Workday Financials Functional SME

CUNY Central Office; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking a Workday Financials Functional SME to lead and optimize Workday Financials across campus finance teams. The role reports to the University Director of Decision Support and Operations and collaborates with OBF, CIS, and multiple campuses to maximize system value.

You will own configurations, guide end users, develop training, and coordinate with Finance, IT, HR to implement scalable processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and six years' related experience required.
• Experience with Workday Financials and cross-functional collaboration.
• Preferred Workday certification and public sector/Higher Education exposure.

Responsibilities

• Develop and serve as the senior SME in key Workday Financial areas and optimize implementations.
• Collaborate with Finance, IT, HR and stakeholders to translate requirements into Workday solutions.
• Troubleshoot issues, guide end-users, and deliver ongoing training and support.
• Coordinate with campuses to maximize Workday Financials usage and improvements.

Skills

Workday Financials

Cross-functional collaboration

Training & support

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Workday certification (preferred)

Job description

Workday Financials Functional SME

Job ID: 31539

Location: Central Office

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

POSITION DETAILS

The City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking a highly skilled Workday Financials Functional Subject Matter Expert (SME) to play a critical role in managing and optimizing the Workday Financials functional areas. The position is part of the Office of Budget and Finance (OBF) and works closely with the Computing & Information Services (CIS) department to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the University’s financial system.

The role will also involve collaboration with finance professionals at OBF and across all CUNY campuses to maximize the use of Workday Financials within CUNYWork, the University’s transition from its legacy PeopleSoft ERP system to a modern SaaS-based platform. The incumbent will report to the University Director of Decision Support and Operations and contribute to the ongoing optimization of Workday Financials.

Key duties include, but are not limited the following:

• Develop and serve as the senior subject matter expert in key Workday Financial functional areas, including Financial Accounting, Budgets, Adaptive Planning, Banking and Settlement, Gift and Endowment Accounting, Investments, Revenue and Customer Accounts, Grants Management, Procurement, Supplier Accounts, Expenses, Business Assets, and Capital Projects; SMEs will provide strategic insights to ensure these areas are effectively implemented and optimized while maintaining flexibility to support other functional areas as needed.
• Manage cross-functional collaboration with Finance, IT, HR, and other stakeholders to gather business requirements and translate them into efficient Workday Financials solutions.
• Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for Workday Financials, providing guidance and support to end-users while troubleshooting system issues to ensure smooth operations.
• Develop and manage Workday Financials configurations - including Business Processes, Account Posting Rules, and security assignments - in collaboration with Finance, Accounting, and Budget teams, and troubleshoot issues to ensure seamless system performance.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance financial processes and create scalable, repeatable solutions that support finance teams across CUNY.
• Monitor system performance and manage troubleshooting efforts to ensure Workday Financials operates efficiently; evaluate feature releases (upgrades) and service updates, and address issues proactively to maintain smooth system operations.
• Develop and deliver training programs to ensure finance professionals and end-users across campuses are proficient in Workday Financials; provide ongoing support to enhance system utilization.
• Collaborate with other departments (HR, Procurement, etc.) to integrate Workday Financials with other CUNY systems, streamlining financial operations and improving cross-departmental collaboration.

NOTE

Until further notice, this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum:

Bachelor's degree and six years' related experience required.

Preferred:

• A degree in computer science, business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field.; at least two years of experience working with Workday Financials.
• Comprehensive hands-on expertise across multiple Workday Financials areas—such as accounting, budgeting, grants, procurement, and capital projects—with proven ability to deliver strategic solutions in complex environments, ideally supported by Workday certification.
• Direct experience in the Public Sector or Higher Education is highly preferred, with a strong understanding of fund accounting, compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Experience with large-scale system implementations, particularly with SaaS-based solutions like Workday.
• Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Finance, IT, and Human Resources professionals, to drive system improvements.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to address complex system issues.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead training initiatives and support users across multiple campuses.

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Assists in managing the University's financial operations, including accounting, reporting, analysis, and compliance activities.

• - Advises University and College managers on funding appropriateness and proposes fiscal solutions to resolve academic and/or administrative issues
• - Participates in developing University-wide budgeting policies and procedures; interprets and ensures compliance with University, State, and City policies, guidelines, rules and regulations
• - Participates in strategic planning and re-engineering efforts; evaluates outcomes and makes recommendations regarding resources
• - Develops and recommends fiscal policies and controls
• - Prepares and manages the production of financial, statistical, and analytical reports
• - Collaborates with government agencies, auditors, and others as needed
• - May negotiate contracts
• - May hire, supervise and train finance and/or clerical staff, and manage related administrative functions
• - Performs related duties as assigned.

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Associate

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range is $109,898 - $129,041, commensurate with credentials, education, and experience.

CUNY is in the process of implementing salary schedule increases. Once implemented, salaries of eligible employees will be adjusted by 3.5% effective 9/1/26, in accordance with the terms of the PSC-CUNY collective bargaining agreement.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

CLOSING DATE

September 30, 2026. (Revised)

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.