All answers / S09-A-perplexity-r2

S09-A | Perplexity | Observation 2

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Exact question

We are a Manchester-based employer changing payroll providers across the UK and Europe. We need a permanent Head of Payroll, hybrid in Manchester, to own supplier governance and the transition. Which recruitment firms should we approach for this senior hire?

Complete saved answer

For a permanent, Manchester-hybrid  Head of Payroll  with UK/European payroll-provider transition and supplier-governance responsibility, approach a shortlist of specialist payroll recruiters first, then one or two broader executive-search firms. The strongest fit is likely  Portfolio Payroll  locally plus  JGA Recruitment  and  Frazer Jones  for the international/transformation profile. theportfoliogroup +2

Recommended firms

| Firm | Why approach | Best use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Portfolio Payroll / The Portfolio Group | Manchester-based payroll specialist; recruits Heads of Payroll and Payroll Directors, including international payroll, pensions, reward and payroll-system implementation specialists. It has an established Manchester senior payroll team. theportfoliogroup +2 | Primary local search; strong access to North West senior payroll leaders and hybrid Manchester candidates. |
| JGA Recruitment Group | Specialist payroll recruiter that explicitly recruits Head of Payroll, Global Payroll Director and Payroll Transformation Manager roles; covers UK and EMEA markets including Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Benelux, Nordics, Poland and Czech Republic. jgarecruitment +1 | Best for candidates with multi-country payroll, outsourced-provider management, controls and transformation experience. |
| Frazer Jones | Dedicated global payroll practice with executive-search capability; its payroll team hires from payroll assistant through global payroll manager/consultant and supports international hires. Its payroll lead recruits executive UK, EMEA and global payroll and benefits roles, including governance, automation and transformation mandates. frazerjones +2 | Retained or contingent senior search where you want a wider UK/European network and stronger executive-search rigour. |
| Michael Page | Active in Manchester/Salford payroll hiring and advertises Head of Payroll roles; broader finance and HR network can help if the role sits jointly under Finance and People. michaelpage.co +2 | Secondary/generalist option; useful for benchmarking and widening the senior finance-operations talent pool. |
| McKinnon Talent | Greater Manchester payroll-recruitment specialist whose remit includes Head of Payroll, EMEA Payroll Manager, Group Payroll Manager and implementation consultants. [linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-mccartney-9a58b6139) | Good local boutique alternative, particularly if you want a more hands-on, niche payroll search. |

How to brief them

Position this as a  payroll transformation and vendor-governance appointment , not merely a payroll-operations leadership role. Ask each firm to evidence candidates who have:

• Led UK and multi-country European payroll through a provider change or payroll-platform implementation.

• Managed outsourced payroll bureaus, EOR providers and local in-country vendors, including SLAs, escalation, pricing and service reviews.

• Owned payroll controls, audits, reconciliations, compliance and data governance.

• Worked with HRIS, Finance, Legal and Works Councils/employee representatives where relevant.

• Delivered change across multiple European jurisdictions, ideally including at least two of Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Nordics or Ireland. jgarecruitment +1

Suggested approach

1. Run Portfolio Payroll and JGA as the specialist first wave ; ask both for a market map, salary benchmark and examples of comparable UK/Europe provider-transition mandates. theportfoliogroup +1

2. Add Frazer Jones on a retained or priority contingent basis if the European scope is substantial or the role reports into an executive committee. frazerjones +1

3. Use Michael Page or McKinnon Talent as a secondary source to avoid over-reliance on one candidate pool. michaelpage.co +1

4. Insist on a structured assessment : a supplier-transition case study, governance/control scenario, and stakeholder presentation to HR, Finance and Procurement.

For a role combining Manchester hybrid working, European payroll complexity and supplier-transition ownership, I would start with  Portfolio Payroll, JGA Recruitment and Frazer Jones , then decide whether a broader firm is needed after the first market map. theportfoliogroup +2

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