Workday Principal Payroll Analyst – Remote Opportunity!

Overview

This role supports payroll and HCM systems testing and operations, working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional partners. Responsibilities include building payroll analytics dashboards, ensuring Workday Payroll processes function cohesively, maintaining data integrity, and leading end-to-end testing for Workday configuration updates and releases across core HCM and related modules.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Senior Payroll Manager to create, design, and maintain visual analytics and dashboards to support data interpretation and decision-making.
• Support all functions of the Payroll workstream.
• Ensure data integrity and accuracy through regular audits, validation procedures, and data governance practices.
• Assist the Senior Payroll Manager with legal/compliance report requests.
• Provide support and backup support for regular and custom payroll processes in Workday.
• Monitor Workday Payroll solutions to ensure processes are cohesive and cross-functional impacts are considered and mitigated.
• Inform management of recurring issues and recommend additional team training when needed.
• Serve as a technical point-of-contact for assigned functional areas and assist subject matter experts.
• Monitor and recommend changes to improve processes, new technology, and data quality, including intake, scope, and carryout technology enhancements and changes based on stakeholder requests.
• Resolve payroll, timekeeping, and tax-related issues as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws.
• Support testing for Workday configuration updates, enhancements, integrations, and bi-annual releases.
• Develop, implement, and execute an end-to-end testing strategy, validating Workday system configurations, business processes, performance, and reliability for included HCM modules:
  • Core HCM
  • Recruiting
  • Compensation
  • Talent
  • Payroll
  • Time
  • Absence
  • Benefits
• Perform functional testing, regression testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
• Perform integration validations and monitor/test inbound and outbound data flows between HCM and external systems or third-party vendors.
• Set up test environments for business users to conduct additional SME testing, including maintaining regression test inventory.
• Identify, document, and communicate defects with detailed information for failed test cases/scenarios, including supporting documentation (screenshots, environment details, log files, etc.).
• Track defects through resolution; partner with Workday HCM and technical teams to troubleshoot and resolve defects and issues; retest fixes to ensure quality and stability.
• Ensure compliance with data governance and audit requirements.
• Develop test result reports and provide insights to stakeholders.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with Payroll, HR, and IT teams to understand configuration changes, intended outcomes, and testing requirements.
• Coordinate testing timelines and ensure readiness for production deployment.
• Guide business users to conduct SME testing within the testing timeline.
• Complete testing of configuration and hand off to HR stakeholders for final review.
• Act as a liaison between functional and technical teams.
• Recommend updates to training materials (e.g., Workday manual, quick guides) and provide supporting documentation such as process descriptions and screenshots as needed.
• Identify risks impacting timely product delivery and collaborate with the Workday Product team to plan mitigation strategies.

Qualifications

Required

• 2–5+ years of experience in Payroll, HRIS, QA testing, or HCM systems.
• Strong understanding of Payroll compliance and Workday Payroll processing.
• Experience with testing tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, HP ALM).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred

• Experience supporting Workday releases.
• Knowledge of integrations (EIBs, APIs, middleware).
• Experience with payroll and benefits business processes.
• Experience in large, multi-state or global organizations.

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified in the provided job description.

Location

Not specified in the provided job description.