Workday Payroll Configuration Lead
APN Consulting, Inc. • Remote • Contractor
Posted on Thu, Sep 24, 2026
Role: Workday Payroll Configuration Lead
Location: US Remote
Duration: 8 weeks
The Workday Payroll Configuration Lead is the primary technical owner for payroll configuration within Workday. This role translates payroll requirements into secure, scalable configuration; leads testing and controlled releases; resolves complex system issues; and builds durable internal capability through documentation, training, and knowledge transfer.
The role sits within HR Systems & Technology and works closely with Payroll, HR Operations, Finance, Benefits, Security, Integrations, and external payroll providers.
Workday Payroll Configuration and Process Ownership
- Own the design, configuration, documentation, and maintenance of Workday Payroll functionality and related business processes.
- Translate approved payroll requirements into sustainable configuration, including earnings, deductions, payroll inputs, calculations, retroactive processing, withholding, costing, settlement, and year-end processes.
- Evaluate downstream effects across HCM, Compensation, Benefits, Time Tracking, Absence, Reporting, Security, and integrations before implementing changes.
- Apply enterprise configuration standards and favor scalable design over one-off exceptions.
- Trains internal resource on Workday configuration.
- Create and execute unit, regression, end-to-end and post production validation plans for payroll changes.
- Lead technical triage and root-cause analysis for payroll system defects, calculate business impact, and drive issues through resolution.
- Monitor recurring defects and support trends to identify opportunities for process redesign, automation, and preventive controls.
- Complete structured knowledge transfer from the interim payroll configuration consultant and convert that knowledge into repeatable internal procedures.
- Maintain configuration, decision logs, runbooks, test libraries, release checklists, and support documentation.
- Train and mentor a designated backup resource so payroll configuration knowledge is not concentrated in one person.
- Develop functional understanding across the HR Technology team and reinforce clear boundaries between business ownership and system administration.
- Identify opportunities to simplify payroll processes, automate manual work, improve controls, and increase adoption of native Workday capabilities.
- Assess Workday releases and payroll product enhancements, recommend relevant features, and lead adoption through the governance process.
- Support the long-term global payroll strategy, including evaluation of capabilities that could be brought into Workday to reduce vendor complexity and operating cost.
- At least five years of experience supporting payroll technology, payroll operations, or enterprise HR systems, including at least three years of hands-on Workday Payroll configuration experience.
- Strong understanding of payroll processing, earnings, deductions, taxes, retroactivity, costing, settlements, reconciliations, and year-end requirements.
- Experience configuring Workday business processes and working across related areas such as HCM, Benefits, Time Tracking, Absence, Reporting, Integrations, and Security.
- Demonstrated experience with controlled system changes, test planning, defect management, production releases, documentation, and audit support.
- Ability to translate business requirements into maintainable technical solutions and explain design decisions to both functional and technical audiences.
- Strong analytical, problem solving, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
- Workday Payroll certification, Workday Pro accreditation, or comparable advanced Workday training.
- Experience with multi-state U.S. payroll, global payroll providers, payroll accounting, and complex enterprise organizations.
- Experience participating in Workday Payroll implementation, reimplementation, major redesign, acquisition integration, or global payroll transformation.
- Experience training internal team members and reducing reliance on external professional services.
We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where individuals from all backgrounds feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences to join our team and help us build a culture of belonging.
More live payroll_manager roles
- Senior Payroll Manager at OSI Careers — Warrenville, Illinois, United States
- Senior Payroll Manager at C.A.C. INDUSTRIES, INC. — Long Island City, New York, United States
- Payroll Manager at IFAC — Kilkenny, Ireland
- Payroll Manager at Wings Credit Union — Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
- Senior Payroll Manager at CBRE Government & Defense Services (Remote)
- Benefits and Payroll Manager at Nutramax Laboratories — Lancaster, South Carolina, US
- Payroll Manager at Summit Health CityMD — Rocky Hill, Connecticut, United States
- Lead, Payroll Architect at L3Harris (Remote)
- Payroll Supervisor at Roger Williams University — Bristol, Rhode Island, United States
- Payroll Manager at SK hynix — San Jose, California, United States
- Payroll Supervisor at Marriott Hotels Resorts — Dorado, PR, United States
- Global Payroll Manager at Genius Sports — New York, NY, US
- Manager, Payroll Operations & Control at University of British Columbia — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Senior Manager, Payroll at University of British Columbia — Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Manager - Payroll Operations, Pacific And Sea at Johnson Controls — Dalian-Liaoning-China
- Senior Manager, Payroll at Veeva Systems (Remote)
- Payroll Manager at JAS — Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Financial Accountant & Payroll Manager at CloudFactory (Remote)
- Payroll Manager at HCI Systems — Ontario, California, United States
- Payroll Manager at PrimeFlight Aviation Services — Sugar Land, Texas, United States
- Payroll Lead, United States at Ag Growth — Lenexa, KS, US
- Payroll Process Lead (Anz) at AECOM — City of Taguig, BONIFACIO STOPOVER, PH
- Payroll Manager at Cherry Bekaert — Fairfax, VA, United States
- Manager - Payroll Consulting & Mandatsverantwortung at PricewaterhouseCoopers — Zürich
- Payroll Manager, Emea (Eurasia) at Danaher — Warsaw, Poland
- Payroll Manager, Emea (Medna) at Danaher (Remote)
- Payroll Team Lead at Acadia Broadcasting — Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Human Resource Payroll Manager III at Innova Solutions — Wayne, Pennsylvania, United States
- Payroll Manager at Ministry of Defence — Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
- Payroll Manager at Hornbill — Providence, RI, United States
- Payroll Manager at Zaxby's — Florence, South Carolina, USA
- Manager Payroll Operations at Intuitive — Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States
- Manager Payroll Operations (US & Canada) at Intuitive — Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States
- Payroll Supervisor at Richland County School District One — United States
- Payroll Manager at Senra Systems — Redondo Beach, CA, United States
- Payroll Manager (Contractor) at National University (Remote)
- Payroll Manager at National University (Remote)