Perplexity: both observations

For your brief, I would start with Portfolio Payroll and JGA Recruitment, with Oakleaf Partnership and Frazer Jones as additional specialist options. Their published coverage is relevant to a hands-on payroll hire—not just senior management or payroll transformation work. theportfoliogroup +3

Agencies worth approaching

| Agency | Why it fits your requirement | How I would position your vacancy |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | A dedicated payroll recruiter covering permanent and temporary appointments across the UK, including in-house and bureau roles, from administrators through to payroll directors. It has specialised in the sector since 1988. [theportfoliogroup](https://www.theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/) | A permanent, hands-on Senior Payroll Specialist joining an existing small team—not a Head of Payroll or implementation role. |

| JGA Recruitment | Explicitly recruits Payroll Specialists and Payroll Administrators across the UK and EMEA, and reports placements with both small businesses and multinational employers. That makes it particularly relevant to your combination of operational payroll work and a smaller-team environment. [jgarecruitment](https://jgarecruitment.com/payroll-administrator-jobs/) | Emphasise end-to-end UK payroll ownership, independent working and confidence answering everyday payroll queries. |

| Oakleaf Partnership | Has a dedicated payroll recruitment team covering permanent and temporary roles at all levels across the UK. Its coverage explicitly includes business-as-usual payroll as well as implementation and international assignments. [oakleafpartnership](https://www.oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll) | Ask for its business-as-usual payroll desk and candidates who want a long-term operational role rather than project work. |

| Frazer Jones | Has a dedicated payroll team recruiting across payroll levels and sectors, with contingent recruitment alongside executive search, interim and temporary services. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/payroll/) | Specify that this is an experienced individual-contributor position, with hands-on delivery and employee query handling central to the job. |

| Robert Half | A broader alternative whose UK payroll listings include permanent roles and positions requiring end-to-end payroll experience, confidentiality and ownership of workload. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://www.roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/all/payroll) | Ask the relevant local finance recruitment team about its recent permanent UK payroll placements and available candidates. |

These are capability-based recommendations from the agencies’ published services—not confirmation that any currently has a suitable candidate available.

Give them a tightly defined brief

For your situation, I would make the distinction between “senior” and “manager” explicit. You need someone experienced enough to deliver payroll and resolve queries confidently, but you have not described a team-management vacancy.

A useful opening brief would be:

“We are hiring a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist because our UK payroll workload has grown. The person will join an established small team, take hands-on responsibility for end-to-end UK payroll and handle day-to-day payroll queries. We need an experienced operational specialist rather than a project-only or primarily managerial candidate.”

Then provide the details that will let recruiters assess fit:

• Location and office/hybrid expectations.

• Salary range and working hours.

• Employee numbers, payroll frequency and number of payrolls or entities.

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

• Exact responsibilities, including checks, reconciliations, submissions and query handling.

• Reporting line, team structure and any requirement to cover colleagues.

How to choose between them

I would initially brief two agencies—Portfolio Payroll and JGA—rather than distribute the vacancy widely. Both explicitly cover specialist operational payroll recruitment; JGA also specifically describes placements into smaller businesses. theportfoliogroup +1

Before appointing either, ask for examples of recent comparable permanent placements, how they assess end-to-end UK payroll competence, and how they distinguish candidates who personally process payroll from those who mainly coordinate a provider. Also agree fees, rebate or replacement terms, candidate-submission consent and any exclusivity period before CVs are sent.

Your location, salary and working pattern are the main missing details that could change which agency or individual consultant is the strongest fit.

For a permanent Senior Payroll Specialist with end-to-end UK payroll ownership and employee-query handling, the strongest first choices are specialist payroll recruiters—particularly Portfolio Payroll , McKinnon Talent , Oakleaf Partnership , and Michael Page . They can screen for PAYE/NI, statutory payments, pension auto-enrolment, payroll-system experience, and stakeholder/query-management skills. theportfoliogroup +3

Recommended agencies

| Agency | Why it fits | Best use |

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

| Portfolio Payroll | Dedicated payroll recruiter operating since 1988; recruits permanent payroll roles from administrator to director level and covers in-house and bureau environments. It also screens candidates for technical payroll knowledge and assesses proficiency where appropriate. theportfoliogroup +1 | Strong first choice for a specialist permanent hire, especially if you want a broad national candidate pool. |

| McKinnon Talent | UK-wide specialist payroll recruiter that places roles from entry level through senior leadership across in-house, outsourced, bureau, and accountancy settings. [mckinnontalent.co](https://mckinnontalent.co.uk/) | Good for a focused, payroll-only search and for senior specialist talent. |

| Oakleaf Partnership | Has a dedicated payroll consultancy covering permanent and interim assignments, including Payroll Specialist and senior payroll/pension roles, with UK and international coverage. [oakleafpartnership](https://oakleafpartnership.com/business-areas/payroll/payroll-capabilities) | Useful if the role may later need pension, systems, or international-payroll capability. |

| Michael Page | Actively recruits permanent Senior Payroll Specialist roles involving end-to-end payroll and collaboration with HR, Finance, and business leaders. [michaelpage.co](https://michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/senior-payroll-specialist/ref/jn-082026-7080784) | Good generalist alternative with strong permanent-hiring infrastructure. |

| Robert Half | Its Finance & Accounting division recruits permanent payroll roles and advertises roles requiring independent end-to-end UK payroll, PAYE, NI, statutory payments, and pension auto-enrolment. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll) | Worth including for comparison, particularly if you want a finance-led candidate profile. |

What to brief them on

Ask each agency to target candidates who can demonstrate:

• Independent end-to-end processing of monthly UK payroll, including BACS/Faster Payments and pension submissions. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Working knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance, statutory payments, and auto-enrolment. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Experience resolving employee and manager payroll queries confidently and accurately. [theportfoliogroup](https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/)

• Familiarity with your payroll platform, plus strong Excel and reconciliation skills. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

• Ability to work within a small team, handle variable pay such as bonuses or commission, and maintain controls and documentation. [Trusted domain roberthalf](https://roberthalf.com/gb/en/jobs/london-london/payroll)

Practical approach

1. Start with Portfolio Payroll and McKinnon Talent for specialist shortlists; both focus specifically on payroll recruitment. theportfoliogroup +1

2. Add Oakleaf and Michael Page in parallel to widen coverage without relying on a single recruiter. oakleafpartnership +1

3. Use a short, structured brief : headcount, pay frequency, payroll system, complexity of benefits/variable pay, hybrid/office expectations, salary band, and the split between processing and query resolution.

4. Test capability directly : include a short scenario on a payroll correction, statutory payment, pension enrolment issue, and an employee query escalation.

5. Consider interim cover only if needed : Portfolio and Oakleaf also provide temporary/contract payroll specialists if the permanent hire takes longer than expected. oakleafpartnership +1

For this specific role, I would prioritise Portfolio Payroll and McKinnon Talent , then run Oakleaf and Michael Page as secondary searches.