Workday Payroll Senior Lead - Emerging Markets

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Posted May 3, 2026

Remote · US · ask about Worldwide Full Time

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Overview

This role involves owning the payroll delivery and enablement strategy for the Emerging Markets segment, focusing on small and mid-sized customers with less complex needs. The position centers on leading Workday Payroll implementations using an accelerated deployment methodology designed for rapid, repeatable, and scalable delivery.

Responsibilities

Delivery & Client Leadership

Lead Workday Payroll implementations for small and mid-sized customers, guiding projects from discovery through go-live.
Configure complex payroll calculations, including scenarios with multiple positions and multiple FEINs.
Apply strong knowledge of Workday Payroll and its interdependencies with Time Tracking, Absence, and Benefits.
Manage regulatory and contractual complexities such as tax, garnishments, Common Pay Master, retirement plans, union/CBAs, and payroll accounting across relevant markets.

Sales Partnership & Scoping

Collaborate with Sales to qualify opportunities, conduct discovery, shape solution approaches, and produce estimates and statements of work.
Participate in client-facing demos and presentations.
Translate business needs into clear scope, assumptions, risks, and resource plans suitable for compressed timelines and lean budgets.

Emerging Markets Capability Building

Create and maintain localization checklists, configuration templates, testing packs, and knowledge articles tailored to smaller customers.
Develop best practice accelerators to improve quality, predictability, ramp time, and cost-to-serve.
Measure adoption of these tools and iterate accordingly.

Operating in Emerging Markets

Manage ambitious timelines using pragmatic, minimum viable product (MVP) approaches, clear decision logs, and time-boxed design.
Design creative, right-sized solutions that maximize value within tight budget constraints, including templated configurations, phased scope, and standard integrations.

People Management (if applicable)

Set and review goals aligned with organizational objectives.
Support team members to achieve goals and provide regular feedback.
Conduct one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
Identify training needs and support career development.
Manage workload forecasting, staff allocations, and utilization.
Participate in recruitment and review retention metrics.

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Requirements

Minimum 5 years of Workday Payroll implementation experience, including at least 3 years leading end-to-end implementations with hands-on configuration.
Certification in at least one Workday Payroll country and one additional Workday module.
Proven ability to build complex payroll calculations, including handling multiple positions and multiple FEINs.
Deep knowledge of Workday Payroll and its interdependencies with Time Tracking, Absence, and Benefits.
Solid understanding of tax, garnishments, Common Pay Master, retirement plans, collective bargaining agreements/unions, and payroll accounting.
Strong consulting skills including leading workshops, presenting to senior audiences, and guiding design trade-offs under tight deadlines.
Commercial awareness and project fluency.

Geography-Specific Fluency (as applicable)

Canada: T4, RRSP, ROE, CPP.
United States: state/local taxes, FLSA calculations.

Preferred Qualifications

Workday HCM and Payroll certifications.
Professional payroll qualifications such as Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).
Experience with post-deployment services, application management services (AMS), and knowledge transfer.
Experience working with Small and Medium Business market segments.
Exposure to multi-country operating models and partner integrations in non-native Workday payroll contexts.

Success Measures

Within 90 days: Deliver a version 1 segment playbook including scope assumptions, estimate templates, and testing packs adopted on at least one project; support initial pursuits with clear estimates and risk assessments.
Within 6 months: Deliver two or more implementations using the standard approach with measurable reductions in cycle time and effort; roll out enablement to delivery teams.
Within 12 months: Achieve broad use of standardized assets and predictable outcomes for smaller customers, including improved estimate variance, faster time-to-value, and higher customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS).