Workday Payroll Specialist - ZL

Position Summary

The Workday Payroll Operations Specialist is responsible for supporting the end-to-end processing of payroll within Workday, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness across payroll cycles. This role requires a highly detail-oriented professional with strong technical expertise in Workday Payroll, including configuration, reporting, and cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate brings 4-10 years of Workday Payroll experience, a deep understanding of Workday functionality, and the ability to analyze, document, and resolve complex payroll issues in a controlled and compliant environment.

• Support the execution of full-cycle payroll processing in Workday, including on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls
• Validate payroll inputs, calculations, and outputs to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Perform payroll audits, reconciliations, and variance analysis prior to finalization
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations

• Configure and maintain Workday Payroll components, including earnings, deductions, and taxes
• Support updates and enhancements to payroll configuration in alignment with business needs
• Participate in system testing, regression testing, and payroll parallel testing cycles
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes through system configuration

• Develop and maintain Workday reports and dashboards using Report Writer and Calculated Fields
• Analyze payroll data to identify discrepancies, trends, and operational risks
• Support audit requests and provide documentation and reporting as needed

• Utilize Jira to track, manage, and resolve payroll-related issues and system enhancements
• Clearly document business requirements, root cause analyses, and solutions
• Translate complex payroll concepts into clear, actionable documentation for stakeholders

• Support and troubleshoot Workday Time Tracking and Absence Management integrations with payroll
• Ensure accurate flow of time and absence data into payroll processing
• Partner with HR and business stakeholders to resolve time and absence-related issues

• Partner closely with HR, Benefits, Compensation, and Finance teams to ensure accurate payroll outcomes
• Provide payroll subject matter expertise for cross-functional initiatives and projects
• Support employee inquiries and resolve payroll-related issues in a timely manner

• 4-10 years of payroll experience, including hands-on Workday Payroll experience supporting end-to-end payroll processing, on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls, audits, reconciliations, and variance analysis
• Strong Workday Payroll technical experience, including Report Writer, calculated fields, Time Tracking, Absence Management, payroll configuration, business processes, security roles, and domain access
• Experience troubleshooting Workday payroll calculation results, payroll input issues, retroactive pay, arrears, over payments, worker data impacts, and payroll variances across payroll cycles
• Experience validating Workday payroll integrations and inbound/outbound data files, including error resolution, data mapping, file validation, and coordination with technical or vendor support teams
• Ability to develop test scenarios, execute payroll regression testing, document results, and validate configuration or system changes prior to production deployment
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, tax regulations, compliance requirements, audit expectations, and controlled payroll processing practices
• Advanced analytical and data analysis skills, including Excel or similar tools for large data sets, pivot tables, lookup formulas, data validation, reconciliations, and issue resolution
• Strong cross-functional collaboration, communication, issue tracking, and documentation skills, including experience working with HR, Benefits, Compensation, Finance, Jira or similar tools, and the ability to clearly document complex concepts and solutions

• Experience supporting general ledger payroll accounting…