Executive search
Payroll
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: Payroll help comes in three shapes. An interim payroll manager owns the function: the calendar, the vendor, the controls, the team and the answers when something goes wrong.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
You have a business to run.
Hiring a senior person yourself takes time you do not have. Here is what we hear from owners and hiring managers every week.
Not sure if you need interim or fractional? Use the decision helper
- The seat is open and the work is piling up on you.
- A job posting brings in hundreds of resumes and none of them have done the job.
- You do not have weeks to screen, chase and schedule.
- You need to know the person can do it before they start, not after.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
Payroll titles we fill
Titles with a page link through to it. The rest are titles we also fill; choose one and we pass it to the form with your request.
- Interim Payroll ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Payroll Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Contract Payroll SpecialistHire a Contract Payroll Specialist to manage your recurring pay runs and tax compliance, ensuring accuracy in your existing systems.
- Contract Payroll Tax SpecialistFind a Contract Payroll Tax Specialist to handle multistate tax filings, agency notices, and complex ledger reconciliations for your payroll function.
- Contract Certified Payroll SpecialistSpecialist search for Contract Certified Payroll Specialist. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Payroll Implementation ConsultantSpecialist search for Payroll Implementation Consultant. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Payroll SupervisorHire a Payroll Supervisor to manage multistate cycles, tax filings, and GL reconciliations. Focus on immediate software fluency and process integrity.
- Payroll LeadFind a payroll lead to own your multistate filings, ledger reconciliations, and benefit deductions without requiring training on your software.
- Payroll AdministratorHire a Payroll Administrator to manage your multistate filings, ledger reconciliations and platform workflows with immediate technical precision.
- payroll administratorHire a Payroll Administrator to manage your multistate filings, ledger reconciliations and platform workflows with immediate technical precision.
- Payroll AnalystFind payroll analysts for multistate processing, reconciliation and tax reporting. Learn how to verify technical platform fluency for your payroll team.
- payroll analystFind payroll analysts for multistate processing, reconciliation and tax reporting. Learn how to verify technical platform fluency for your payroll team.
- Prevailing Wage SpecialistHire a Prevailing Wage Specialist to manage complex labor compliance, craft classification, and wage determination reporting for public works projects.
- Davis-Bacon Payroll SpecialistHire a Davis-Bacon Payroll Specialist to handle federal wage determinations, fringe benefit calculations, and certified reporting for compliance.
- Certified Payroll AdministratorCertified Payroll Administrators manage complex labor compliance and federal wage reporting. Secure accurate documentation for public works projects.
- Labor Compliance SpecialistHire a Labor Compliance Specialist to handle complex certified payroll reporting, fringe benefit calculations and agency audits with precision.
- Payroll Conversion SpecialistHire a Payroll Conversion Specialist to manage platform migrations, year-to-date balance loads, and multi-state tax setups for your payroll transition.
- HCM Implementation ConsultantHire HCM Implementation Consultants to manage payroll system transitions. We verify parallel run experience and tax configuration expertise.
- UKG / ADP / Paylocity / Workday Payroll ConsultantExpert payroll consultants for UKG, ADP, Paylocity and Workday system transitions. We focus on parallel testing, data integrity and tax compliance.
- Timekeeping AdministratorHire a Timekeeping Administrator to manage complex labor rules and software configurations, ensuring your payroll inputs remain accurate during every pay cycle.
- timekeeping / time and attendance administratorHire a timekeeping administrator to reconcile clock data to payroll. We provide professionals who operate your existing software from day one.
- Senior Payroll AnalystFind a Senior Payroll Analyst who manages multistate tax, garnishments and complex ledger reconciliations on your existing software platform.
Hiring guides
Not sure which title fits? Describe the seat in the form and we will match it.
Related roles
Executive roles above this family
Choosing between a manager, a specialist and a consultant
Payroll help comes in three shapes. An interim payroll manager owns the function: the calendar, the vendor, the controls, the team and the answers when something goes wrong. A specialist, whether a general payroll specialist, a tax specialist or a certified payroll specialist, performs defined work inside a process. An implementation consultant moves you from one system to another and then leaves.
Choose by asking what is actually broken. If people are paid late or incorrectly because nobody owns the cycle, you need a manager. If the process is sound but a person is out and the work still has to be done, you need a specialist. If you are changing providers or turning on new modules, you need a consultant, and the work is a project with a finish.
