Principal Workday Architect, Benefits – Absence

Role Overview

• Architect Global Benefits and Absence Plans: Own the strategic design and configuration of all absence and benefit plans, plan types, coverage levels, and complex eligibility rules, ensuring alignment with global and regional philosophies.
• Lead Enrollment Events: Configure and manage end-to-end Open Enrollment and Life Events/Change Benefits Events, defining workflow rules, validation processes, and the employee self-service experience.
• Own Carrier Integrations: Serve as the technical owner for the Workday Cloud Connect for Benefits, architecting and validating the secure and accurate transmission of enrollment and deduction data to external carriers.
• Benefits-to-Payroll Integration: Ensure the seamless integration of Benefit Deductions into Payroll, setting up the necessary Pay Components and mappings to guarantee accurate gross-to-net calculations and compliance (e.g., ACA reporting).
• Evaluate and shape new project and product requests for strategic fit, technical feasibility, and alignment with enterprise system architecture.
• Act as a thought partner to senior leadership and a mentor to HRIS and business analysts, fostering a culture of continuous learning and architectural excellence.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to People, Total Rewards, Finance, and IT leaders, translating complex business needs into scalable, maintainable Workday solutions.
• Partner with stakeholders to define problem statements, assess business impact, and ensure alignment between technology investments and business priorities.
• Ensure Workday architecture, configurations, and change management processes meet SOX compliance and audit standards, partnering closely with internal audit, InfoSec, and compliance teams.
• Champion governance practices across the Workday ecosystem, balancing flexibility with control to enable secure and compliant innovation.

Requirements

• A minimum of ten (10) years of hands-on, expert-level Workday configuration experience.
• At least seven (7) years of deep, primary functional expertise specifically within Workday Benefits and Absence for global companies.
• Mandatory: Proven architectural expertise in configuring and managing global Workday Benefits (Plan Setup, Eligibility, Enrollment Events, and Carrier Integrations).
• Mandatory: Proven, hands-on architectural experience managing and expanding global Workday Absence.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of demonstrated experience architecting, building, and governing complex Workday security, reporting, and calculated fields within high-risk functional areas.
• Proven track record as a Principal Architect/Lead for at least two major global Workday Benefits & Absence programs.
• Expert-level knowledge of global labor compliance requirements and how they translate into integrated Workday/CloudPay configuration.
• Direct, end-to-end ownership of SOX-compliant programs and processes related to Benefits & Absence programs.
• Exceptional executive-level written and verbal communication and negotiation skills, with a proven ability to influence CFO, VP of People, and CIO-level stakeholders on high-risk decisions.
• Project management experience with a demonstrated ability to effectively manage several objectives simultaneously while prioritizing and executing technology roadmap plans.
• Collaborative problem-solving approach; leverages relationships and strong business acumen to understand not only the 'what' the 'why' behind requests; displays empathy for partner teams.
• Ability to work core EST hours.

Tech Stack

• Cloud

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development
• Paid time off
• Bonuses
• Stock options