Payroll Operations Lead

Job description

As a Payroll Operations Lead in the People function, your primary focus is to play a pivotal senior payroll processor and ensure operational excellence by overseeing day-to-day payroll activities, ensuring payroll transactions are completed accurately and timely, support optimization initiatives, and acting as an escalation point for payroll issues. The role supports the Payroll Operations Manager by coordinating daily operations and maintaining payroll quality standards.

This hybrid role reports to our Payroll Operations Manager and is based in our New Jersey Support Office. A Day in the Life Working at H&M means no two days are ever the same, but a typical day will include the following responsibilities* Payroll Processing Oversight: Leads day-to-day payroll processing activities, ensuring payroll accuracy, timely execution, issue resolution, compliance with payroll procedures, and effective team coordination across payroll cycles in preparation for Payroll Operations Manager review and approval.

Payroll Quality Assurance

Maintains process documentation, control measures, and audit records, while supporting internal and external audit requirements by ensuring adherence to established procedures, regulatory requirements, and payroll governance standards.

Daily Team Coordination

Coordinates payroll processing schedules, cross-coverage needs identifies potential coverage gaps, and escalates staffing or PTO related risks to Payroll Operations Manager to support payroll operations.

Escalation Contact

Serves as the escalation point for payroll-related issues, resolving routine and moderately complex matters and escalating higher-risk or complex issues as appropriate.

Employee and Stakeholder Support

Partners with stakeholders and Payroll Operations Managers to ensure data integrity and accurate payroll processing by providing guidance, communicating key updates and deadlines, and fostering collaboration.

Compliance Execution

Administers payroll in accordance with company policies, Collective Bargaining Agreements, and applicable regulations for various employee populations. Identifies compliance risks, escalates issues as appropriate, and supports legal, audit, and labor-related payroll and timekeeping inquiries.

Procedure and Process Support

Coordinates and processes special and one-time payments, including bonuses, severance, leave of absence pay, and other off-cycle transactions. Approves immediate payout and final pay requests, ensures associated payroll card funding, and provides payroll processing coverage to maintain operational continuity during team member absences.

Support System Testing and Changes

Support payroll-related projects, system changes, testing, process transitions, standardization, and automation projects.

Payroll Process Optimization

Analyzes payroll processes to identify gaps, risks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities. Partners with the Payroll Operations Manager and cross-functional stakeholders to coordinate, implement, and monitor continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen payroll accuracy, controls, standardization, and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Accounting, or Finance preferred 5+ years’ experience in payroll administration Previous experience with UKG and HRM systems, and other similar time keeping system required Multi-State payroll experience required Previous experience at large, fast pace, complex organizations (employee population 10,000+) required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including intermediate excel (lookups, pivot, etc.) and ability to adapt to Company specific systems FCP or CPP certification preferred Self‑starter and team player; able to work both collaboratively and independently with minimal supervision
• Strong partnership, collaboration, and communication skills, with the ability to work professionally and effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines, think strategically, adapt to changing priorities, and maintain a high level of accuracy in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to manage sensitive information confidentially Provide excellent customer service to employees and stakeholders