ChatGPT
JGA not recommended.

For a six-month interim Global Payroll Director assignment running alongside a permanent leadership search, I would start with specialist payroll recruiters rather than a generalist executive search firm alone . You need someone who can take accountability quickly, manage payroll delivery across multiple countries, oversee providers and controls, and then transfer leadership cleanly to the permanent appointee.

I would run two parallel workstreams: an interim appointment focused on continuity and risk management, and a permanent search focused on longer-term leadership, transformation and organisational fit.

1. Recruitment firms to put on the shortlist

These are the firms I would approach first based on their advertised specialisms. Their suitability for this specific director-level interim brief still needs to be tested directly; public recruitment capability is not proof that a suitable candidate is available today.

1. Frazer Jones

Strong all-round starting point

Offers payroll executive search, permanent recruitment and interim payroll recruitment, with international reach. It is a good first call if you want a joined-up view of both the immediate cover requirement and the permanent leadership market. Frazer Jones +1

Website: [Frazer Jones — Payroll ](https://frazerjones.com/payroll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

2. Portfolio Payroll

Specialist payroll shortlist

A strong option for sourcing interim and contract payroll talent alongside executive-level payroll appointments. Its published services cover permanent, temporary/contract and executive recruitment, and it has advertised international payroll and EMEA project assignments. Portfolio Payroll +2

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

3. Oakleaf Partnership

Specifically worth approaching for seniority. Its payroll practice explicitly covers Global Payroll Directors and Global Payroll Implementation Managers, as well as interim and permanent assignments. It also reports experience recruiting globally. Oakleaf

Website: [Oakleaf — Payroll capabilities ](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

4. The Leppington Group

A useful additional specialist to test for leadership candidates with global HR/payroll technology, vendor-management and client-side experience. It advertises permanent, interim and contract coverage, including payroll operations director-level hiring. The Leppington Group

Website: [The Leppington Group — Payroll talent ](https://theleppingtongroup.com/payroll-talent?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

5. Robert Walters

Consider it for a broader international interim-management search, particularly if the remit includes major transformation, restructuring, global governance or senior stakeholder management beyond payroll operations. Its international interim service is designed for leadership gaps and cross-border assignments. Verify the dedicated payroll leadership candidate pool separately.

Website: [Robert Walters — International interim management ](https://robertwalters.co.uk/our-services/interim-management/international-interim-management.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

My recommended starting combination: ask Frazer Jones, Portfolio Payroll and Oakleaf to compete for the interim mandate. Consider using one of them, or a separately appointed executive search partner, for the permanent role. Add Robert Walters if the assignment is particularly transformation-heavy or requires a wider international executive network.

2. What to verify before appointing a recruiter

The main risk is being presented with a strong Global Payroll Manager who can run payroll well but lacks the authority, experience or availability to lead a global function at director level.

Use the same evidence-based questions with every agency.

A. Director-level availability

Ask each recruiter to demonstrate that their network contains people who can genuinely take the assignment, rather than promising a shortlist based on database size.

• Availability: How many credible candidates have they personally spoken to in the last 30 days who could start within 1–4 weeks?

• Seniority: How many have actually held a Global Head of Payroll, Global Payroll Director or equivalent regional/global leadership position?

• Commitment: Will candidates commit to the full six months, including the transition period if the permanent hire starts earlier or later?

• Time allocation: Can they work full-time, and can they accommodate your payroll calendar, international meetings and any travel?

• Competing opportunities: Are candidates interviewing for permanent positions or other interim contracts that could shorten their availability?

• Evidence of delivery: Can the recruiter provide anonymised examples of comparable interim director placements, including time to shortlist and time to start?

Portfolio Payroll advertises rapid access to interim payroll professionals, while Oakleaf explicitly covers Global Payroll Directors. Treat those claims as reasons to invite them to pitch, not as guarantees that a director-level candidate is immediately available. The Portfolio Group +1

Ask for a named shortlist, not a promise. For each candidate, request their earliest start date, current commitment, day rate, notice requirements and the last comparable role they personally led.

B. Relevant multi-country experience

Require recruiters to demonstrate the actual scope of each candidate's international remit.

| Area to verify | What good evidence looks like |

| --- | --- |

| Geographic scope | Direct accountability for multiple countries across your relevant regions, not merely exposure to international reporting |

| Operating model | Experience with outsourced providers, in-house payrolls, shared services or a combination matching your business |

| Governance and controls | Ownership of reconciliations, payroll sign-off, audit evidence, statutory compliance and escalation processes |

| Systems and data | Practical knowledge of your HRIS, payroll platforms, integrations, reporting and data-quality controls |

| Leadership | Management of regional teams, country leads, providers and senior stakeholders in Finance, HR, Tax and Legal |

| Transformation | Experience with vendor transitions, payroll consolidations, system implementations or remediation of control failures |

For example, a candidate who has managed outsourced payroll in EMEA and APAC may be a strong fit for a global governance role, but not necessarily for a business that needs hands-on ownership of complex in-house payrolls.

