Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a Senior Payroll Specialist in UK payroll, start with specialist payroll recruiters rather than generalist agencies. The strongest initial conversations are Portfolio Payroll , McKinnon Talent , and Robert Walters ; add Hays if you also need temporary cover or a broader candidate pool. robertwalters.co +3

Recruiters worth speaking to

| Recruiter | Why they fit | Best use |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | A dedicated payroll recruiter operating since 1988, with consultants for permanent, executive, and temporary/contract payroll roles; it recruits from Payroll Officer through Head of Payroll. theportfoliogroup +1 | First choice for a permanent senior hire and for salary benchmarking as you build the team. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/) |

| McKinnon Talent | A UK payroll-only recruiter covering in-house, outsourced, bureau, accountancy, SME and corporate clients; it recruits Payroll Specialist, Supervisor, Manager and Head of Payroll roles. mckinnontalent +1 | Good for a focused, consultative search and for senior technical payroll talent. [mckinnontalent](https://mckinnontalent.co.uk/about-3) |

| Robert Walters | Recruits payroll professionals from administrator/specialist level through manager and head-of-payroll level, including permanent, temporary/contract and interim hiring. agencycentral.co +1 | Useful if you want access to a larger finance/HR network and may need interim cover during growth. [agencycentral.co](https://agencycentral.co.uk/agencysearch/accounting/skills/payroll/payroll.htm) |

| Hays | Actively lists senior payroll roles in the UK and has payroll recruitment capability across permanent and interim hiring. hays.co +1 | A practical second or third agency for market reach, especially where hybrid/contract options matter. hays.co +1 |

| Executive Headhunters Ltd | Positions itself as a specialist in senior-to-executive payroll recruitment. [agencycentral.co](https://agencycentral.co.uk/agencysearch/accounting/skills/payroll/payroll.htm) | Consider only if this role is expected to become a Payroll Manager/Head of Payroll appointment rather than a hands-on specialist. [agencycentral.co](https://agencycentral.co.uk/agencysearch/accounting/skills/payroll/payroll.htm) |

Recommended approach

For a small team, I would brief two specialist agencies —Portfolio Payroll and McKinnon Talent—and optionally one larger firm such as Robert Walters or Hays. That gives you enough candidate coverage without creating an unmanageable agency process. hays.co +3

Ask each recruiter to confirm:

• Recent placements for Senior Payroll Specialist or equivalent roles.

• Experience with your payroll setup: weekly/monthly, bureau vs in-house, pension auto-enrolment, RTI, benefits, and systems such as Sage, IRIS, Dayforce, Workday or ADP.

• Salary benchmarking for your location and seniority.

• Whether they can provide interim payroll cover if the hire takes longer than expected. mckinnontalent +2

What to specify in the brief

Be clear that you need someone who can own complex UK payroll processing, resolve technical queries, support compliance, and help scale processes—not merely administer payroll. Portfolio Payroll’s own materials emphasise matching seniority, technical skills and culture fit when helping employers establish or scale an in-house payroll team.

[theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/hire-with-portfolio-payroll/)

A strong brief would include:

• Headcount and payroll frequency covered.

• UK legislation and compliance requirements.

• Payroll platform and integrations.

• Whether the person will supervise juniors or act as the technical escalation point.

• Growth plans: additional entities, benefits, pensions, international payroll, or a move to a new system. mckinnontalent +1

Practical shortlist

1. Portfolio Payroll — primary specialist search for the permanent senior hire. theportfoliogroup +1

2. McKinnon Talent — parallel specialist search, particularly strong for technical payroll roles. mckinnontalent +1

3. Robert Walters — broader market access and interim/contract contingency. agencycentral.co +1

4. Hays — additional reach if the first two cannot present suitable candidates quickly. hays.co +1