Workday Payroll Systems Engineer

Releady; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Releady is seeking a Senior Workday Payroll Systems Engineer to lead the design, configuration, and optimization of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence modules. You will own end-to-end payroll processes, ensuring compliance and data accuracy across multiple states.

You’ll drive automation, AI-enabled efficiencies, and integration excellence while partnering with HR, Payroll, Finance, and IT. This role supports a 6-month contract-to-hire engagement, with remote or hybrid work and CA-based

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience implementing, supporting, and configuring Workday Payroll, including Time Tracking and Absence in a multi-state environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll compliance, audits, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end data flows across HR, payroll, and financial systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, configuration, and ongoing optimization of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence modules.
• Design and configure advanced complex payroll business processes including earnings, deductions, taxes, accruals, time calculations, and pay rules.
• Own end-to-end payroll system support, including audits, reconciliations, compliance validation, and issue resolution.
• Partner cross-functionally with Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex system issues by performing root cause analysis and implementing sustainable solutions.
• Lead full lifecycle Workday Payroll implementations, including requirements gathering, configuration, testing, deployment, and stabilization.
• Serve as the functional and technical SME for Payroll, Time Tracking, Absence, and related Workday HCM functionality.
• Develop and maintain advanced Workday calculated fields, eligibility rules, condition logic, and reporting solutions.
• Provide hands-on day-to-day support for Workday HCM modules, ensuring system stability and high service levels.
• Drive Workday release management activities, including feature evaluation, regression testing, and production rollout.
• Manage and deliver projects such as system enhancements, new implementations, and continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve Workday configuration, streamline business processes, and enhance the user experience.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities within payroll processes (e.g., validations, reconciliations, exception handling) to improve accuracy and reduce manual effort.
• Leverage Workday capabilities and adjacent tools to enable data-driven insights and proactive issue detection (e.g., payroll anomalies, audit flags).
• Partner with platform and analytics teams to support AI-enabled reporting, intelligent workflows, and predictive insights that enhance payroll operations.
• Contribute to the broader enterprise AI strategy by embedding automation and intelligent decision support into payroll workflows.
• Support and maintain integrations with downstream and third-party systems (e.g., finance, benefits, time, or vendors).
• Collaborate with integration teams to design, support, and optimize inbound and outbound payroll integrations across systems.
• Support design and validation of API-based and file-based integrations, including data mappings, transformations, and error handling.
• Partner with engineering teams to ensure integrations are scalable, secure, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards.
• Lead testing efforts including unit testing, parallel payroll testing, and user acceptance testing to ensure solutions meet business requirements.
• Support knowledge transfer through documentation, training, and best-practice guidance to HR and Payroll stakeholders.

Skills

Workday Payroll

Time Tracking

Absence

Automation

AI-enabled efficiencies

Integrations

HCM

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday Studio

API-based Integrations

EIBs

Job description

OVERVIEW

Our client is seeking a Workday Payroll Systems Engineer, Senior who will play a critical role in the design, delivery, and continuous optimization of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence solutions. This position partners with HR, Payroll, Finance, and IT to drive accurate payroll processing, regulatory compliance, and scalable system performance.

In addition to core functional expertise, this role is expected to drive automation, AI-enabled efficiencies, and integration excellence across the payroll ecosystem, supporting a modern, data-driven Workday platform.

*Must be eligible to work on W2 without sponsorship. Not eligible for C2C.

• Pay Rate: $60 – $65/hr
• Duration: 6-month contract-to-hire
• Location: Remote or Hybrid; 2x/week in office if located in CA. Must reside in the following states: CA, WA, OH, CA, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, MD, MN, NV, OR, AL, IL, VA, WI, TX, NY

The focus is on:

• Design, configuration, and optimization of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence
• Advanced complex payroll business processes — earnings, deductions, taxes, accruals, time calculations, and pay rules
• End-to-end payroll system support, audits, reconciliations, and compliance validation
• Automation, AI-enabled efficiencies, and integration excellence across the payroll ecosystem

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, configuration, and ongoing optimization of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence modules.
• Design and configure advanced complex payroll business processes including earnings, deductions, taxes, accruals, time calculations, and pay rules.
• Own end-to-end payroll system support, including audits, reconciliations, compliance validation, and issue resolution.
• Partner cross-functionally with Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex system issues by performing root cause analysis and implementing sustainable solutions.
• Lead full lifecycle Workday Payroll implementations, including requirements gathering, configuration, testing, deployment, and stabilization.
• Serve as the functional and technical SME for Payroll, Time Tracking, Absence, and related Workday HCM functionality.
• Develop and maintain advanced Workday calculated fields, eligibility rules, condition logic, and reporting solutions.
• Provide hands-on day-to-day support for Workday HCM modules, ensuring system stability and high service levels.
• Drive Workday release management activities, including feature evaluation, regression testing, and production rollout.
• Manage and deliver projects such as system enhancements, new implementations, and continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve Workday configuration, streamline business processes, and enhance the user experience.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities within payroll processes (e.g., validations, reconciliations, exception handling) to improve accuracy and reduce manual effort.
• Leverage Workday capabilities and adjacent tools to enable data-driven insights and proactive issue detection (e.g., payroll anomalies, audit flags).
• Partner with platform and analytics teams to support AI-enabled reporting, intelligent workflows, and predictive insights that enhance payroll operations.
• Contribute to the broader enterprise AI strategy by embedding automation and intelligent decision support into payroll workflows.
• Support and maintain integrations with downstream and third-party systems (e.g., finance, benefits, time, or vendors).
• Collaborate with integration teams to design, support, and optimize inbound and outbound payroll integrations across systems.
• Support design and validation of API-based and file-based integrations, including data mappings, transformations, and error handling.
• Partner with engineering teams to ensure integrations are scalable, secure, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards.
• Lead testing efforts including unit testing, parallel payroll testing, and user acceptance testing to ensure solutions meet business requirements.
• Support knowledge transfer through documentation, training, and best-practice guidance to HR and Payroll stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferred in Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources, or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience implementing, supporting, and configuring Workday Payroll, including Time Tracking and Absence in a multi-state environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll compliance, audits, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end data flows across HR, payroll, and financial systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects, influence stakeholders, and translate business requirements into technical solutions.

Integrations & Tooling

• Experience supporting Workday integrations (Workday Studio, API-based integrations, EIBs) and downstream systems preferred.
• Exposure to automation tools, reporting platforms, or analytics solutions (e.g., Workday Prism, Adaptive, or similar).

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with AI-enabled workflow optimization or intelligent automation use cases within HR or Payroll.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other non-merit factor. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees.