IT Workday Payroll & Absence Configuration Analyst

Transamerica•Cedar Rapids, IA

23h•$84,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced IT Workday Configuration Analyst with hands-on payroll processing experience. Someone in this role partners closely with the operations payroll team to design, configure, and maintain Workday’s payroll, absence, and time-tracking functionality to ensure accuracy, compliance, and smooth end-to-end processing. They translate business requirements into system configurations, troubleshoot issues, and optimize workflows so payroll operations can run reliably and efficiently. The ideal candidate has processed payroll end-to-end, understands gross-to-net calculations, tax setup, pay components, absence rules, and has the technical aptitude to build, test, and maintain the Aeon Workday solution.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education/experience, preferably in IT or a business area discipline (i.e. accounting, investments, or marketing).
Minimum of 5 or more years of experience in business systems analysis.
2-4 years of industry experience also preferred.
Two years of experience managing technical projects in a complex environment.
Hands-on payroll processing experience (e.g., calculating payroll, resolving payroll issues, managing pay periods, supporting audits, handling garnishments, validating taxes). This experience is essential to understanding payroll scenarios when configuring Workday.
Strong knowledge of U.S. payroll concepts, including earnings, deductions, taxes, retroactivity, off-cycle payments, gross-to-net processing, year-end activities, and compliance.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail and data accuracy.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Proven experience with end-to-end payroll processing, balancing, and issue resolution.
Solid gross-to-net knowledge, including earnings, deductions, and taxes.
Ability to troubleshoot payroll exceptions and perform root cause analysis.
Skilled in reconciliation, audit readiness, and maintaining data accuracy.
Understanding of how time, absence, and benefits impact payroll.
Knowledge of garnishments and third-party payments.
Clear, professional communication and strong customer service orientation.
Process-improvement mindset with a focus on accuracy and efficiency.
High level of confidentiality and integrity with sensitive pay data.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.
This is a hybrid position requiring three days in office per week in one of our hub locations (Philadelphia, PA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Denver, CO).

Nice To Haves

Workday experience would be ideal but not required; candidates with strong payroll processing experience and a willingness to complete Workday training will be considered.
Experience supporting multi-state payroll environments.

Responsibilities

Workday Configuration & Support · Configure, maintain, and optimize Workday Payroll and Workday Absence, including pay components, earnings, deductions, and time-off plans.
Develop and update business processes, calculated fields, condition rules, validation rules, and security related to Payroll and Absence.
Partner with cross-functional IT and HR teams to ensure configuration aligns with business requirements and Workday best practices.
Troubleshoot system issues and support payroll operations by identifying root causes and recommending process or configuration improvements.
Testing & Deployment · Create and execute test plans for enhancements, patches, and Workday releases.
Validate payroll results, retro calculations, gross-to-net, taxes, and off-cycle runs—to ensure post-configuration accuracy.
Support bi-annual Workday releases by analyzing impacts, conducting regression testing, and adopting new functionality.
Project & Stakeholder Management · Translate business requirements into clear, actionable system specifications and configuration solutions.
Work with payroll and absence partners to ensure Workday setup complies with federal, state, and local tax and labor regulations as they provide those changing requirements.
Provide guidance and training to HR, Payroll, and operational teams on Workday functionality, configuration changes, and process impacts.

Benefits

Competitive Pay
Bonus for Eligible Employees
Benefits Package
Pension Plan
401k Match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Tuition Reimbursement
Disability Insurance
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Employee Discounts
Career Training & Development Opportunities
Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
Adoption Assistance
Employee Assistance Program
Back-Up Care Program
PTO for Volunteer Hours
Employee Matching Gifts Program
Employee Resource Groups
Inclusion and Diversity Programs
Employee Recognition Program
Referral Bonus Programs