Workday Product Owner

Empiric; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Empiric in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Workday Product Owner to lead the global HR transformation by shaping the product vision, roadmap, governance, and operating model for our Workday platform.

You will own the Workday strategy, drive bi-annual releases, manage module deployments, and partner with HR, IT and external vendors. As the platform's owner, you’ll lead a small team of three Workday Analysts to deliver secure, compliant, and high-value HR solutions worldwide.

Qualifications

• Experience leading Agile product management in HR tech environments.
• Strong knowledge of Workday HCM and key modules (Recruiting, Talent, Compensation, Benefits, and Absence).
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and manage budgets.
• Proven track record in change management and global user adoption.

Responsibilities

• Define and articulate the long-term Workday product vision and multi-year roadmap.
• Oversee ongoing design, development, and maintenance of Workday; lead bi-annual releases and module deployments.
• Own and prioritise the Workday backlog; establish governance and change management processes.
• Lead cross-functional stakeholders across HR, IT, Data, leadership, and external partners.
• Partner with IT to manage integrations, security, and compliance of the HR ecosystem.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three Workday Analysts.
• Manage relationships with Workday, implementation partners, and third-party vendors.
• Drive engagement, training, and global adoption of Workday across the business.

Skills

Workday HCM

Workday Recruiting

Workday Talent

Workday Compensation

Workday Benefits

Workday Absence

Job description

Are you a strategic Workday leader ready to shape a global HR digital transformation?

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Workday Product Owner to lead the global vision, roadmap, governance, and operating model for our clients' Workday platform.

As the core business owner for Workday, you will drive technology investments that deliver tangible business value, operational excellence, strict compliance, and an exceptional employee experience.

From leading the platform’s evolution from MVP to its full strategic potential to managing bi-annual releases and new module deployments, this role sits at the intersection of HR, IT, and global business strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Roadmap: Define and articulate the long-term Workday product vision and build a multi-year roadmap aligned with business and IT strategies.
• Platform Ownership & Evolution: Oversee the ongoing design, development, and maintenance of Workday. Lead bi-annual releases, enhancements, and new module deployments.
• Product Backlog & Governance: Own and prioritize the Workday product backlog. Establish robust governance and change management processes.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary liaison between HR stakeholders, IT, Data teams, internal leadership, and external partners.
• IT & Security Partnership: Partner closely with IT to manage integrations, resolve system issues, and ensure a robust, secure, and compliant HR ecosystem.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and build a high-performing product team of three Workday Analysts.
• Vendor & Budget Management: Own relationships with Workday, implementation partners, and third-party vendors, overseeing relevant platform budgets.
• Change Management & Adoption: Drive engagement, training, and global adoption of Workday across the wider business, ensuring user feedback translates into continuous service improvement.

What We Are Looking For

• Technical Expertise: Strong ability across Workday HCM and key modules (Recruiting, Talent, Compensation, Benefits, and Absence).
• Methodologies: Proven track record in Agile product management within HR tech environments.
• Strategic Influence & Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to prioritize roadmap items, make key investment recommendations, and balance risk, compliance, and business needs.
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication skills with a proven ability to build strong cross-functional relationships across HR, IT, Finance, Payroll, and Information Security.
• Change Leadership: Experience driving change management, training initiatives, and user adoption on a global scale.
• Vendor Management: Experience managing external implementation partners, consultants, and managed service providers.