Do not use a specialist to fix an ownership problem. They will do the task well and leave the structural gap exactly where it was.
Technical differences inside payroll
Payroll is a field of narrow technical areas. Multi state payroll brings different tax rules, registration and reporting for each jurisdiction. Union payroll adds agreement terms, premiums and benefit fund remittances. Certified payroll for public work adds prevailing wage classification and weekly reporting to the contracting agency. Each of these is its own skill, and the right person for one may be weak in another.
Tax handling is a separate speciality again. Withholding, deposits, quarterly filings, year end forms and notices from agencies require someone who knows the process and the consequences of errors. A general payroll specialist may handle the cycle well and still be uncomfortable with a notice or an amended return.
Time and attendance links all of this. Many payroll problems begin in timekeeping: missing punches, wrong job codes, rounding rules. A person who understands timekeeping systems and can talk to supervisors saves a great deal of correction later.
Implementation work is different from running payroll
Implementation requires mapping pay codes, deductions, earnings, tax setups and approvals into a new system, then testing against real data. The consultant has to talk to payroll staff, finance, HR and the vendor, and has to insist on parallel runs before going live. Someone who ran payroll for years may not have done this, and an implementer may not have run the cycle under pressure.
If you are moving systems, say which one and which modules. Say whether timekeeping, benefits and HR records are part of the move. Say who from your team will sign off on each piece. A good consultant will ask about those points immediately, and a good brief answers them first.
Plan for the day after go live as well. Someone has to run the first cycles, handle corrections and train the team. Decide whether the consultant stays for that or whether an interim manager steps in.
Who we source and how we check
We look at experienced payroll managers who have led teams through audits, acquisitions and system changes, at specialists who work on contract between permanent roles, and at implementers who have delivered several cutovers. Certified payroll candidates come from contractors, public work and construction support teams.
Screening focuses on controls and specifics. We ask what reconciliations they perform each cycle, how they handle off cycle payments, what they do when a filing is wrong and how they test a new setup. For certified payroll we ask how they classify work and prepare reports. For managers we ask how they handled a serious error and what changed afterwards.
We keep confidentiality central. Payroll people see sensitive information, and we only present candidates who understand that. You review several profiles and decide whom to speak with.
Cross function dependencies
Payroll sits between HR, finance, operations and employees. HR supplies new hires, terminations, rate changes and leave information. Operations supplies hours and job codes. Finance supplies funding and journal entries. If any of these arrives late or wrong, payroll takes the blame.
A new payroll person needs a clear path to each. Who approves hours? Who confirms new hire details? Who explains an unusual deduction? When these answers are missing, the person spends most of the engagement chasing information rather than improving the process.
Tell us about the cutoff times and who owns each input. Candidates read this and decide whether the environment is workable. It also helps us judge whether you need payroll help only, or also help from HR operations.
Briefing mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is saying payroll specialist when the real need is a manager, or the reverse. The second is leaving out the number of locations, states and pay frequencies, which decide the complexity. The third is not mentioning union, certified or public work requirements until late.
Another is failing to name the system and the vendor relationship. Another is describing the problem as late payroll when the real cause is late timekeeping. A clear brief separates the symptom from the cause.
Finally, be open about errors. If past payrolls were incorrect or notices arrived from agencies, say so. Capable candidates are not put off by problems. They are put off by finding out about them later.
Questions
How do you verify a candidate’s specific technical payroll experience?
We conduct targeted screenings focusing on their handling of reconciliations, tax filings, and system testing. This ensures their background matches your specific operational environment.
Can you source payroll talent for urgent system implementations?
Yes, we identify consultants who have successfully managed multiple system cutovers and parallel runs. They are prepared to map data and handle the immediate post-go-live transition.
How do we maintain confidentiality during the search process?
We discuss your specific outreach restrictions before contacting any prospective candidates. You determine what information is shared and when your organization is identified.
What documentation should I provide to ensure a successful search?
Define the number of locations, state jurisdictions, and your specific pay frequency requirements. Listing your current payroll system and reporting dependencies helps identify the best fit.
Do your candidates have experience with union or certified payroll requirements?
Yes, we source professionals experienced in prevailing wage classification, union premiums, and benefit fund remittances. We verify this relevant expertise during our initial candidate assessment.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.