Claude: both observations

For a role that is programme leadership rather than payroll operations, you’ll want firms that cover both the payroll/HR-tech niche and the change and transformation side. These came up in my search:

Payroll, HR and reward specialists with transformation or executive search capability

• JGA Recruitment Group : its team focuses on global payroll and HR-tech, with expertise across Dayforce, Workday, UKG, SAP, Oracle and ADP. It is also advertising a Global Payroll Transformation Manager role in London at £100,000-125,000, so it is active in this space. [jgarecruitment](https://jgarecruitment.com/meet-the-team/) [gorodeo](https://gorodeo.app/job/global-payroll-transformation-manager-937UmGkqIIt0UJrG-N-6rw)

• Middlemore : a specialist executive search and recruitment firm covering global payroll, HR, HRIS, finance and reward. Its listed scope includes global payroll transformation, HRIS and payroll implementation, programme and project management, change and data migration. This is probably the closest match to your brief on paper. [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore) [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore)

• Oakleaf Partnership : a specialist HR, reward and payroll recruitment and executive search business that launched a Technology, Change and Transformation arm. That arm serves the UK and EMEA, which could suit a multi-country programme. [recruiter](https://recruiter.co.uk/news/2021/11/oakleaf-partnership-launches-new-tct-business-jones-helm)

• Frazer Jones : it is currently recruiting for global payroll technology implementation roles with a professional services organisation, though the role I found was junior (£50-60k). [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/job/senior-global-payroll-implementation-associate-172272/)

• Annapurna Recruitment : founded to serve the HR sector, with offices in London and Munich and a focus on the UK, DACH and Nordic markets. It recruits HR and payroll transformation project managers, mostly for consultancies. [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401622314/hr-and-payroll-transformation-project-manager/)

Broader recruiters with a transformation practice

• Robert Walters : it is advertising a 12-18 month fixed-term Global Payroll & Benefits Implementation Lead in London at £100K+. It files these under its Projects, Change & Transformation specialism, which is close to your brief. [itjobswatch](https://itjobswatch.co.uk/jv/Robert-Walters/Global-Payroll-Implementation-Lead-12-18-months-FTC-Job-London-South-East-England-UK-51fxzb)

• Oliver Sanderson : an executive search firm that has advertised an interim Payroll & HR Systems Transformation Lead role, so it covers the interim and contract end. [itjobswatch](https://itjobswatch.co.uk/jv/Oliver-Sanderson-Group-PLC/Interim-Payroll-HR-Systems-Transformation-Lead-12-months-FTC-Inside-IR35-Job-England-UK-4w0z1s)

I’d also check

Hays

and

Michael Page

, which have large UK payroll and HR practices, but I haven’t verified their transformation coverage here.

Choosing between them

• Search type: for a senior hire where you want a mapped market and discreet approaches, shortlist the executive search firms (Middlemore, Oakleaf). For speed or a fixed-term programme lead, the contingent specialists (JGA, Robert Walters, Oliver Sanderson) may move faster.

• Brief the candidate profile precisely. Ask each firm whether they can name people who have delivered multi-country rollouts on your platform (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, a managed service, etc.), not just run payroll. Many “payroll leaders” in their databases won’t have done this, so ask for recent placements of that type.

• Consider a transformation or PMO specialist alongside a payroll one. The strongest candidates for this role often come from consultancies or programme backgrounds rather than in-house payroll.

• Contract versus permanent: many of these roles are advertised as 12-18 month fixed-term or interim programme roles. If you only need leadership through go-live, that may widen your talent pool considerably.

If you tell me the platform, the countries and whether this is permanent or interim, I can help you draft a tight brief to send to two or three of these firms.

There are three groups worth approaching, and which one fits depends on whether this is a permanent hire or a fixed-term programme role.

Specialist HR and payroll recruiters

• Oakleaf Partnership describes itself as the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy. It has advertised Head of Global Payroll roles and a Global Head of Payroll & Benefits role that includes procuring and implementing a global payroll solution. [Head of Global Payroll

+2

](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401574274/head-of-global-payroll/)

• SR Group is a global HR recruitment specialist and has recruited an EMEA Payroll Transformation Lead, a role requiring payroll transformation experience in large multinationals. [personneltoday

](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401619034/emea-payroll-transformation-lead/) [personneltoday

](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401619034/emea-payroll-transformation-lead/)

• JGA Recruitment has a team covering payroll, HR and executive search. One consultant says they focus exclusively on Global Payroll and HR-Tech, with platform expertise across Workday, SAP, Oracle, ADP, UKG and Dayforce. That is useful if your implementation is tied to a specific system. [jgarecruitment

](https://jgarecruitment.com/meet-the-team/)

Larger generalist firms with transformation or HR desks

• Robert Walters is currently recruiting for almost exactly your brief. It has a Global Payroll Implementation Lead on a 12-18 month fixed-term contract, London-based at £100K+, covering a phased country rollout starting with the UK. It also has global payroll project manager roles and a group HR shared services leadership role that includes payroll transformation. Its adverts also show the kind of person you’d be competing for. [Global Payroll Implementation Lead - 12/18 months FTC

+3

](https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jv/Robert-Walters/Global-Payroll-Implementation-Lead-12-18-months-FTC-Job-London-South-East-England-UK-51fxzb)

• Michael Page has advertised Head of Payroll roles that involve designing and implementing payroll systems and leading international operations. [page

](https://manufacturing.page.com/job-detail/head-payroll/ref/jn-092025-6830831)

I’d also check Hays, Harvey Nash and Alexander Mann. I haven’t verified their current payroll transformation work, though, so treat them as names to investigate rather than confirmed options.

Practical points

• Competitors are hiring directly too. At least one large employer is running its Head of Global Payroll search directly and not using agencies, so expect some of the best candidates to be passive and found through networks. [builtinlondon

](https://builtinlondon.uk/job/head-global-payroll/10022743)

• Your own brief matters. Many “Head of Payroll” candidates come from operational backgrounds. Ask recruiters to screen for programme delivery: a go-live track record across multiple countries, data migration and validation, vendor or managed-service transitions, and system integration.

• Consider interim or fixed-term. Programme roles like these are often advertised as 12-18 month fixed-term contracts. Interim specialists are often easier to find than permanent leaders who want to stay in payroll change. [itjobswatch

](https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jv/Robert-Walters/Global-Payroll-Implementation-Lead-12-18-months-FTC-Job-London-South-East-England-UK-51fxzb)

• Pay benchmarks. Recent adverts show roughly £90-110K for a global payroll and benefits implementation lead, and £100K+ for a fixed-term programme lead. Treat these as a guide only.

Is the role permanent, or a fixed-term programme lead? That determines whether I’d start with the specialist recruiters or an interim-focused firm.