Sr. Manager, People Technology and AI Enablement

Blue Shield of California•Oakland, CA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The People & Engagement Technology team is a critical member of the Corporate Platform in the IT Applications organization and is responsible for providing technical and functional leadership for multiple HR Technology products within the Corporate Platform. The team delivers product and system solutions that support digital transformation, automation, application security, regulatory compliance, and end‑user support. The Sr. Manager, People Technology and AI Enablement is a strategic, solution‑driven, and results‑oriented leader accountable for the ownership, stability, and continuous evolution of Workday Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll. This role leads a mid‑size team of HR Technology professionals and serves as the functional and solution leader for Total Rewards and Payroll across the enterprise. In this role, you will work collaboratively across People & Engagement COEs, enterprise IT, Finance, Analytics & Reporting, Planning, and external partners to evaluate vendor solutions, design, build, and implement technology solutions, and enhance deployed applications. You will also play a key role in operationalizing AI‑enabled capabilities and agent‑assisted workflows to improve accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and employee experience. Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience with a minimum of 10 years of relevant HR technology experience, including at least 4 years of people management
Strong understanding of Human Resources functions, Total Rewards, Payroll, and end‑to‑end HR business processes
A minimum of 5 years of hands‑on Workday experience including configuration, optimization, and post‑implementation ownership
Advanced expertise in Workday Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll
Demonstrated experience embedding AI and agentic capabilities into HR operations, including the design and enablement of intelligent automation, event-driven orchestration, decision augmentation, and autonomous or semi-autonomous agents to enhance compensation, benefits, and payroll processes
Significant experience leading complex, enterprise‑wide system implementations or major enhancements
Proven ability to lead through influence, manage stakeholders, and deliver measurable outcomes with urgency and accountability
Critical thinker with the ability to develop multi-year product and technology roadmap and innovative solutions
Demonstrates a strong bias for action, delivering measurable outcomes with urgency and accountability while maintaining quality and compliance
Ability to lead through influence, manage stakeholders, and serve as a leader across People & Engagement projects
Advanced knowledge and skills including technical or functional expertise, business acumen, risk management, delegation skills, and decision-making skills
Experience with building high-performance teams by providing guidance, coaching, and training to team members
Excellent verbal / written communication, collaboration, analytical and presentation skills

Nice To Haves

Advanced expertise in Workday HCM, Security, Reporting, and Integrations preferred
Experience with APIs, web services (REST/SOAP), MuleSoft middleware or Workday Studio preferred
Strong understanding of HR data models, data governance, privacy, and compliance requirements preferred
Experience with Workday dashboards, Prism Analytics, Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools preferred
Knowledge of cloud architecture, SSO, and security protocols (SAML, OAuth) preferred
Experience working in Agile or product‑oriented delivery models using tools such as Jira and Confluence preferred

Responsibilities

Own the multi‑year product strategy and roadmap for Workday Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll, aligned to People & Engagement Technology objectives
Partner with HR, Finance, Payroll, and IT leaders to define vision, prioritize capabilities, and deliver high‑impact outcomes
Lead the full product lifecycle, from strategy through execution, risk management, and continuous improvement and serve as a senior leader for enterprise HR platform transformation, acting as a quarterback across COEs, integrators, and technical teams
Oversee end‑to‑end solution delivery, including configuration, integrations, data migration, security, testing, and privacy
Act as design authority for Total Rewards and Payroll ensuring scalable, secure, and compliant configuration, owning complex Workday configuration across compensation, benefits, payroll, and business process frameworks, while maintaining strong platform fluency across other modules
Provide end‑to‑end system leadership for Payroll, Compensation, and Benefits, owning payroll execution (parallel runs, cutovers, audits, and year‑end), supporting cyclical programs (merit, bonus, equity, open enrollment), and serving as Tier‑3 escalation owner to resolve complex Total Rewards and Payroll issues with durable, scalable fixes.
Lead the enablement of AI‑driven and AI‑assisted capabilities within Workday to improve accuracy, efficiency, and proactive operations
Design and deliver AI‑supported use cases such as anomaly detection, intelligent validations, exception monitoring, and admin decision support
Partner with Enterprise AI, Data, and Analytics teams to deploy agent‑based and event‑driven automation that surfaces insights and triggers actions within governance boundaries
Ensure responsible AI adoption aligned with privacy, security, regulatory, and ethical standards
Lead and develop a high‑performing HR Technology organization, establishing strong configuration governance, change management, and reporting to drive clear outcomes, while acting as a trusted leader recognized for integrity, empathy, and influence