Claude: both observations

Here is a shortlist, based on what I found plus some practical advice on how to approach it. I haven’t verified fees, track records or client references, so treat these as firms to speak to, not endorsements.

Specialist HR, payroll and reward firms (best fit for a first-of-its-kind hire)

Frazer Jones (part of SR Group): describes itself as a global HR recruitment and executive search consultancy, with a dedicated payroll practice offering executive search, permanent and interim recruitment. Its SR Group profile says it operates across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the USA, which matters for your North America expansion.

Middlemore : a specialist executive search and recruitment firm covering Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance and Reward, with services including executive search, talent mapping and salary benchmarking. It is listed in the Global Payroll Association’s directory and seems active in the global payroll community. I couldn’t confirm its North American reach, so ask.

Oakleaf Partnership : describes itself as the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy. Its listings show it regularly places global payroll heads in London, including roles spanning EMEA, LATAM and APAC.

Larger generalists with payroll practices

Page Personnel / PageGroup : it says it has 200 specialist finance recruitment consultants and a network across 21 countries, and its roles include global head of payroll.

Robert Walters and Hays : both advertise multi-country payroll roles in the UK. They are better for building out the team beneath your Head of Payroll than for the senior hire itself, though both could widen your candidate pool.

How I’d approach it

Shortlist two or three firms, not all of them. Pick one specialist with a strong payroll leadership network, one with genuine North American reach, and optionally one larger firm for breadth.

Ask each firm pointed questions. How many Head of Global Payroll or equivalent roles have they placed in the last 12–24 months? Can they map candidates with both UK and US payroll experience? Do they work retained or contingent on senior roles?

Consider retained search. A first-ever leadership hire that shapes your operating model and vendor choices is usually better served by retained or shortlist-based search than by a CV-send contingent approach.

Benchmark salary early. The advertised London roles I found vary widely. One was £75–90k, another £85–100k plus shares, and a build-from-scratch role at a scaling tech business was £100–140k. Some of these listings are older, so ask the firms for current figures. The spread shows that scope (building versus running) and the US component both move the number significantly.

Be clear on your operating model. Candidates will differ depending on whether you’ll use a global payroll provider or in-country vendors. Firms will screen better if you say which.

It’s also worth checking the Global Payroll Association directory (gpa.net), where Middlemore is listed, and asking your payroll vendors or advisers for referrals, since they often know who the strong senior people are. If you share the countries, headcount and whether you outsource or process in-house, I can help draft a role brief or a set of questions to put to each firm.

Based on who’s actively placing global payroll leadership roles in the UK, here’s a shortlist.

Specialist HR/payroll recruiters (strongest fit)

• Frazer Jones (part of SR Group). This is the one I’d call first. They have a dedicated payroll practice, and their Executive Director of Payroll is described as recruiting executive payroll and benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. They also run payroll-focused events, including one in New York, which matters given your North American expansion. They’re currently advertising a Global Head of Payroll role in New York as well as London roles.

• Oakleaf Partnership. They describe themselves as the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy and have advertised Head of Global Payroll roles covering EMEA, LATAM and APAC.

• JGA Recruitment Group. A specialist payroll and HR agency that places global payroll roles, including ones reporting into US-based global payroll heads. They’re a good option if you want depth in payroll networks rather than broad HR coverage.

Larger finance and HR recruiters

• Hays. Actively recruiting payroll director roles, including multi-country ones.

• Michael Page Finance. Currently advertising Head of Payroll roles in London, including one for a scaling tech business building a global function from scratch, which is very close to your brief. Listed salary ranges for that kind of role are around £100k–£140k.

• Robert Walters, Hays and similar: Worth including if you want a wider candidate pool, though they’re generalists compared with the specialists above.

How I’d approach it

1. Run a small competitive process. Instructing one specialist (Frazer Jones or Oakleaf) plus one larger finance recruiter gives you depth and breadth without a flood of duplicate CVs.

2. Be clear on whether this is a build or run role. Since you’re expanding and this is your first Head of Global Payroll, candidates with experience of selecting providers, setting up governance and onboarding new countries are rarer than pure operators. Say so in the brief.

3. Define the delivery model. Whether you use in-country providers, a global aggregator or an in-house team changes the profile you need, and good recruiters will ask.

4. Consider interim cover. A contract Head of Payroll can stabilise things while you hire permanently. Hays and Frazer Jones both run interim desks.

5. Check fee terms and search model. Compare contingency against retained search, guarantee periods and exclusivity before signing. For a first senior hire, retained or semi-retained with a specialist is often worth it.

I haven’t verified current fee levels, client satisfaction or each firm’s recent placement record, so I’d ask each for recent comparable placements and references. If you tell me the size of your headcount, the countries involved and whether you use a payroll provider today, I can help draft a recruiter brief or a job spec.