Perplexity: both observations

For a UK-based Head of Global Payroll covering Europe and North America, prioritise specialist payroll-recruitment firms with demonstrable international/global-payroll leadership mandates. The strongest first conversations are Middlemore, JGA Recruitment, Frazer Jones, Portfolio Payroll, Oakleaf Partnership, and Handle Recruitment.

Recommended firms

Firm Why speak to them Best fit

Middlemore Specialist executive search and recruitment across Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance and Reward; explicitly covers strategic payroll leadership, global payroll transformation, compliance, vendor management and international growth.

gpa

Best first call for a strategic, transformation-oriented first global-payroll leader

JGA Recruitment UK payroll and HR recruitment specialist supporting clients across the UK and EMEA; its founder describes global payroll and HR executive-search work across 35+ countries.

jgarecruitment

+1

Strong for specialist global-payroll networks and EMEA-heavy mandates

Frazer Jones Global HR recruitment and executive-search consultancy with payroll executive recruitment, including global payroll managers and consultants; offices across four continents and international-hire experience.

frazerjones

+1

Useful if you want a firm with broader HR/Finance leadership reach and North American access

Portfolio Payroll Long-established UK payroll recruiter recruiting Heads of Payroll, Payroll Directors, EMEA/International Payroll Managers, Global Heads of Payroll & Benefits, and payroll-systems specialists; also has a Canadian payroll practice.

theportfoliogroup

+2

Strong operational payroll depth plus a route into Canadian/North American talent

Oakleaf Partnership Dedicated payroll consultancy placing roles from administrators through Global Payroll Directors; cites global Head of Payroll placements and UK plus international capability.

oakleafpartnership

Good for permanent or interim senior payroll leadership

Handle Recruitment Actively recruits multi-country payroll leadership roles, including International Payroll Manager mandates spanning the UK, Europe and other markets, with responsibility for providers, compliance, close, controls and expansion.

handle.co

+1

Good for hands-on international payroll operators and scale-up environments

How to split the search

Retained executive search: Start with Middlemore and Frazer Jones if this is a true first leadership hire, reports into CFO/CHRO, and needs to build the operating model, vendor stack, controls and country roadmap.

gpa

+1

Specialist payroll search: Add JGA and Portfolio Payroll for deeper access to payroll-only talent, including EMEA/global payroll managers moving up to Head of Global Payroll.

jgarecruitment

+1

Interim cover: Ask Oakleaf, Portfolio and Frazer Jones about an interim Global Payroll Director/Manager while you run the permanent search—especially if you need to stabilise vendors, implement a platform, or prepare new-country launches.

frazerjones

+2

Contingency / speed: Handle is worth including if you want a faster market read and candidates who have directly run multi-country payroll operations.

handle.co

Brief them on these criteria

Ask each firm to evidence placements for candidates who have:

Owned payroll across UK/EU plus US and/or Canada, including multi-entity, multi-currency and multi-vendor environments.

Managed in-country payroll bureaus, EOR providers, aggregators and global payroll platforms.

Led compliance, statutory reporting, audits, reconciliations, month-end close and payroll controls.

Built or scaled a payroll function during international expansion, not merely administered an existing one.

Partnered with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal and Works Councils/unions where relevant.

Led HRIS/payroll implementation or integration—particularly if you expect a global payroll platform or consolidation project.

A practical approach is to run Middlemore and Frazer Jones as retained search partners, while asking JGA, Portfolio, Oakleaf and Handle for market mapping, salary benchmarking and an interim shortlist. That gives you both strategic-leadership reach and specialist payroll-market coverage.

gpa

+3

For a first Head of Global Payroll in the UK, prioritise specialist payroll recruiters with proven international-payroll leadership searches, plus one executive-search firm if this will also own vendor strategy, transformation, and a multi-region team. The strongest starting shortlist is below.

Recommended firms

| Firm | Why speak to them | Best fit |

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

| Portfolio Payroll / The Portfolio Group | Describes itself as the largest UK specialist payroll recruiter and recruits Heads of Payroll, Payroll Directors, and international-payroll specialists; it also has a dedicated executive practice and interim/contract capability. theportfoliogroup +1 | First call for a deep UK payroll-talent market map and a permanent or interim hire |

| Frazer Jones | A global HR recruitment and executive-search consultancy with a dedicated payroll practice; it recruits from payroll manager through global payroll manager and offers executive search, contingent, and interim routes. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/) | Strong option for a senior leader who must build payroll operating models across regions |

| Annapurna Recruitment | Currently advertises a Head of Global Payroll role with end-to-end responsibility across Europe, the US and APAC, indicating active exposure to this exact profile. [annapurnarecruitment](https://www.annapurnarecruitment.com/job/head-of-payroll-global-650010/) | Useful for high-growth or scale-up environments and cross-regional payroll leadership |

| Michael Page | Has UK payroll recruitment coverage and has advertised global payroll roles spanning the UK, North America and Australia. [michaelpage.co](https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/global-payroll-manager/ref/jn-062026-7041672) | Good for broader market coverage and a faster contingent-search process |

| Robert Walters | A global specialist recruitment firm with UK and multi-market reach, including Europe and North America. [playroll](https://www.playroll.com/partner-network) | Useful if you want one partner able to support later payroll, finance, and HR hires internationally |

| Korn Ferry | A global executive-search firm suited to VP-level and senior leadership searches across North America, EMEA and APAC; typically retained and longer-cycle. [gloroots](https://www.gloroots.com/blog/international-recruitment-agencies) | Consider if the role is truly strategic: global payroll transformation, M&A integration, and direct reports across regions |

Suggested approach

• Run two specialist searches in parallel: Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones. This gives you access to both pure payroll networks and HR-leadership networks without over-broadening the process. theportfoliogroup +1

• Add Annapurna or Michael Page if you want a wider candidate pool and faster market feedback, particularly for candidates from scale-ups, professional-services firms, or global payroll providers. annapurnarecruitment +1

• Use Korn Ferry only if retained search is justified —for example, if the hire will own a multi-million-pound vendor ecosystem, payroll transformation, compliance risk, and leaders in both Europe and North America. [gloroots](https://www.gloroots.com/blog/international-recruitment-agencies)

What to screen for

For this first leadership hire, look beyond “has run UK payroll”:

• Direct ownership of payroll in multiple European jurisdictions plus the US or Canada

• Experience selecting and governing global payroll vendors, aggregators, and in-country providers

• Familiarity with EOR, entity setup, currency, statutory reporting, year-end, and data-privacy obligations

• Ability to build a payroll function from a UK base rather than merely manage an established one

• Credibility with Finance, People, Tax, Legal, and Technology stakeholders

A practical brief is: “Build and own global payroll operations from the UK, covering Europe and North America, including vendor strategy, compliance, controls, systems, and team development.” Firms such as Portfolio Payroll and Frazer Jones should be able to test their network against that brief before you commit to an exclusive mandate. theportfoliogroup +1