or Head of Shared Services level.

The recruiters I would approach first

1. The Portfolio Group

First call for payroll depth

A dedicated payroll recruitment business covering Payroll Managers through to Payroll Directors, including international payroll and systems implementation. This is a strong starting point for mapping the candidate market and identifying people with hands-on operational experience.

Ask for: the senior payroll recruitment or executive search team.

[Website and payroll recruitment](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. Frazer Jones

Strong for senior payroll search

Offers payroll executive search, permanent recruitment and interim solutions, with global networks. Its published payroll remit includes senior UK, EMEA and global payroll positions, making it a particularly relevant option for a cross-border leadership brief.

Ask for: the UK payroll executive search lead, specifically for an international Group Director mandate.

[Website and payroll executive search](https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

3. JGA Recruitment Group

A specialist payroll and HR recruiter worth testing for candidates who combine payroll operations, payroll technology and international exposure. Particularly useful as a complementary search channel to the larger recruitment firms.

Ask for: a bespoke senior-level search, not a shortlist of conventional Payroll Managers.

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

4. Oakleaf Partnership

Its dedicated payroll recruitment team covers UK and overseas hiring, including implementation projects and international assignments. It is a useful additional channel for leaders who have consolidated payroll operations across entities or countries.

[Website and payroll recruitment](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

5. Phipps Cameron

An executive search firm focused on finance leadership, corporate development and strategy/transformation, including PE-backed businesses. I would use it as a complementary headhunting channel if the role has a substantial group-wide transformation mandate and needs a senior leader beyond traditional payroll operations. Its payroll-specific reach should be established before engagement.

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

How I would run the search

My recommendation is to appoint two recruiters initially :

• The Portfolio Group or Frazer Jones to identify the strongest specialist payroll candidates.

• A second, complementary search partner to map senior transformation leaders in PE-backed, acquisitive businesses, including candidates whose current titles may be Global Payroll Director, EMEA Payroll Director, Head of Global Payroll Operations or Director of HR Shared Services.

I would assess each recruiter on the strength of their actual candidate network , not just their general payroll credentials.

The candidate profile to specify

| Requirement | What to insist on |

| --- | --- |

| M&A integration | Personally integrated payroll following multiple acquisitions, not just participated in an HRIS project |

| Geographic scope | UK plus several European countries, with an understanding of local payroll compliance |

| Systems and vendors | Consolidated multiple legacy platforms, providers or bureaus into a controlled operating model |

| Buy-and-build experience | Worked through rapid acquisitions, entity onboarding and post-deal integration |

| Governance | Strong controls, reconciliations, audit readiness, payroll accuracy and escalation management |

| Leadership | Can lead a group-wide function while remaining hands-on enough to deliver complex integrations |

One important distinction: do not let the search drift towards candidates who have only managed a large, steady-state payroll. Your ideal person has repeatedly taken acquired businesses from fragmented payroll arrangements to a standardised, scalable group model.

What to ask each recruiter before appointing them

1. How many candidates can you identify who have personally integrated payroll after acquisitions across the UK and at least three European countries?

2. Have you placed a Group Payroll Director, Global Payroll Director or equivalent in a PE-backed or acquisitive business?

3. Can you give anonymised examples of the acquisition integrations those candidates led, including the countries and systems involved?

4. How will you reach passive candidates who are not applying for advertised roles?

5. Can you produce an initial market map within 10 working days, before committing to a full shortlist?

I would ask for a sample market map before awarding an exclusive mandate.

To narrow this to the best two or three firms

The biggest factor is the scale and nature of the buy-and-build platform. What kind of business is it, and roughly how many employees or monthly payslips does the group process across the UK and Europe? That will help distinguish a hands-on payroll transformation leader from someone who has already operated at a large multinational group level.