Payroll Specialist

American Express; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in the UK is seeking a Payroll Specialist to ensure accurate delivery of complex payroll activities. This role involves managing payroll tax compliance and analyzing datasets. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in UK payroll, advanced Excel skills, and the ability to handle payroll-related queries professionally. Join a team dedicated to supporting employee well-being with hybrid work arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive base salaries

Bonus incentives

Comprehensive health insurance

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Multiple years of experience working in UK payroll.
• Proven experience in managing manual UK tax calculations.
• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables and VLOOKUPs.

Responsibilities

• Review and analyse payslips to ensure compliance and accuracy.
• Manage complex payroll queries on a monthly and annual basis.
• Produce detailed, accurate reports on payroll datasets.

Skills

Data Entry

Advanced Excel skills

Payroll

Accounting

Tools

Microsoft Excel

QuickBooks

Paylocity

ADP

Job description

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well‑being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones physical, financial and mental health as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Support for financial‑well‑being and retirement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance and disability benefits (depending on location)
• Flexible working model with hybrid onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
• Free access to global on‑site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check subject to applicable laws and regulations.

At American Express our culture is built on a 175‑year history of innovation shared values and Leadership Behaviors and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and colleagues. As part of Team Amex you’ll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well‑being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader and grow your career.

Here your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact and together you will help us define the future of American Express.

How will you make an impact in this role

As a Payroll Specialist you will play a key role in ensuring the accurate and compliant delivery of complex UK payroll activities. You will provide technical expertise in payroll tax and compliance acting as a trusted subject‑matter expert for both routine and highly technical payroll queries. Your responsibilities will include reviewing and analysing payslips, performing manual tax calculations, managing UK payroll‑related reporting and overseeing annual processes such as the PSA and Form 42.

This is a technically focused position where your ability to manage large volumes of data in Excel, deliver accurate reports and ensure compliance with UK legislation will be critical. You will also interact with employees and stakeholders across the business requiring you to manage sensitive and challenging queries with professionalism, accuracy and strong communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and analyse payslips to ensure compliance and accuracy
• Perform manual payroll and tax calculations when required
• Manage complex payroll queries on a monthly and annual basis
• Oversee technical payroll processes including UK tax returns (e.g. PSA, P11Ds, Form 42 Appendix 7B)
• Analyse large payroll datasets in Excel and produce detailed, accurate reports
• Provide expert guidance to colleagues and stakeholders handling sensitive or complex queries effectively
• Ensure all payroll activities are delivered accurately on time and in line with UK legislation and company policies
• Manage multiple priorities in a high‑pressure environment while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail

Minimum Qualifications

• Multiple years of experience working in UK payroll
• Proven experience in managing manual UK tax calculations
• Hands‑on experience processing UK tax returns such as PSA and P11Ds
• Advanced Excel skills (e.g. pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, complex formulas, large data analysis)
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and interpret complex payroll data
• Experience managing multiple demands and priorities in a busy, deadline‑driven environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex payroll issues clearly to non‑technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing modified or shadow payrolls
• Experience administering share or stock schemes
• Experience managing taxes for assigned populations

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

Required Experience : IC

Key Skills

• Data Entry
• Paychex
• QuickBooks
• Accounting
• 10 Key Calculator
• Paylocity
• Microsoft Excel
• Payroll
• ADP
• Administrative Experience
• Human Resources
• Bookkeeping

Employment Type

Full‑time

Department / Functional Area

Finance

Experience

Years

Vacancy

1