Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a permanent, hybrid Head of Payroll in Manchester with responsibility for UK and European payroll suppliers—and especially a provider transition—the strongest fit is a specialist payroll recruiter with senior, international, and supplier-management experience. The clearest first choice is Portfolio Payroll’s Manchester team , with Hays , McKinnon Talent , Pro-Finance , and Beam Recruit as credible additional options. hays.co +2

Best-fit recruiters

| Recruiter | Why they fit | Manchester presence / contact |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | The strongest match: specialist payroll recruiter, recruits Heads of Payroll and Payroll Directors, including international payroll and payroll systems implementation; has a dedicated Manchester office and senior-permanent recruitment specialists. theportfoliogroup +1 | Manchester office: 0161 523 5585. [theportfoliogroup](https://www.theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) |

| Hays | Broad UK network with dedicated payroll recruitment consultants; explicitly recruits Head of Payroll, international payrollers, and payroll managers for permanent roles. [hays.co](https://www.hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll) | Nearly 70 UK offices, including Manchester coverage. [hays.co](https://www.hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll) |

| McKinnon Talent | Has placed a Manchester Head of Payroll role involving international payrolls, outsourced providers, supplier management, audits, and hybrid working—very close to your brief. [mckinnontalent.co](https://www.mckinnontalent.co.uk/jobs-1/head-of-payroll) | Manchester-based specialist recruiter. [mckinnontalent.co](https://www.mckinnontalent.co.uk/jobs-1/head-of-payroll) |

| Pro-Finance | Currently advertises a permanent Payroll Manager – EMEA role in Manchester, indicating access to candidates with European payroll exposure. [reed.co](https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/on-site-head-of-payroll-jobs-in-manchester?workingOption=onSite) | Active in the Manchester payroll market. [reed.co](https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/on-site-head-of-payroll-jobs-in-manchester?workingOption=onSite) |

| Beam Recruit | Relevant for payroll leadership roles involving external payroll and technology partners, systems, operations, and hybrid working. [indeed](https://uk.indeed.com/q-europe-payroll-director-jobs.html?vjk=1d35f58630b73ecd) | UK payroll/HR operations recruitment. [indeed](https://uk.indeed.com/q-europe-payroll-director-jobs.html?vjk=1d35f58630b73ecd) |

Recommended shortlist

1. Portfolio Payroll — Gillian Owen’s Manchester senior payroll team. Ask specifically for a permanent Head of Payroll search covering UK/European outsourced-payroll governance, supplier transition, compliance, and hybrid Manchester working. Portfolio states it recruits from Payroll Manager through Head of Payroll and Payroll Director, including international payroll and systems-implementation specialists. theportfoliogroup +1

2. Hays Payroll. Use them as a parallel search to widen the senior candidate pool; their payroll practice covers Head of Payroll and international payroll roles across permanent and temporary appointments. [hays.co](https://www.hays.co.uk/jobs/accountancy-finance/payroll)

3. McKinnon Talent. A good niche option because their prior Manchester brief explicitly required experience with international payrolls, outsourced providers, third-party supplier management, and hybrid working. [mckinnontalent.co](https://www.mckinnontalent.co.uk/jobs-1/head-of-payroll)

Brief to give recruiters

Use this wording so agencies target the right profile:

“Permanent Head of Payroll , hybrid based in Manchester, to lead UK and European payroll delivery during a payroll-provider transition. The successful candidate must have led complex multi-country payroll operations, managed and governed external payroll suppliers, led provider selection/implementation or migration, and ensured UK and EU compliance. Senior leadership experience, strong stakeholder management, and experience of payroll transformation are essential.”

What to screen for

• Experience owning a payroll provider change or migration , including due diligence, data migration, parallel runs, controls, and go-live.

• Direct management of UK and European outsourced payroll suppliers , including SLAs, escalation, audit, and compliance oversight.

• Familiarity with country-specific payroll requirements across your European footprint, or a proven ability to lead local in-country providers.

• Evidence of leading payroll transformation, automation, HRIS/payroll-system integration, and governance.

• Permanent senior-level availability; Portfolio’s recent Manchester Director of Payroll example shows the local senior market can support permanent appointments at this level. [theportfoliogroup](https://www.theportfoliogroup.com/jobs/director-of-payroll-4/)

Practical next step: brief Portfolio Payroll first, then run Hays and McKinnon Talent in parallel. Ask each for a written search strategy, named payroll-leadership candidates, examples of comparable UK/European supplier-transition mandates, and confirmation that they will target candidates with provider-migration experience rather than general payroll managers.