All answers / S09-B-perplexity-r1

S09-B | Perplexity | Observation 1

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Collection: UK | Access: signed_in_free | Mode: Free plan Search; native Incognito; underlying model not disclosed | Visible model: Search; automatic/default Model

Exact question

Which recruiters can find a Head of Payroll for a hybrid role in Manchester overseeing UK and European payroll suppliers? We are changing providers and need an experienced permanent leader.

Complete saved answer

For this brief— permanent Head of Payroll, Manchester hybrid, UK + European payroll supplier oversight, and a provider transition —I’d shortlist three specialist recruiters first:  JGA Recruitment Group, Portfolio Payroll (The Portfolio Group), and McKinnon Talent . All three actively recruit senior payroll leadership, and JGA and McKinnon specifically cover EMEA/international payroll and outsourced-provider management. talents.studysmarter.co +4

Best-fit recruiters

| Recruiter | Why they fit | Manchester coverage | Best use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| JGA Recruitment Group | Specialist payroll/HR recruiter with UK and EMEA reach; has advertised Head of Payroll roles involving multi-country delivery, outsourced-provider management, and UK/European payroll knowledge. talents.studysmarter.co +2 | UK-wide, including EMEA-focused searches. jgarecruitment +1 | First choice for a retained/contingency search targeting leaders who have managed multiple European vendors and led provider migrations. |
| Portfolio Payroll / The Portfolio Group | Claims to be the UK’s largest specialist payroll recruiter and recruits from administrator through Head of Payroll and Payroll Director; has a Manchester office and recent Manchester senior payroll mandates. theportfoliogroup +2 | Manchester: 0161 523 5585. theportfoliogroup +1 | Strong local-market coverage and access to permanent senior payroll candidates in Greater Manchester. |
| McKinnon Talent | Manchester-based payroll specialist recruiting Head of Payroll, EMEA Payroll Manager, and EMEA Payroll Specialist roles; works across in-house, outsourced, bureau, and corporate environments. linkedin +2 | Manchester HQ; 0161 507 0011. linkedin +2 | Good for a focused Manchester search, especially candidates with international payroll and third-party supplier experience. |

Secondary options

• Hays : Its UK payroll practice explicitly recruits Head of Payroll and international payroll roles, with nearly 70 UK offices and specialist payroll consultants; useful as a broad-volume contingency channel alongside a specialist search. [Trusted domain hays.co](https://hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll)

• Beam Recruit : Has recruited senior “Head of Payroll, Systems & Operations” roles involving external payroll and technology partners, making it relevant if your provider change also includes payroll technology/HCM transformation. [indeed](https://uk.indeed.com/q-europe-payroll-director-jobs.html?vjk=1d35f58630b73ecd)

How to brief them

Give each recruiter the same concise mandate so they compete on candidate quality rather than interpretation:

• Title: Head of Payroll (permanent), Manchester hybrid.

• Scope: Own UK payroll and governance/delivery oversight of European payroll suppliers; manage provider performance, SLAs, compliance, controls, escalations, and stakeholder relationships.

• Critical experience: Leading outsourced/multi-country payroll; UK payroll legislation; familiarity with European employment/payroll requirements; supplier transitions or payroll-platform implementations; audit, controls, and continuous improvement.

• Transition requirement: Experience changing payroll providers is more important than having used one particular vendor. Ask for evidence of a migration they led: timetable, parallel run, data migration, testing, controls, communication, and first-pay-cycle stability.

• Search structure: Use JGA and McKinnon for specialist EMEA/supplier-transition candidates; use Portfolio and Hays for Manchester-market reach. Consider a short exclusive with the strongest specialist for 2–3 weeks, then widen if the shortlist is thin.

Suggested outreach

We are recruiting a permanent  Head of Payroll  for a  hybrid Manchester  role. The leader will oversee UK payroll and our European payroll suppliers, with immediate priority on managing a payroll-provider transition. We need someone with senior payroll leadership, multi-country/EMEA supplier oversight, strong controls and compliance experience, and demonstrable provider-migration or major payroll-transformation experience. Please confirm your relevant senior payroll placements, EMEA coverage, typical shortlist turnaround, fees, and replacement guarantee.

JGA is the strongest match for the  European supplier and transformation  element; Portfolio is the strongest for  Manchester senior-payroll market coverage ; McKinnon is a strong local specialist alternative with explicit EMEA payroll role coverage. talents.studysmarter.co +3

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