.png)
Selected Search Assignments / Healthcare
EXECUTIVE SEARCH
Appointing a Head of Payroll for a Major Healthcare Organisation
A confidential specialist search to identify and appoint an experienced Head of Payroll capable of leading a large, high-volume payroll function while supporting compliance, operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Assignment overview
A major healthcare organisation engaged Aequalis to identify and appoint a Head of Payroll to lead a complex payroll operation supporting a large and diverse workforce.
The appointment required significantly more than payroll processing expertise. The successful leader needed to oversee compliance, lead operational improvement, manage specialist payroll teams and provide strategic leadership across the payroll function.
Sector
Healthcare
Appointments
Head of Payroll
Service
Specialist Search
Assignment
Snapshot
Approach
Confidential Specialist Search
The challenge
The client required an experienced payroll leader capable of managing a high-volume payroll environment where accuracy, compliance and service delivery were critical.
Success depended on identifying someone with deep technical payroll expertise, strong leadership capability and the commercial judgement to improve processes while maintaining confidence across the wider organisation.
How we delivered the search
Clarify the brief
Worked closely with the client to understand the payroll environment, operational challenges, leadership expectations and the future direction of the payroll function.
Map the market
Mapped experienced payroll leaders across healthcare, government, large corporate organisations and specialist payroll environments with comparable operational complexity.
Engage the right people
Approached highly regarded payroll executives with experience leading large payroll functions, including professionals who were not actively considering a career move.
Advise throughout
Provided market intelligence, candidate insight and practical hiring advice throughout the search, supporting informed decision-making from initial shortlist through to appointment.
The outcome
The search resulted in the successful appointment of a highly experienced Head of Payroll with the leadership capability to strengthen operational performance, support compliance and lead a complex payroll function.
Beyond the appointment itself, the search provided the client with valuable market insight and established relationships that supported future leadership planning.
The value of this assignment was not simply appointing a Head of Payroll. It was securing a leader capable of delivering operational excellence, compliance and confidence across a critical business function.
Why this search mattered
Payroll is one of the most business-critical functions in any organisation. In healthcare, where large workforces, complex awards and strict compliance requirements intersect, strong payroll leadership directly influences employee confidence, operational stability and organisational performance.
Specialist search at this level is about more than technical payroll knowledge. It is about identifying leaders with the experience, judgement and capability to lead teams, improve processes and deliver long-term operational excellence.
To protect client confidentiality, some identifying details have been intentionally withheld.