People Systems Administrator, Workday

Apply; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Parental leave

Wellness stipend

Remote workspace stipend

Commuter benefits

401(k) matching

Flexible PTO

Sick time

Company holidays

Team events

Global offices

Job summary

Vanta is seeking a highly skilled People Systems Administrator to design, configure, and optimize Workday across Payroll, Benefits, and Absence. You will partner with People, Payroll, Finance, IT, and Legal to drive advanced solutions and improve the employee experience, shaping the Workday ecosystem for future needs.

You will own complex configurations, lead improvements, and manage change while ensuring adoption and compliance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in HRIS/People Systems with hands-on Workday configuration.
• Depth in Payroll, Benefits, or Absence, with working knowledge of the other two.
• Strong command of Workday security configuration, BP framework, rules, and calculated fields.
• Proven experience owning complex systems initiatives end to end.
• Authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
• Open to using AI to amplify skills and improve efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and configuration of the Workday platform across modules.
• Lead configurations across Core HCM, Payroll, Benefits, Absence, Time Tracking.
• Serve as the primary Workday expert, gathering requirements and translating problems into solutions.
• Build administration frameworks: security, tenant management, change control, testing, documentation.
• Design reusable, scalable solutions to prevent recurring issues.
• Own change management, communications, training, and adoption measures.
• Proactively analyze Workday processes and optimize for evolving needs.
• Stay ahead of Workday roadmap; assess impact, test, and prioritize releases.

Skills

Workday configuration

HRIS/People Systems

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Confidential data handling

AI to augment work

Authorized to work in the U.S.

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

At Vanta, our mission is to help businesses earn and prove trust.We believe that security should be monitored and verified continuously, and we empower companies to practice better security and prove it with ease. Vanta has a kind and talented team, and while some have prior security experience, many have been successful at Vanta without it.

We're looking for a highly skilled People Systems Administrator to drive the design, configuration, and optimization of Workday across Vanta, with deep functional ownership of the Payroll, Benefits, and/or Absence module(s).

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, People Systems, you'll act as a trusted consultant and system expert, partnering with functional leaders across People, Payroll, Finance, IT, and Legal to identify opportunities, implement advanced solutions, and improve the employee experience. You'll shape the future of our Workday ecosystem by leading complex configurations, driving process improvement, and making sure the system evolves ahead of the business rather than behind it.

What you’ll do as a People Systems Administrator, Workday at Vanta:

• Own the design and configuration of the Workday platform

  • Lead the design and implementation of configurations across Workday modules (Core HCM, Payroll, Benefits, Absence, Time Tracking) including business processes and security groups along with condition rules and calculated fields.

  • Serve as the primary technical expert for Workday enhancements, partnering with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and translate ambiguous business problems into scalable system solutions.

  • Build the administration frameworks and standards the team runs on: security role design, tenant and environment management, change control, testing protocols, and documentation.

  • Design reusable, scalable solutions rather than one-off fixes, so the same problem doesn't return in a different shape

  • Own change management for system changes. Plan and deliver stakeholder communications, training, and enablement so changes land with adoption rather than confusion, and measure whether they actually stuck.

• Drive continuous improvement

  • Proactively analyze Workday processes, integrations, and user interfaces to surface inefficiencies and optimize business processes as needs evolve.

  • Stay ahead of the Workday roadmap and release cycles — review release notes, assess feature impact, run regression testing, turn new functionality into concrete improvements and own release communication and prioritization across stakeholders.

  • Identify where the biggest manual lift sits across People Ops and proactively solve it, rather than waiting for the request.

How to be successful in this role:

• 5+ years in HRIS/People Systems, including significant hands‑on Workday configuration and administration.

• Demonstrated depth in at least one of the following Workday modules: Payroll, Benefits, or Absence, with working knowledge of the other two and how they interact. Workday certification preferred.

• Strong command of the Workday business process framework, security configuration, condition rules, and calculated fields.

• Proven experience owning complex systems initiatives end to end — not just executing assigned configuration tasks.

• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills, with the ability to translate business needs into technical solutions.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; effective working independently and collaboratively across teams.

• A track record of handling confidential employee data with care and designing systems that meet audit and compliance requirements.

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for current or future employer sponsorship.

• Open to using AI to amplify their skills and strengthen their work - demonstrating curiosity, a willingness to learn, and sound judgment in applying AI responsibly to improve efficiency and impact.

What you can expect as a Vanta’n:

• Industry‑competitive salary and equity

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of employee‑only benefit premiums covered for most medical plans

• 16 weeks paid Parental Leave for all new parents

• Health & wellness stipend

• Remote workspace, internet, and cellphone stipend

• Commuter benefits for team members who report to the SF and NYC office

• Family planning benefits

• Matching 401(k) contribution with immediate vesting

• Flexible PTO policy, plus 80 hours of Sick Time

• 11 company‑paid holidays

• Virtual team building activities, lunch and learns, and other company‑wide events!

• Offices in SF, NYC, London, Dublin, Tel Aviv, and Sydney

To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US‑based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar‑stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors and may vary based on candidate location, skills, depth of work experience, and relevant licenses/credentials.

#LI-remote

At Vanta, we are committed to hiring diverse talent of different backgrounds and as such, it is important to us to provide an inclusive work environment for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender identity, age, religion, sexual orientation, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply.

About Vanta

We started in 2018, in the wake of several high‑profile data breaches. Online security was only becoming more important, but we knew firsthand how hard it could be for fast‑growing companies to invest the time and manpower it takes to build a solid security foundation.Vanta was inspired by a vision to restore trust in internet businesses by enabling companies to improve and prove their security. From our early days automating security monitoring for compliance standards like SOC 2, HIPAA and ISO 27001 to creating the world's leading Trust Management Platform, our vision remains unchanged.

Now more than ever, making security continuous—not just a point‑in‑time check— is essential. Thousands of companies rely on Vanta to build, maintain and demonstrate their trust— all in a way that's real‑time and transparent.