All answers / S09-D-claude-r2
S09-D | Claude | Observation 2
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Exact question
Which specialist recruitment firms could help our Manchester finance team hire a permanent Head of Payroll to manage UK and European payroll providers? The role is hybrid in Manchester and needs supplier oversight and service-transition experience.
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I’d start with the firms below, based on live postings I found. Several are already placing payroll roles in Manchester at or near this level. These are signs of activity, not quality ratings, so check fees and references before you commit.
Strongest fit for a Head-level, UK and Europe role
• Robert Walters (Manchester): It has advertised a Manchester City Centre Payroll Manager role leading payroll across 19 European countries, working with in-country partners and external providers. That is close to your supplier-oversight requirement. [robertwalters](https://www.robertwalters.co.uk/accountancyfinance/jobs/financemanager/1908542-payroll-manager.html)
• Hays Specialist Recruitment (Manchester): It advertised a permanent, hybrid Senior Head of Payroll role in Manchester at around £80-85k, aimed at shared service and large-platform experience. It also lists a Payroll Manager EMEA role, and several of its Manchester roles involve working with outsourced payroll providers. That suggests a candidate pool used to provider-managed models. [dwp](https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/16962713?lang_code=en) [service](https://www.jobs.service.gov.uk/jobs/6a691f1deddde8b9caf9a001)
• Page Personnel / PageGroup: It has recruited for a Didsbury-based Payroll Manager at a global organisation and for EMEA payroll roles, including a German-entity role working with a German payroll partner. It has also run a Global Head of Payroll search in Greater Manchester. For a Head-level hire, ask whether its Michael Page team (the same group’s more senior brand) should lead instead. [pagepersonnel](https://pagepersonnel.co.uk/jobs/payroll/technology-telecoms) [aicpa-cima](https://mycareer.aicpa-cima.com/job/5348091/global-head-of-payroll/)
Specialist payroll and finance boutiques worth a call
• JGA Recruitment: It describes itself as a specialist payroll, HR and marketing agency and recruits permanent payroll roles in Manchester, including bureau and outsourcing backgrounds. That bureau experience could help if you want someone who has sat on the provider side. [aicpa-cima](https://mycareer.aicpa-cima.com/job/3875383/payroll-specialist/)
• Douglas Scott: It has recruited for Manchester roles running multi-country European payrolls (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium) with an outsourced provider. Those roles were more junior, but the contact base looks relevant. [cimaglobal](https://myjobs.cimaglobal.com/job/1710309/payroll-specialist/)
• Portfolio Payroll, Sellick Partnership and Morgan McKinley: Portfolio Payroll is recruiting payroll roles in central Manchester. Sellick Partnership has been engaged on a Group Payroll Manager search in Warrington. Morgan McKinley has advertised a Global Payroll Service Delivery Lead. The last of these is the closest to your service-transition angle. [Payroll Finance jobs in United Kingdom +2](https://myjobs.cimaglobal.com/jobs/payroll-administrator-clerk/united-kingdom/uk-gbp/financial-services/full-time/4/)
Tips for the brief
• Spell out the transition experience. Ask for candidates who have run an outsourcing or provider change (RFP, implementation, hypercare, SLA and KPI governance), not just day-to-day payroll.
• Define “Europe”. Name the countries and your current provider model (for example a single global provider versus in-country partners). Candidates and agencies will screen on this.
• Choose the engagement model. At this seniority, a retained or shortlist-based search usually gets you more than open contingent CVs. Ask each firm how many comparable Head-level placements it has made in the North West in the past 12-24 months.
• Limit the number of firms. Two or three focused agencies, with one covering the more senior market, tend to work better than many competing at once.
Agency specialisms and fee terms change, so verify them directly. I can draft a role brief or an agency outreach email if that would help.
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