Senior Manager, Finance Process Owner (Hire to Retire)

Workday•Atlanta, GA

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance Transformation Office (FTO) drives the modernization and optimization of Workday’s global finance function. At the heart of this effort is the Finance Process Ownership team—responsible for governing and transforming the end-to-end processes that enable scale, control, and efficiency across the Finance organization. By integrating strategic process design with technology innovation, automation, and continuous improvement, this team ensures Finance operates with simplicity, accuracy, and insight—empowering Workday to be its own best Customer Zero. We are seeking a Senior Manager, Finance Process Owner (Hire to Retire) to lead the optimization and governance of Workday’s Payroll and Stock Administration value streams. Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Finance Process Owner, this individual will be the primary architect for the end-to-end design and performance of these critical people-finance pillars. The Senior Manager will drive day-to-day execution and lead a team focused on elevating H2R processes, ensuring that global payroll and equity workflows are seamlessly integrated into our digital ecosystem. This role is a unique blend of technical payroll/stock expertise and digital transformation, partnering closely with People & Purpose (HR), Payroll Operations, Stock Admin, and Product teams to showcase world-class use of Workday HCM and Payroll.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in Payroll, Stock Administration, or Finance Transformation, with a heavy emphasis on the Hire to Retire lifecycle.
Deep functional knowledge of global payroll operations, equity-based compensation (RSUs, ESPP, Options), and the resulting accounting/tax implications.
Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field
Proven experience using or deploying Workday HCM and Payroll is essential; you should understand the technical interplay between HR data and financial outcomes.
The ability to translate complex global payroll and equity regulations into scalable, digital process flows.
Outstanding ability to influence stakeholders at the Senior Manager+ level across People & Purpose, Payroll, and Product organizations.
A track record of leading teams through digital shifts, moving from manual manual-entry work to automated, system-driven outcomes.
A passion for being a "power user" and advocate for Workday technology, helping to refine the product through internal excellence.

Nice To Haves

CPP, CEP, or CPA designation is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Define and maintain the global end-to-end process standards for the finance portions of Hire to Retire, specifically Payroll execution and Stock Administration workflows.
Establish frameworks that drive consistency between HR, Finance, and Legal, ensuring that equity grants and payroll cycles are integrated into the core financial reporting process.
Partner with the Global Payroll and Equity leaders to ensure process integrity, SOX compliance, and statutory audit readiness across all jurisdictions.
Lead the identification and elimination of process friction in global payroll cycles and equity administration workflows.
Develop and manage KPIs to track "Payroll Accuracy," "Stock Settlement Cycle Time," and "Operational Cost per Employee."
Drive continuous improvement culture, utilizing automation to streamline complex multi-national payroll and stock reporting requirements.
Champion automation opportunities such as machine learning for payroll anomaly detection and automated tax withholding for stock vestings.
Test and pilot new Workday features within the H2R suite, providing a feedback loop to Product Management to influence the future of the platform.
Lead and mentor Business Analysts and Process Specialists, fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, and technical excellence.