Perplexity
JGA recommended.

I would start with Portfolio Payroll and JGA Recruitment, then speak to either Hays’ local payroll team or Frazer Jones as a third option. For your brief, the priority is an agency that recruits permanent, hands-on UK Payroll Managers—not a payroll outsourcing provider or a recruiter focused mainly on senior international payroll leadership. Portfolio and JGA both explicitly cover Payroll Manager recruitment, with permanent recruitment services available. theportfoliogroup +3

Recommended shortlist

| Agency | Why it belongs on your shortlist | How I would use it |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Portfolio Payroll | A dedicated payroll recruiter covering Payroll Managers through to Heads of Payroll, with separate permanent and temporary/contract consultants. Its permanent team works with both immediately available candidates and those serving notice. theportfoliogroup +1 | My first call for a straightforward permanent replacement running an employer’s UK payroll. London: 020 7247 9455; Manchester: 0161 523 5585. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) |

| JGA Recruitment | A specialist payroll and HR recruiter offering permanent recruitment. Its Payroll Manager practice explicitly includes sole-charge roles handling payrolls of 100–1,000 employees, as well as larger teams—particularly relevant to a medium-sized employer. jgarecruitment +1 | A strong second specialist to test alongside Portfolio. Contact: 01727 800377 or info@jgarecruitment.com. [jgarecruitment](https://jgarecruitment.com/) |

| Hays — payroll/accountancy and finance team | Recruits permanent payroll professionals, including sole-charge payrollers, Payroll Managers and Heads of Payroll, through a broad UK office network. hays.co +1 | Particularly worth speaking to when local candidate availability and office attendance are important. Ask for the consultant who specifically handles payroll, rather than a general finance desk. |

| Frazer Jones — payroll practice | Has a dedicated payroll offering covering permanent recruitment and explicitly identifies UK Payroll Manager and sole Payroll Manager appointments. It also offers interim support. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/) | A useful alternative where the role combines operational payroll ownership with wider leadership or change responsibilities. |

| Ashley Kate HR & Finance | A UK HR and finance recruitment specialist that recruits payroll professionals on permanent, interim and contract arrangements. ashleykatehr +1 | A secondary option, especially if the role genuinely combines payroll with HR or broader finance responsibilities. |

These are fit-based recommendations drawn from the agencies’ published specialisms, not a verified ranking of placement success or service quality.

How I would choose between them

My suggested approach is to hold initial calls with Portfolio, JGA and one of Hays or Frazer Jones, then appoint one or two based on the consultants’ evidence—not just the agency brand.

Give each the same brief and ask:

• “What comparable permanent, in-house UK Payroll Manager roles have you filled recently?”

• “Who would personally run our search, and how much of their desk is payroll recruitment?”

• “What candidate availability, salary range and notice periods do you expect for our location and working pattern?”

• “How will you assess hands-on payroll capability, rather than simply management experience?”

• “What are your fees, exclusivity terms, rebate or replacement provisions, and rules on candidate ownership?”

I would favour the consultant who can explain your particular hiring market and show relevant recent work over one promising a large volume of CVs.

Make the brief specific

For your first calls, prepare a one-page summary covering:

• Location, required office attendance and salary budget.

• Employee headcount, number of payrolls and pay frequencies.

• Payroll software and whether processing is in-house, outsourced or hybrid.

• Team size, reporting line and how much processing the manager must personally do.

• Any complexity you need candidates to have handled—for example, variable pay, multiple entities, pensions or systems changes.

• The departing manager’s last day and the handover available.

Frame the vacancy as “permanent UK Payroll Manager, responsible for end-to-end delivery” if that accurately reflects the job. That should make it easier to distinguish a hands-on replacement from a more strategic Head of Payroll appointment.

Finally, keep continuity cover separate from the permanent search. If a gap is possible, ask for a priced interim option at the same time: Portfolio and Frazer Jones both explicitly offer temporary or interim payroll recruitment alongside permanent hiring. theportfoliogroup +1