Workday Platform Lead

Reports to Director of Technology - Group and Client Services

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Lead for Workday Support to oversee the development, maintenance, optimization, evolution and support of our Workday platform and associated integrated systems. This role will serve as the primary Technology liaison between IT, HR, Finance, and other business units to ensure the Workday system meets organizational needs and operates efficiently. Leadership of a dedicated team of professionals will be a integral to the success of the Workday support model, ensuring they keep abreast of industry changes, support requirements and business requirements as well as management of Application Management Support (AMS) external providers to support the support model.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Build, lead and manage the Workday support team, including performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Management of the Technology roadmap for the platform
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align Workday capabilities with business goals.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and system enhancements
• Ensure industry and market knowledge is up to date that will inform the continuous improvement programme.
• Represent Technology on the Workday Governance Board.

System Support & Maintenance

• Manage day-to-day operations and support for Workday modules (e.g., HCM, Finance, Recruiting, Time Tracking).
• Troubleshoot and resolve system issues, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Oversee system configuration, security roles, and user access.
• Own the delivery of Bi-Annual releases and functional upgrades.
• Manage the relationship with the Workday AMS provider
• Ownership of Business Continuity and Disaster recovery

Project Management

• Lead Workday-related projects including upgrades, new module implementations, integrations and continual improvement programme, coordinating with vendors and consultants as needed.
• Ensure timely delivery of projects within scope and budget.
• Ensure effective transition of Workday backlog items from initial deployment project into BAU support model, prioritising, planning and delivering required updates.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Workday-related enquiries from Finance and HR business owners as well as those directly involved in delivering their services.
• Own the delivery of platform training sessions, whether using in team resources or external whether within Aztec or external providers. Defining and ensuring the creation of documentation for end-users training.
• Gather and analyse business requirements for system enhancements.

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure data integrity, security, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Co-ordinate the development and maintain custom reports and dashboards.
• Produce and delivery of MI as required for the role and management purposes.

Budgeting

• Own budget spend for the team and platform.
• Contribute to the departmental / Technology budgeting cycle.
• Maintaining spend within budget.

Skills, knowledge and expertise:

• Demonstrable experience with Workday in a senior Technology, Change or Finance role in a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstratable experience in establishing and maintaining a best in class Workday support model.
• Proven experience in understanding and interpreting business requirements and, working in consultation with architecture and other technology stakeholders, help inform appropriate technology solutions within a Workday context.
• Experience of system integrations with platforms outside of the Workday environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across different business lines and in multiple regions.
• Ability to own and resolve problems dealing with escalations and client needs and communicating complex tech considerations in plain English.
• Communicates with clarity and confidence at all levels; adapts style and content to the needs of the audience by being inspirational, avoiding ‘tech jargon’ where appropriate and helping business stakeholders to understand proposed solutions and/or options.
• Demonstrable ability to influence senior personnel within large organisation and help non-business and non-tech savvy stakeholders understand their performance and consequent actions.
• Demonstratable people leadership, development and management experience, preference being with distributed teams.
• Excellent interpersonal skills are required to develop close working relationships with colleagues, clients, and business contacts.
• Uses active listening skills to communicate data (both written and verbal) in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner.
• Sound technical and reporting experience with the ability to develop positioning papers and consolidate information for Tech and Business leadership teams.
• Preferably, although not essential, holds a relevant qualification, ideally with experience in business partnering and delivering commercial value.
• Exposure to financial services, in particular a fund services business, will be an added advantage.