Principal Workday Architect, Talent & Compensation

Role Overview

• Lead design for Talent Development & Management programs: Own the strategic design and configuration of annual performance review cycles, promotion cycles, talent development (talent reviews, succession planning, etc.)
• Lead design for annual compensation planning events: Own the strategic design and configuration of compensation planning program and reward statements
• Uplevel Toast’s current talent program offerings by assessing opportunities to leverage Workday to achieve efficiency and utilization of talent programs
• 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 Talent & Advanced Compensation
• Mandatory: Proven architectural expertise in configuring and managing global Talent programs (performance review cycles, development plans, talent reviews, succession planning)
• Mandatory: Proven, hands-on architectural experience managing and expanding global Advanced Compensation (running compensation cycles that include merit, bonus, and equity, managing a variety of compensation plans and matrices)
• 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 Performance Review and Compensation Planning cycles
• Direct, end-to-end ownership of SOX-compliant programs and processes related to Talent & Compensation 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.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits programs
• Health insurance
• Flexible work arrangements