Workday People Systems Lead

Role Description 

The Workday HRIS Systems Lead will serve as a technical and functional authority for the configuration, administration, and optimization of our HRIS systems. This role will ensure that our global HR systems are robust, efficient, and aligned with business processes — enabling seamless end-to-end employee lifecycle management and operational excellence. 

The ideal candidate will be a hands-on Workday subject matter expert with deep functional and technical expertise across multiple HR domains including Core HCM, Compensation, Absence, Benefits, Talent Management, Recruiting, Time Tracking, and Workforce Planning. They will lead on complex configurations, integrations, and system enhancements, ensuring the Workday ecosystem is optimized for stability, scalability, and user experience. 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Systems Administration & Technical Expertise 

• Own the technical administration, configuration, and development of all Workday modules including: 

• Human Resource Management  

• Compensation  

• Absence Management  

• Benefits Administration  

• Talent Management  

• Workforce Management 

• Self-serve & Help 

• Perform advanced configuration, business process design, condition rules, EIB, and calculated field development. 

• Manage system security, roles, and access controls across all Workday tenants. 

• Oversee tenant management including sandbox refreshes, updates, and regression testing cycles. 

• Ensure optimal system performance, data integrity, and compliance with global privacy and security regulations. 

2. Systems Development & Integration 

• Design and implement Workday solutions that enhance automation and reduce manual processes. 

• Build and maintain integrations between Workday and other enterprise systems  

• Partner with IT, Finance, and external vendors to ensure seamless system interoperability. 

• Lead technical validation during Workday releases, ensuring updates are thoroughly tested and adopted. 

3. Functional Leadership & Continuous Improvement 

• Serve as the go-to subject matter expert for all Workday functional and technical inquiries. 

• Partner with HR Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to translate business requirements into efficient and scalable system solutions. 

• Work closely with business leaders and stakeholders globally to understand strategic and operational requirements, translating them into system design and configuration that support business goals. 

• Develop and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across the business to ensure alignment, collaboration, and high adoption of Workday solutions. 

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, driving efficiency through configuration, automation, and streamlined processes. 

• Manage system documentation, governance frameworks, and version control. 

• Provide tier-3 support and troubleshoot complex issues requiring deep Workday configuration knowledge. 

4. Data Management & Reporting 

• Oversee data integrity, auditing, and data governance across the HRIS landscape. 

• Design and maintain advanced Workday reports, dashboards, and analytics, including custom and composite reports. 

• Support People Analytics initiatives by ensuring data accuracy and accessibility across systems. 

• Collaborate with analytics teams to integrate Workday data with Power BI or other enterprise reporting tools. 

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration 

• Act as the technical liaison between HR, IT, and external partners. 

• Advise HR and business leaders on system capabilities, limitations, and best practices. 

• Provide technical training and guidance to HRIS analysts and administrators. 

• Advocate for a user-centric design approach and ensure solutions are intuitive and accessible. 

Experience required:

• Extensive Workday configuration and administration experience across multiple SKUs. 

• Proven ability to deliver end-to-end Workday implementations, enhancements, and integrations. 

• Deep understanding of Workday business processes, calculated fields, security groups, and custom objects. 

• Proficiency in Workday Studio, EIBs, Core Connectors, and Report Writer. 

• Experience managing production tenants and coordinating system updates and regression testing. 

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and documentation skills. 

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical details into business impact. 

• Workday certifications across multiple domains - highly desirable.