Workday Payroll Configuration Lead
- APN Consulting, Inc.
4 Hours Ago
NA
C2C
Remote
8-10 Years
Required Skills: Workday Payroll, US & Global Payroll, Advanced Workday functional configuration, Workday HCM foundations, Payroll configuration and optimization, Earnings and deductions, Pay groups, Payroll calculations, Tax-related configuration, Workday Time Tracking, Workday Absence Management, Payroll integrations, Business process configuration, Workday security, Role-based security groups, Workday reporting and calculated fields, Release management, Regression testing and parallel payroll cycles, Governance and change control, Payroll compliance and controls
Job Description
Position Overview
The Workday Payroll Configuration Lead serves as the primary technical owner for the architecture, security, configuration, and end-to-end governance of the Workday Payroll module. This role sits at the intersection of HR Technology (HRIS), Payroll, and Finance, translating evolving corporate payroll policies, business requirements, and tax regulations into secure, scalable, and efficient Workday configurations.
This role does not focus on day-to-day payroll processing. Instead, the lead is responsible for ensuring that Workday configurations, business processes, integrations, and controls supporting accurate payroll outcomes operate effectively.
Key Responsibilities
1. Workday Payroll Module Ownership & Configuration
- Lead the technical design, configuration, and ongoing optimization of Workday US and Global Payroll.
- Configure and maintain earnings, deductions, pay groups, payroll calculations, and tax-related configurations.
- Ensure Workday Payroll configurations align with business requirements, payroll policies, and regulatory requirements.
- Serve as the primary technical subject-matter expert for Workday Payroll.
2. Time & Absence Integration
- Design and maintain seamless alignment between Workday Time Tracking, Absence Management, and Payroll.
- Configure complex business processes and rules supporting accurate payroll calculations.
- Troubleshoot issues related to time, absence, and payroll processing.
- Ensure downstream payroll impacts are properly tested and validated.
3. Release Management & Upgrades
- Own payroll-related impact analysis for Workday's semi-annual feature releases.
- Lead regression testing, configuration validation, and parallel payroll cycles.
- Evaluate new Workday functionality and determine potential impacts to existing payroll processes.
- Coordinate release-related changes with HR, Payroll, IT, and Finance stakeholders.
4. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with senior and executive stakeholders across HR, Payroll Operations, IT, and Finance.
- Translate complex or ambiguous business requirements into scalable Workday solutions.
- Lead discussions around system design, configuration decisions, process improvements, and technical deliverables.
- Act as a bridge between functional payroll stakeholders and technical HRIS teams.
5. Reporting & Analytics
- Develop and maintain calculated fields, custom reports, matrix reports, and audit-ready reporting.
- Create reporting solutions to monitor payroll compliance, labor costs, data integrity, and operational performance.
- Analyze payroll-related data and identify configuration or process issues.
- Support leadership with accurate and actionable payroll insights.
6. Governance, Security & Compliance
- Establish and maintain role-based security groups within Workday.
- Implement appropriate security controls for sensitive payroll and employee data.
- Establish and enforce configuration and change-control processes.
- Ensure Workday Payroll remains aligned with internal controls, audit requirements, privacy regulations, and organizational security standards.
Required Qualifications
Experience
- 5+ years of experience in HR Technology, HRIS, or a related systems environment.
- Significant hands-on experience with advanced Workday functional configuration.
- Proven experience configuring and supporting complex Workday Payroll environments.
- Strong understanding of Workday HCM foundations, including organizational structures, staffing models, and core HR processes.
Leadership Experience
- 3+ years of experience leading Workday initiatives, including:
- Platform enhancements
- System implementations or major configuration changes
- Roadmap prioritization
- Release management
- Technical deliverables
- Cross-functional Workday projects
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related field.
- Equivalent combination of education, Workday certifications, and relevant professional experience may be considered.
