Perplexity
JGA recommended.

I’d start with specialists : Portfolio Payroll and JGA Recruitment, with Oakleaf Partnership or McKinnon Talent as an additional option. For a hands-on Senior Payroll Specialist joining a small team, those are more closely aligned with your brief than a general recruitment agency: each has a dedicated payroll focus or team, rather than treating payroll as a small part of finance recruitment. jgarecruitment +3

Agencies to speak to

| Agency | Why it belongs on your shortlist | How to approach them |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | The clearest starting point. It recruits permanent payroll staff across the UK, covers the full seniority range, and explicitly handles both in-house and bureau roles. That makes it a direct match for an experienced operational hire rather than an executive search. [theportfoliogroup](https://www.theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) | Use its “register a role” route, or call London on 0207 247 9455 or Manchester on 0161 523 5585. [theportfoliogroup](https://www.theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) |

| JGA Recruitment | A dedicated payroll and HR recruitment agency serving employers across UK sectors. Its payroll specialism makes it a sensible second conversation for defining the brief and finding relevant candidates. jgarecruitment +1 | Contact info@jgarecruitment.com or 01727 800377. Specify that this is a permanent, hands-on UK payroll role. [jgarecruitment](https://jgarecruitment.com/) |

| Oakleaf Partnership | Has a team dedicated exclusively to payroll, placing permanent and temporary candidates at all levels across the UK. Its coverage includes day-to-day payroll operations as well as implementation and international work. [oakleafpartnership](https://www.oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll) | Contact enquiries@oakleafpartnership.com or 020 7220 7030 and ask for the payroll recruitment team. [oakleafpartnership](https://www.oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll) |

| McKinnon Talent | A specialist payroll recruiter working across the UK, covering in-house, outsourced, bureau and accountancy-firm environments. Its advertised roles include permanent Senior Payroll Administrator positions—a useful adjacent title for your search. [mckinnontalent.co](https://www.mckinnontalent.co.uk/) | Contact admin@mckinnontalent.co.uk or 0161 507 0011. [mckinnontalent.co](https://www.mckinnontalent.co.uk/) |

This is a shortlist based on the agencies’ stated specialisms and services, not an independently verified ranking of placement quality. Their published information cannot establish which currently has the strongest candidates for your location, salary and working pattern.

How I’d brief them for your particular hire

Your key distinction is that you need another experienced person to share delivery—not necessarily a payroll manager. I’d give each agency the same brief:

“We’re expanding a small UK payroll team and need a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist who will remain hands-on, independently own payroll processing and provide reliable cover for colleagues. This is an additional operational hire, rather than a head-of-function role.”

Then include:

• Location, required office attendance and salary range.

• Employee numbers, payroll frequencies, number of entities and any expected growth.

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

• What the person will own: processing, reconciliations, statutory submissions, pensions, queries and checking colleagues’ work.

• Any genuine complexity, such as variable pay, multiple payrolls or international responsibilities.

How to choose between the agencies

I’d hold initial calls with Portfolio and JGA, then add Oakleaf or McKinnon if you want another comparison. Before instructing anyone, ask:

1. “What comparable permanent, hands-on senior payroll roles have you filled recently?”

2. “How would you assess whether someone can independently run our payroll—not just support it?”

3. “What salary and working pattern would make this brief competitive in our location?”

4. “What are your fee, payment trigger, rebate or replacement terms, and any exclusivity requirements?”

That gives you a more useful basis for choosing than agency size or marketing claims: relevant recent experience, a realistic understanding of your brief, and clear commercial terms.