Workday Tech Lead

This position also has opening in NYC, Bethlehem PA, and Stamford CT.

Position Overview

One of our clients is looking for a seasoned Workday professional to lead the technical strategy and ongoing development of our Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence systems. This person will be responsible for maintaining strong configuration standards, guiding architectural decisions, and ensuring these platforms remain reliable, compliant, and aligned with evolving business needs.

Working across HR, Payroll, IT, and third-party providers, the Technical Lead will drive complex system initiatives, resolve critical issues, and identify opportunities to enhance the overall Workday environment. The focus is on the systems and integrations that support payroll accuracy, not the execution of payroll processing itself.

Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Governance: Establish best practices for Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence, ensuring consistent configuration, sound architecture, and long-term system sustainability.
• System Configuration: Guide the design and optimization of payroll components, time entry rules, absence plans, and related business processes.
• Issue Resolution: Lead investigations into complex system issues affecting payroll and time management, identify root causes, and implement lasting corrective measures.
• Integration Management: Oversee data exchange between Workday and external platforms, ensuring integrations are accurate, reliable, and properly controlled. Work may include EIBs, APIs, Studio, and third-party vendor feeds.
• Payroll Partnership: Collaborate with Payroll teams to strengthen processing accuracy, address compliance concerns, and proactively identify potential system risks.
• Release & Testing Oversight: Evaluate the impact of Workday's biannual releases, coordinate testing, and maintain disciplined change management practices.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Advise HR, IT, Payroll, and external partners on technical decisions, system capabilities, and implementation trade-offs.
• Roadmap & Optimization: Drive initiatives that reduce manual effort, improve system performance, and support the future direction of the organization's HR technology landscape.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• At least 5 years of Workday experience, including substantial expertise in U.S. Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence.
• Demonstrated ownership of technical design, configuration, and system architecture decisions.
• Knowledge of payroll-related compliance, data validation, and the impact of Workday configurations on downstream systems.
• Experience managing integrations and troubleshooting data flow issues across enterprise applications.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to diagnose complex problems and develop sustainable solutions.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to partner effectively with both technical teams and business stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Workday certifications in Payroll, Time Tracking, or Absence.
• Hands-on experience with Workday Studio, EIBs, APIs, and third-party integrations.
• Familiarity with global payroll vendor integrations, including coordination with offshore providers.
• Previous experience in HRIS, HR technology, or enterprise systems within an IT organization.