Lead Payroll Specialist

Job Description:

The Lead Payroll Specialist will be a local representative of the Payroll Department supporting Abercrombie & Fitch stores in the United Kingdom.  In this role, the Lead Payroll Specialist supports payroll and compliance processes and procedures.  The payroll auditor is also the main point of contact for both associate inquiries, as well as third party communication.  The Lead Payroll Specialist is also responsible for researching and resolving any changes and/or issues in accordance with local laws. 

This position will report directly to an EMEA Payroll Sr. Manager and will be located in our London office.

What will you be doing?

• Perform end-to-end payroll validation, including pre- and post-payroll audits, variance analysis, and reconciliation of payroll outputs to ensure accuracy and completeness.

• Leverage data analysis (e.g., Excel, reporting tools) to identify trends, discrepancies, and improvement opportunities across payroll processes.
• Act as a subject matter expert for payroll and HR systems (e.g., ADP GlobalView, Workday), supporting issue resolution, data integrity, and continuous improvement.
• Support payroll-related projects and system implementations, including process changes, testing (UAT), and go-live activities.
• Ensure alignment with internal audit requirements, and company policies, identifying, and mitigating payroll risks.
• Maintain and update payroll procedures and documentation to ensure consistency, compliance, and knowledge sharing across the team.
• Take ownership of complex payroll issues, ensuring timely resolution and appropriate escalation when required.
• Support additional EMEA payrolls as needed, ensuring alignment with regional standards and practices
  
  

 What will you need to bring?

• Completed Bachelor's degree, four-year equivalent, and/or finished apprenticeship
• 4+ years United Kingdom Payroll experience. 
• Proficient in country laws pertaining to payroll, including, but not limited to: tax, social insurance, work rules, and statutory reporting.  Understanding of local custom vs. local requirements, and ability to take the needs of the business into consideration.
• Ability to execute tasks and meet critical deadlines in a thorough, poised, accurate, and timely manner, while managing multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced and often-changing environment.
• Superior customer service delivery when communicating with associates and resolving payroll concerns.  Ability to balance timely resolution with quality responses; demonstrating empathy in all associate-driven communication.
• Actively and thoroughly investigates payroll issues and/or changes and actions them appropriately.
• Communicates in a highly effective, yet approachable manner; able to communicate with all levels of the business.  Timely and appropriate escalation of payroll issues to supervisor.
• High level of attention to detail and meticulous follow-through, coupled with the flexibility to shift requirements and expectations, due to ever-changing needs of the business.
• A collaborative approach to work; builds strong partnerships with business partners.
• Self-motivated, self-starting, and creative thinker; shows resiliency in problem-solving. 
• Able to work with highly confidential payroll and compensation data, including sensitive financial information, demonstrating integrity, discretion, and professionalism, with the ability to remain objective and unbiased
• Experience using Workday is desirable.
• Previous experience leading or supervising payroll specialists is preferred.

Company Description

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs.

The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie brands and Hollister brands, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com and hollisterco.com.

Learn more about A&F Co. by visiting our corporate website here.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.