Senior Manager, People Systems & Operations (Workday HCM)

Senior Manager, Workday HCM & People Systems
Remote (MST)
3–9 Month Contract-to-Hire
Contract Rate: $80–100/hr.
Salary: $170,000–200,000

The Senior Manager, Workday HCM & People Systems serves as the strategic owner of the organization's Workday ecosystem, responsible for driving the vision, governance, optimization, and operational excellence of the Workday platform. This leader will oversee Workday HCM, security, business processes, reporting, integrations, compliance, and employee lifecycle technology while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and HR strategy. This role will lead the evolution of Workday as the system of record for workforce management, organizational design, talent, compensation, benefits, reporting, and employee data governance. The position partners closely with HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and business leaders to deliver scalable solutions that enhance employee experience, operational efficiency, and workforce insights.

Team Leadership
Direct leadership responsibilities include:

• Senior Workday Analyst (future hire)
• Workday Analyst (future hire)
• Two People Support Specialists located in Utah and Ireland

Key Stakeholder Partnerships

• People Business Partners (PBPs)
• Total Rewards
• Talent Acquisition
• Payroll
• Finance
• Legal
• Centers of Excellence (COEs)
• Business Leaders

Core Areas of Ownership
Workday HCM Strategy & Leadership

• Serve as the primary owner and strategic leader for the Workday platform.
• Define and execute the Workday roadmap aligned with business objectives and HR priorities.
• Drive continuous optimization of Workday HCM, Compensation, Benefits, Absence, Talent, Performance, Recruiting, and related modules.
• Partner with HR leadership to identify opportunities to improve employee lifecycle processes through Workday automation and configuration enhancements.
• Lead Workday release planning, testing, deployment, and adoption activities.

Workday Configuration & Governance

• Establish governance standards for Workday configuration, business processes, security, integrations, and reporting.
• Oversee system architecture and ensure scalability, maintainability, and compliance.
• Lead business process design and optimization across Hire-to-Retire workflows.
• Maintain role-based security frameworks, segregation of duties, and SOX-compliant controls.
• Ensure data integrity, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance across the Workday environment.
• Manage tenant strategy, configuration standards, documentation, and change control processes.

Workday Reporting, Analytics & Data Governance

• Own Workday reporting strategy, including dashboards, calculated fields, custom reports, and workforce analytics.
• Establish enterprise-wide data governance standards and data quality initiatives.
• Deliver actionable workforce insights for HR and business leaders.
• Partner with Finance and Payroll teams to ensure accurate workforce planning and reporting.
• Drive adoption of Workday reporting capabilities to support data-driven decision making.

Workday Integrations & Ecosystem Management

• Oversee Workday integrations with Payroll, Finance, Benefits, Identity Management, ServiceNow, and third-party vendors.
• Partner with technical teams and external consultants to support Workday Studio, EIB, API, and integration initiatives.
• Ensure integrations are scalable, secure, and aligned with business requirements.
• Manage vendor relationships supporting the Workday environment.

People Systems & Service Delivery

• Lead the broader People Systems ecosystem, including ServiceNow and employee support technologies.
• Ensure seamless integration between Workday and People Operations processes.
• Develop scalable employee and manager self-service capabilities.
• Drive operational excellence through process improvement, automation, and service delivery metrics.

Compliance, Risk & Security

• Maintain accountability for Workday security administration, audits, and compliance requirements.
• Lead periodic security reviews, access certifications, and controls testing.
• Ensure compliance with SOX, GDPR, I-9, and applicable employment regulations.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for Workday governance and compliance matters.

Stakeholder Enablement & Change Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to HR leadership on Workday capabilities and best practices.
• Translate business requirements into scalable Workday solutions.
• Lead user training, adoption, and change management efforts.
• Build strong partnerships across HR, Payroll, Finance, and IT.

People Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing Workday and People Systems team.
• Establish operational standards, documentation practices, and governance processes.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HRIS and Workday experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on Workday HCM administration, configuration, and governance experience.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing Workday or HRIS teams.
• Deep expertise in Workday HCM, business processes, security administration, reporting, and tenant management.
• Experience supporting one or more Workday functional areas, including Core HCM, Compensation, Benefits, Absence, Talent, Performance, Recruiting, or Learning.
• Strong understanding of Workday security architecture, role-based access, and SOX controls.
• Experience leading Workday implementations, enhancements, and optimization initiatives.
• Knowledge of Workday integrations, EIBs, APIs, and third-party system connectivity.
• Strong understanding of employee lifecycle processes and HR operations.
• Excellent stakeholder management, project leadership, and communication skills.
• Ability to occasionally travel to headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Workday certifications.
• Experience leading global Workday environments.
• Experience with Workday Advanced Reporting, Prism Analytics, or Adaptive Planning.
• Experience supporting Workday Payroll integrations.
• Experience with ServiceNow HRSD.
• Experience implementing automation and AI solutions within the Workday ecosystem.
• Background in workforce analytics, digital transformation, and HR technology strategy.