Gemini
JGA recommended.

For a Manchester-based Head of Payroll role tasked with leading a UK and European vendor transition , you need executive search or specialist recruitment partners who possess two distinct capabilities:

Local and Regional Reach: A physical presence or strong candidate network in Manchester/North West England to engage high-caliber local senior leaders.

Cross-Border Vendor Governance Capability: Proven capability to assess leaders on complex multi-country payroll delivery, vendor selection (e.g., ADP, Workday, SD Worx), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and target operating model (TOM) transformations across EMEA jurisdictions.

1. Recommended Recruitment Firm Shortlist

Tier 1: Specialist Niche Recruiters (Payroll & Transformation Focus)

1. JGA Recruitment Group

Headquarters/Reach: UK-wide with dedicated EMEA international capabilities.

Why Shortlist: JGA is a specialist boutique agency focused exclusively on Senior Payroll, HR, and Reward executive talent across the UK and EMEA.

Evidence of Vendor Governance Capability:

Domain Expertise: Host of the Payroll Podcast and frequent commentators on international payroll transformations, vendor consolidation, and global target operating models.

Placement Track Record: Frequently places Senior Directors and Heads of Global/EMEA Payroll responsible for replacing fragmented localized providers with centralized vendor solutions (e.g., Workday, ADP Streamline, Dayforce).

Assessment Rigor: Their search consultants specifically evaluate candidates on commercial acumen, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and multi-country regulatory compliance.

2. Portfolio Payroll (The Portfolio Group)

Headquarters/Reach: Regional office in Manchester (Spinningfields) and London.

Why Shortlist: Market-leading dedicated payroll agency in the UK with direct local boots on the ground in Manchester.

Evidence of Vendor Governance Capability:

Manchester Presence: Physical presence in Manchester with direct access to local senior payroll leaders in North West hubs.

Corporate Partnerships: Long-standing corporate partnership with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP).

Executive Division: Maintains a dedicated Senior & Executive Payroll division experienced in placing transformation leads who manage complex software implementations and vendor migrations.

Tier 2: Large Executive Search & Global Networks (International Reach)

3. Robert Walters

Headquarters/Reach: Regional Office at 1 Spinningfields, Manchester; global network across Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, etc.).

Why Shortlist: Combines deep North West executive networks with international offices across mainland Europe.

Evidence of Vendor Governance Capability:

Systems & Transformation Practice: Dedicated Senior Finance & HR Transformation practices specializing in hiring leaders for systems implementations (Workday, SAP, Cloud payroll) and offshore/nearshore vendor migrations.

Cross-Border Talent Access: Able to target candidates who have managed dual-shore delivery models (UK localized + European vendor-managed).

4. Michael Page / Page Executive

Headquarters/Reach: Strong Manchester presence (Hardman Street) and extensive European office network.

Why Shortlist: Broad footprint across Europe enables them to map talent who have managed vendor transitions under different European employment laws and Works Council constraints.

Evidence of Vendor Governance Capability:

Transformation Bench Strength: Consistently places Interim and Permanent Directors tasked with vendor rationalization, vendor performance framework setup, and SLA governance.

2. Key Criteria to Evaluate Candidate Vendor-Governance Experience

When briefing these recruitment firms, instruct them to evaluate candidates against the following governance capabilities required for a European vendor transition:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐

│ EMEA VENDOR GOVERNANCE MATRICES │

└────────────────────┬────────────────────┘

│

┌─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐

▼ ▼ ▼

┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐

│ Commercial & SLA │ │ Target Operating │ │ European Legislative│

│ Governance │ │ Model Design │ │ & Works Councils │

└───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘

| Governance Capability Area | Specific Evidence to Require from Recruiters |

| --- | --- |

| Vendor Contract & SLA Management | Proven track record of defining vendor SLAs, KPIs, error rates, and penalty clauses for tier-1 European payroll vendors (e.g., ADP, Neeyamo, SD Worx, CloudPay). |

| Change & Transition Leadership | Direct experience leading parallel runs, data migrations, system integration testing (SIT), and cutover strategies across UK and European entities. |

| Works Council & Regulatory Navigations | Experience managing vendor changes within strict European labour laws, GDPR compliance, and local Works Council / Trade Union consultation processes (especially in Germany, France, or Netherlands). |

| Shadow Payroll & Multi-Country Compliance | Understanding of how third-party vendors handle expat/shadow payrolls, local statutory reporting, and Year-End processing across multiple jurisdictions. |

Recommended Next Steps

Issue a Targeted RFP / Brief: Engage Portfolio Payroll (for dedicated local payroll depth) and JGA Recruitment (for EMEA/niche transformation specialization).

Define Key Competencies: Specify that shortlisted leaders must present case studies of past vendor transitions (e.g., timelines, budget adherence, vendor SLA improvements).

Would you like a tailored brief or candidate scoring matrix to send to these firms for this specific headhunt?