Senior Workday Payroll Specialist

Sandisk • Milpitas, CA

2d

About The Position

As a member of the Americas Payroll team, this role will be responsible for processing five payrolls across the region, supporting over 2,100 employees residing in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The Workday Payroll Specialist will initially play a critical role in the successful implementation of the Workday Payroll and Time Tracking system, including post-production activities. While the position begins with project-related responsibilities during implementation, its primary focus is U.S. payroll processing in Workday once the system is live. The role will transition from project handling/participation to ongoing payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll execution in the U.S., while maintaining strict adherence to applicable policies. Additionally, this position will serve as a backup for payroll processing for Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Canda utilizing ADP Celergo. The role requires close collaboration with key internal stakeholders which includes but limited to Workday IT team, benefits, stock, accounting, treasury, human resources, compensation, global mobility, and treasury team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, with a strong focus on Workday Payroll and Time Tracking modules, and extensive hands-on exposure to end-to-end U.S. Workday payroll processing ( MUST ).
• Successfully led at least two Workday implementations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, process mapping, and project management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to build strong partnerships and collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on experience with a variety of system applications, including: Workday Payroll and Time Tracking ( MUST )
• Workday Certified in U.S. Payroll/Fundamentals
• Ceridian Dayforce
• ADP Celergo and ADP Smart Compliance
• Various ticketing systems and time & attendance platforms within a multi-country payroll model

Nice To Haves

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
• Experience with payroll tax compliance across multiple countries.
• Familiarity with SOX controls and audit requirements.
• Strong knowledge of Workday reconciliation processes.
• Experience in process automation and leveraging technology for efficiency improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead involvement in the Workday system implementation project for payroll and time tracking modules.
• Participate in project-related meetings with key stakeholders and third-party vendors, including Workday, ADP, Experian, and Dayforce.
• Engage in requirement-gathering sessions and provide enhancement recommendations for the new system.
• Perform End-to-End Testing, Parallel Testing, Data Validation, and Regression Testing or Workday projects.
• Take primary responsibility for U.S. payroll processing in Workday after go-live, including end-to-end payroll reconciliation, payroll tax audits, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations before committing payroll each pay cycle.
• Partner with the U.S. Payroll Manager and other specialists to ensure complete accuracy of all U.S. payrolls processed in Workday.
• Identify enhancement opportunities in response to changing business needs, with a strong focus on automation and system optimization to streamline payroll processing.
• Stay up to date with Workday releases each year and recommend changes to improve departmental functionality and overall success.
• Troubleshoot payroll and time sheet related errors in Workday from a payroll operations perspective.
• Conduct regular audits of payroll tax processes to identify discrepancies, ensure compliance, and recommend process improvements.
• Maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Workday Payroll Processing and update them as needed.
• Provide backup payroll support for Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Argentina payroll operations.
• Respond to payroll inquiries from employees, business partners, and external vendors with professionalism and accuracy.
• Participate in system upgrades, vendor transitions, and compliance reviews related to payroll tax.
• Manage data integrity across multiple systems, ensuring consistency and accuracy of tax-related data.
• Support payroll-related projects and initiatives, including automation, process optimization, and compliance enhancements.
• Assist with internal and external payroll tax audits, including documentation preparation, issue resolution, and stakeholder coordination.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to QTD reconciliation, year-end activities, and audits as required.

Benefits

• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program, employee stock purchase plan, and the Sandisk's Savings 401(k) Plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees