Systems Engineer

Join a leading organization, partnered with Aquent, that stands at the forefront of its industry, committed to enhancing the well-being and success of its extensive workforce. This company is a beacon of innovation and operational excellence, consistently leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive its mission forward and create a significant, positive impact on people's lives.

Are you ready to truly shape the future of compensation strategies across a vast, dynamic enterprise? We are seeking a visionary and highly skilled professional to step into a pivotal role, driving the optimization and transformation of our critical compensation systems. This is an extraordinary opportunity to become the functional owner for essential compensation processes, directly influencing enterprise strategy and ensuring our reward programs are fair, competitive, and exceptionally effective. Your expertise will not only revolutionize operational efficiency but will also profoundly impact associate experience and financial outcomes, making a tangible difference in the lives of thousands.

What You'll Do

• Lead the comprehensive lifecycle of Workday Compensation solutions, spanning from strategic design and meticulous configuration to thorough testing, successful implementation, and robust ongoing support.
• Act as the primary functional owner for all compensation-related processes, including annual planning cycles, intricate incentive and bonus programs, eligibility criteria, salary structures, market adjustments, one-time payments, and compensation statements.
• Translate complex business requirements into robust, scalable, and sustainable Workday system capabilities, offering expert solution recommendations that drive efficiency and effectiveness.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders, championing continuous improvement initiatives, proactively identifying opportunities for automation and process optimization, and rigorously evaluating new Workday functionality.
• Lead complex initiatives with precision, meticulously assessing cross-functional impacts, and actively supporting governance and release management activities to ensure seamless transitions.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting and swift resolution for critical production issues, ensuring uninterrupted and seamless operational flow.
• Influence enterprise strategy as a senior subject matter expert, mentor team members, and deliver strategic recommendations to leadership on critical matters impacting operations, finance, compliance, and the overall associate experience.

What You Bring

• You must be authorized to work in the United States and not require sponsorship of any kind for the duration of the assignment. This position requires you to be able to work on a W-2 basis; C2C or 1099 is not permitted.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• 10+ years of dedicated experience in HR technology, HRIS, enterprise systems, or related domains, with significant expertise in leading complex configuration initiatives.
• 5+ years of hands-on Workday configuration experience, demonstrating deep expertise in Workday Advanced Compensation and related HCM functionality.
• Proven experience configuring and supporting comprehensive compensation processes, including annual compensation planning, merit increases, bonus and incentive programs, compensation eligibility, salary structures, and one-time payments.
• Demonstrated ability to expertly gather business requirements, conduct insightful solution design, and translate complex business needs into scalable Workday solutions.
• Extensive experience leading testing activities, including unit testing, system integration testing (SIT), user acceptance testing (UAT), release validation, and production deployment.
• A track record of successful partnership with diverse stakeholders such as Compensation, Total Rewards, HR, Finance, Payroll, and Technology teams to deliver impactful enterprise-wide solutions.
• Proven ability to provide strategic recommendations, effectively influence business decisions, and lead complex projects or workstreams within a large, matrixed organization.

What Sets You Apart

• Workday Pro certification or accreditation in Compensation, Advanced Compensation, HCM, or a related Workday discipline.
• Experience leading large-scale Workday implementations, optimization initiatives, or enterprise compensation transformations.
• Strong knowledge of compensation structures, job architecture, market pricing, salary grade administration, and annual compensation planning processes.
• Proficiency with Workday reporting, dashboards, Prism Analytics, calculated fields, and leveraging data for robust decision support.
• Experience mentoring configuration professionals and influencing technology strategy within a large, complex enterprise environment.