Perplexity
JGA recommended.

For a UK buy-and-build Group Payroll Director with demonstrable UK/EMEA acquisition-integration experience, I would prioritise Middlemore , Frazer Jones , Portfolio Payroll , and JGA Recruitment . These firms combine senior payroll search with UK/EMEA payroll transformation networks; Middlemore and Frazer Jones are especially strong fits for the M&A/PE context.

Best-fit search partners

| Recruiter | Why they fit | How to brief them |

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

| Middlemore | Specialist executive search across Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance and Reward; explicitly works with PE-backed and high-growth businesses, and covers payroll transformation, implementation, compliance, vendor management and post-implementation work. [Trusted domain gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore) | Best first call for a retained search targeting a director who has owned post-acquisition payroll stabilisation and integration. |

| Frazer Jones | Global HR recruitment and executive-search firm with a dedicated payroll team; its UK payroll lead recruits executive payroll/benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. frazerjones +1 | Strong for a permanent Group Payroll Director with EMEA country exposure and a credible transformation track record. |

| Portfolio Payroll | UK’s largest specialist payroll recruiter; has a dedicated executive-search offer for Payroll Directors, Global Heads of Payroll, transformation leads and interim leaders. theportfoliogroup +1 | Useful for both permanent search and an interim integration lead if you need someone immediately after deal completion. |

| JGA Recruitment Group | Has a dedicated EMEA/global payroll and HR-tech consulting division, suggesting access to candidates operating across multiple European jurisdictions and payroll platforms. [linkedin](https://linkedin.com/in/tom-croughton) | Good complement for candidates with multi-country payroll consolidation and systems-integration backgrounds. |

| Oakleaf Partnership | Dedicated payroll consultancy recruiting through to Global Payroll Directors and Global Payroll Implementation Managers, with UK and international sourcing capability. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities) | Worth including for a broader market map, particularly if the role spans payroll, HRIS and implementation. |

| Hays Payroll | Large UK payroll recruitment network with dedicated payroll consultants and coverage across head-of-payroll and international payroll roles. [Trusted domain hays.co](https://hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll) | Better as a contingent/secondary source than the lead retained partner for a niche PE integration mandate. |

Recommended approach

Run Middlemore as the retained lead , with Frazer Jones and Portfolio Payroll as parallel market-mapping or contingent sources. Ask each to target candidates who have:

• Led payroll integration across at least two UK and European acquisitions, including TUPE/vendor transitions, data migration, harmonisation and compliance.

• Operated in a PE-backed, multi-entity group with recurring deal cadence rather than a single one-off integration.

• Delivered payroll operating-model design: in-house versus bureau, shared services, EMEA payroll providers, and country-by-country statutory compliance.

• Led or partnered on HRIS/payroll system consolidation, for example Workday, SAP, Dayforce, IRIS or local in-country platforms.

• Worked closely with deal teams, HR integration leads, finance, works councils and external payroll providers.

Screening questions

Use these to separate genuine acquisition-integration experience from general payroll leadership:

• “Name the acquisitions you integrated: countries, headcount, payroll providers, systems, timetable, and your personal accountability.”

• “What broke in the first two payrolls after each deal, and how did you protect employees and statutory filings?”

• “How did you handle divergent pay cycles, benefits, pensions, works councils, collective agreements and data-privacy requirements across Europe?”

• “Which integration decisions did you make before completion versus after Day 1?”

• “What payroll synergies did you deliver, and how did you evidence them to the sponsor or board?”

Practical search structure

Consider a two-track hire: a permanent Group Payroll Director to own the operating model and integration roadmap, plus an interim EMEA payroll transformation lead for the first 6–12 months if several deals are closing close together. Portfolio and Frazer Jones both actively place interim payroll transformation and implementation talent, which can de-risk the period immediately around completion. theportfoliogroup +2

For the brief, define the European footprint precisely—UK, Ireland, DACH, Benelux, Nordics, Southern Europe—and state whether the appointee must have direct in-country payroll ownership or can manage via providers. That distinction will materially change the candidate pool.