Claude
JGA not recommended.

I can’t verify any firm’s current director-level bench from public sources, so treat this as a longlist to test in briefing calls, not a ranking.

Firms worth shortlisting

Payroll and HR specialists with visible activity at this level

• Frazer Jones (part of SR Group): It describes itself as a global HR recruitment and executive search consultancy, with executive search, permanent and interim payroll recruitment. It has advertised interim global payroll leadership roles, including a 3-6 month assignment covering while a client recruits a permanent head. That is close to your set-up, although the example I found is dated 2023. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=140035) [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401667189/global-payroll-operations-leader/)

• Altum Consulting: It has recruited for an interim Global Director of Payroll at a London technology business, with a brief covering multi-country payroll, transformation and M&A integration. [itjobswatch](https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jv/Altum-Consulting/Interim-Director-of-Payroll-Job-London-South-East-England-UK-4w1wc9)

Broader finance and interim firms

• Robert Half: It lists an interim Global Payroll Manager 6-month contract. That is a manager-level role, so check whether they really reach director level or mainly place at manager grade. [roberthalf](https://www.roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/camberley/remote)

• Page Executive / Michael Page, Hays, Harvey Nash and Odgers Interim: These are from my general knowledge, not this search. Verify that each has a dedicated payroll or HR-operations interim desk.

Structural point on the permanent search

You could ask your permanent search firm to run the interim too, which makes the handover easier. The risk is that it has an incentive to keep the interim candidate away from the permanent role, or to push them toward it. Using a separate interim specialist keeps the two roles cleaner. Ask each firm which model it would use and how it handles that conflict.

What to verify

Director-level availability

• Ask for named candidates, not a “we have a strong network” answer. Ask how many they have placed at global payroll director level in the last 24 months.

• Check notice periods and real start dates. One advertised interim role I found asked for one month’s notice or less, so confirm whether that fits your timeline. [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401667865/global-payroll-manager/)

• Ask how many candidates are currently between assignments. Interim directors are often committed months ahead.

• Check day-rate expectations and who contracts them (limited company, umbrella or the agency’s PSC arrangement). Ask the firm to explain its approach to IR35 status determination.

• Confirm the fee structure for a 6-month interim, and whether the agency charges a conversion fee if the interim later goes permanent.

Multi-country experience

• Match countries and regions to your footprint, not just “global”. Ask for the specific countries, the number of payrolls and the headcount covered.

• Find out whether they have managed vendor models similar to yours (in-country providers, a global aggregator or in-house). Related experience matters, such as managing multiple country payrolls and payroll vendor relationships. [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401667189/global-payroll-operations-leader/)

• Test their record on controls and audit (SOX or equivalent), new country launches, system changes and M&A integration.

• Ask for references from previous interim assignments, ideally someone who took over from them, not just a line manager.

• Check that they have worked as an interim before. Running a function for six months with no embedding time is a different skill from permanent leadership.

Handover between the two hires

• Decide the overlap up front. A 2-4 week overlap is common, but it depends on how long the permanent search takes and the permanent hire’s notice period.

• Ask both firms how they would handle a gap or overlap if the permanent hire starts late, and what happens if the interim’s contract ends first. Build an extension option into the interim contract.

• Define the interim’s mandate in writing: what they must stabilise, what they must not change, and what is left for the permanent hire to decide.

• Require a structured handover pack covering vendor contracts, country calendar and risk register, open audit points, system roadmap and team assessments.

• Agree whether the interim sits on the permanent hire’s interview panel. A bad outcome is an interim who becomes a rival candidate.

• Clarify the position on internal candidates. If you want the interim to be eligible, say so openly with all parties.

I’d suggest briefing three or four firms with the same written spec and comparing the candidates and the answers on the points above, not the sales pitch.