Give the recruiter your actual country list, employee population, payroll operating model and systems before asking for candidates. Then ask them to map each candidate's experience against those requirements.

Recent UK recruitment briefs illustrate why this distinction matters: global payroll assignments can combine operational accountability, outsourced-provider oversight, compliance and transformation rather than simply payroll processing. Hays UK +1

C. Director-level judgement and leadership

Test whether the candidate can lead the function, not just keep the monthly payroll cycle running.

Ask candidates to explain how they would:

• Assess payroll risks and stabilise the operation during their first 30 days.

• Handle a missed payroll deadline, material underpayment or control failure in one country.

• Challenge an underperforming global payroll provider.

• Present payroll risks, financial exposure and remediation options to the CFO or CHRO.

• Prioritise operational continuity against longer-term transformation commitments.

Obtain references from a previous executive stakeholder and, where possible, someone who worked directly with the candidate on payroll delivery.

3. How to manage the interim and permanent searches together

The cleanest model is to give each hire a distinct mandate while making the permanent search visible to the interim candidate from day one.

Suggested six-month transition plan

Weeks 1–2: Establish control The interim director reviews payroll calendars, key controls, country risks, provider contracts, team capacity, open issues and upcoming deadlines. Establishes a baseline and escalation process.

Weeks 3–8: Stabilise and document Resolve priority risks, confirm country-level accountability, review service-level performance and document recurring processes. The permanent search should be underway in parallel.

Months 2–4: Build the succession picture Give the permanent search candidates a clear view of the function's challenges and future mandate. Prepare a documented operating model, improvement roadmap and outstanding-risk register.

Months 4–5: Prepare the handover Agree the incoming director's priorities, decision rights, stakeholder introductions and handover sessions. Allow overlap where feasible.

Month 6: Transfer accountability Review open payroll cycles, unresolved incidents, upcoming statutory deadlines, provider escalations, projects and control ownership. Confirm formally who owns each item after the interim exits.

These timings are a planning template, not a requirement to wait until month four to hire the permanent director. If the permanent search succeeds earlier, bring forward the handover.

The handover checklist

Before the interim contract ends, require the following deliverables:

• A country-by-country payroll calendar, operating model and accountability matrix.

• A live risk and issues register with owners, deadlines and escalation paths.

• A provider and contract directory, including service levels and unresolved disputes.

• Documentation of key controls, reconciliations, approvals and audit findings.

• A systems and transformation roadmap, including dependencies and decisions still required.

• A stakeholder map covering Finance, HR, Tax, Legal, local teams and external providers.

• A written handover meeting with the permanent director and explicit acceptance of outstanding actions.

Do not rely on informal knowledge transfer during the final week. The incoming leader should have enough time to question assumptions, observe critical processes and confirm that payroll responsibilities have actually transferred.

4. Commercial and recruitment governance

Running two searches in parallel creates a few avoidable pitfalls. Agree the following before instructing agencies:

• Separate briefs: The interim is accountable for continuity, risk control and transition; the permanent hire is accountable for the long-term strategy and leadership agenda.

• Fee transparency: Obtain written interim margins or day-rate arrangements, permanent placement fees, replacement provisions and any conversion fees.

• Candidate ownership: Agree how duplicate candidate introductions will be resolved, particularly if two agencies or an internal team source the same person.

• Search confidentiality: Decide what the interim candidate will be told about the permanent search and ensure the recruiter communicates it consistently.

• Extension and exit terms: Set notice, extension, early termination and handover obligations in the interim contract.

• Worker engagement and compliance: Confirm the appropriate contractual route, employment status, IR35 responsibilities where relevant, insurance and right-to-work checks.

Portfolio Payroll states that it supports interim and permanent payroll hiring and provides candidate vetting, while its contract recruitment service also addresses contractor management and IR35. These are useful areas to clarify in its proposal and compare with other agencies' terms. Portfolio Payroll +1

5. A simple scorecard for agency pitches

Use a common scorecard so that the decision is based on evidence rather than the quality of the sales pitch.

Score each agency from 1 (weak) to 5 (excellent). Leave unassessed criteria blank.

[Native generated scorecard: five unfilled 1–5 rating controls. No scores selected; the original accessibility capture retains every control.]

| Criterion | Weight | Rating |

| --- | ---: | --- |

| Proven director-level interim network | 25% | |

| Multi-country payroll relevance | 25% | |

| Verified availability and speed | 20% | |

| Permanent-search capability and coordination | 15% | |

| References, vetting and commercial terms | 15% | |

Weighted score: Incomplete

[“Incomplete” is the unfilled widget status, not an incomplete answer.]

A high score should not compensate for a failure on either of the two essential gates: credible director-level capability and genuine availability for the six-month term.

Bottom line: Start with Frazer Jones, Portfolio Payroll and Oakleaf; require named, available director-level candidates with demonstrable multi-country accountability; and make the handover a defined contractual deliverable. That combination gives you the best chance of maintaining payroll continuity without compromising the permanent leadership appointment.