Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a six-month interim Global Head of Payroll plus a concurrent permanent search, I would first contact Portfolio Payroll , Oakleaf Partnership , and Frazer Jones . They are the strongest combination of dedicated payroll specialism, senior interim coverage, and global/permanent executive search capability. theportfoliogroup +5

Best firms to contact

| Firm | Why contact them | Best use |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | Positions itself as the UK’s largest specialist payroll recruiter and explicitly recruits interim Heads of Payroll, global/EMEA payroll specialists, project leads, and executive-level interim/contract talent. theportfoliogroup +3 | First call for the six-month interim leader ; also useful for permanent payroll leadership. |

| Oakleaf Partnership | A dedicated payroll consultancy covering interim and permanent roles from payroll managers through Global Payroll Directors, with UK and international sourcing capability. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities) | Strong for both the interim appointment and a global payroll leadership permanent search. |

| Frazer Jones | A global HR recruitment and executive-search consultancy with a dedicated payroll practice, including named UK payroll leadership and interim specialists. It explicitly offers interim/fractional payroll professionals and executive search for global payroll managers. frazerjones +1 | Best for the permanent Global Head of Payroll search , especially if the role has international scope. |

| Hays Accountancy & Finance | Recruits payroll from senior leaders to niche specialists across permanent, interim, and contract appointments, with a large UK office network. hays.co +1 | Good secondary/parallel search, particularly if you need rapid market coverage or regional options. |

| The Leppington Group | Specialist payroll and payroll-technology talent firm covering Head of Payroll, Global Payroll Manager, and Payroll Operations Director roles; offers permanent, fixed-term, interim, and contract coverage. [theleppingtongroup](https://theleppingtongroup.com/payroll-talent) | Useful for a confidential, network-led senior search, especially where payroll technology/transformation matters. |

| Resourcing4HR | Independent HR-specialist recruiter covering payroll, reward, and senior HR roles through permanent, contract, and interim routes. [linkedin](https://linkedin.com/company/resourcing4hr) | Worth including for a broader HR-leadership perspective, though less payroll-specialist than the first three. |

Recommended approach

Run two linked but separate mandates :

• Interim mandate: Give Portfolio Payroll and Oakleaf a 48–72-hour brief for an experienced Global/International Payroll Director or Head of Payroll who can stabilise operations, vendor management, governance, compliance, and month-end/year-end controls. Portfolio explicitly markets interim Heads of Payroll and project leads for continuity and compliance. theportfoliogroup +2

• Permanent mandate: Brief Frazer Jones and Oakleaf on a confidential executive search for the permanent Global Head of Payroll. Frazer Jones combines payroll executive search with global reach and named UK payroll/interim specialists. frazerjones +1

• Market-check option: Add Hays as a contingent/parallel source if speed is critical or you want to benchmark the interim day-rate and permanent compensation market. hays.co +1

Brief to give recruiters

Ask each firm to confirm:

• Access to candidates with multi-country payroll , EOR/vendor oversight, payroll transformation, and global governance experience.

• Whether they can provide an interim on a six-month fixed-term or day-rate contract , with a short-notice start.

• Their process for avoiding conflicts between the interim and permanent searches.

• References specifically from comparable global payroll leadership placements.

• Fee structure, replacement guarantee, IR35/engagement-model handling, and whether the interim can transition into a permanent-role advisory capacity if appropriate.

If you want the fastest practical shortlist, start with Portfolio Payroll for the interim and Frazer Jones for the permanent search , with Oakleaf engaged across both. theportfoliogroup +4