Workday Business Analyst

Ensign Services • San Juan Capistrano, CA

5h • $85,000 - $100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Workday Payroll Business Systems Analyst (BSA) you will be in an analytical role —rather than system configuration-heavy—capacity, acting as a strategic bridge between the Payroll, accounting department and the IT/HRIS teams. While a configuration specialist builds the system, this analyst focuses on requirements gathering, data integrity, and process optimization to ensure the system effectively supports business goals.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys the "puzzle" of systems and wants to build a career in specialized payroll accounting.

Requirements

• Functional Knowledge: Strong understanding of U.S. payroll regulations, tax laws, and gross-to-net processing.
• Analytical Ability: Proficient in Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP) for data validation.
• Experience: 5+ years in Payroll Operations or Business Analysis with a heavy emphasis on business process analysis and stakeholder collaboration.
• Analytical Mindset: Ability to translate complex policy and business requirements into clear, actionable business procedures.
• Tech Savvy: Proficiency in enterprise HCM/Payroll systems (e.g., Workday, ADP, SAP) and process mapping tools (e.g., Lucidchart, Visio).
• Communication: Exceptional technical and business writing skills with the ability to explain "the why" behind policy/procedure changes to non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative team player who works well with others across functions.

Nice To Haves

• High School degree minimum or some college experience and/or equivalent related experience.
• Workday Experience: Functional experience with Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence Management.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation.
• Experience in multi-state or union payroll environments.
• Six Sigma or Lean certification for process improvement.
• Basic knowledge of Workday HCM and ADP Tax, highly preferred
• Strong Analytical skills
• Strong initiative and ability to manage multiple projects
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, above average Excel skills with Excel tools to analyze large data
• Ability to complete projects timely and accurately
• Must be detail oriented with strong organizational and analytical skills
• High School degree minimum or some college experience and/or equivalent related experience.

Responsibilities

• Requirements Gathering & Analysis: Partner with Payroll and Finance stakeholders to document complex business needs and translate them into functional specifications for technical teams.
• Functional Documentation: Create detailed functional specifications, user stories, and process flow diagrams to guide technical teams, without performing the technical configuration yourself.
• Testing & Quality Assurance: Lead User Acceptance Testing (UAT), parallel testing, and regression testing for Workday releases, ensuring payroll results (gross-to-net) are accurate.
• Data Analysis & Auditing: Conduct regular audits of payroll data to ensure integrity, troubleshooting discrepancies in deductions, earnings, and tax settings.
• Reporting & Insights: Design and maintain advanced reports and dashboards (e.g. labor costing) to provide actionable workforce analytics.
• Process Improvement: Analyze current payroll processes, identify efficiencies, and recommend changes to workflows within Workday to improve user experience.
• Liaison & Support: Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) to troubleshoot issues, working with Accounting, Human Resources and IT partners.
• Training & SOPs: Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and job aids to support end-users.

Benefits

• medical/dental/vision coverage
• company-provided life insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• sick/vacation plans
• access to our fully equipped onsite gym (San Juan Capistrano office location)
• supporting our employee’s professional growth and development through our Learning Management System as well as training sessions and seminars

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees