Workday Platform Lead

Guidehouse•Chicago, IL

4d•$135,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Workday Technology Platform Lead serves as the senior technical owner of the HCM System of Record (Workday), accountable for platform stability, execution quality, and delivery outcomes. This role leads the Workday and People Analytics technical teams that support the HR organization, translating enterprise HR priorities into secure, scalable, and well governed technical solutions. Operating within the IT HCM portfolio, this role partners closely with the IT HCM Portfolio Lead, HR stakeholders, and vendors, and is recognized as a master technical authority for Workday and Human Capital data platforms.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree plus 8+ years of relevant experience; or 12+ years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
Deep, hands on expertise in Workday, including configuration, capabilities, limitations, integrations, and operational considerations.
Proven experience operating as a designated platform owner or senior technical lead, accountable for delivery outcomes.
Strong understanding of Workday lifecycle management, change processes, integrations, security, and operational support models.
Demonstrated ability to assess complex technical problems, formulate recommendations, and communicate risks and tradeoffs clearly to IT and executive leadership.
Experience coordinating work across IT delivery teams, integration partners, security, architecture, vendors, and HR stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
Advanced Workday certifications (e.g., Workday Pro – HCM Core, Absence, Talent & Performance, Advanced Compensation, Recruiting).
Master’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, or Data Science.
Experience with people analytics, reporting platforms, or data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
Demonstrated progression toward senior technical authority roles (e.g., Principal Platform Lead, Lead Architect, Distinguished Technologist).

Responsibilities

Serve as the day to day IT owner for Workday (HCM System of Record), accountable for execution, stability, and operational health.
Maintain deep expertise in Workday capabilities, constraints, configuration patterns, and roadmap, applying that knowledge to assess and recommend adoption, deferral, or avoidance of new features based on technical tradeoffs.
Translate HCM priorities defined in partnership with the IT HCM Portfolio Lead, the Chief People Officer, and HR leadership into executable technical work, leading delivery through assigned technical resources.
Own delivery execution for Workday changes and enhancements, including scope alignment, dependency management, risk mitigation, issue resolution, and escalation.
Ensure solutions comply with IT standards, security requirements, data privacy controls, and change management processes.
Oversee Workday reporting and people analytics capabilities, including dashboards, workforce metrics, and analytical outputs.
Coordinate with the Data, AI, and Analytics team to align with enterprise data governance standards, while ensuring HR reporting and analytics needs are met through clear data definitions, quality controls, and access management within the Workday platform.
Serve as the Human Capital data steward, ensuring consistent, accurate, compliant, and ethical use of employee data across systems.
Ensure data integrity and auditability across integrations, analytics, and downstream consumers.
Ensure operational readiness and platform stability, including release coordination, defect triage, incident follow up, and system health monitoring.
Coordinate Workday lifecycle activities such as upgrades, integrations, environment management, and operational handoffs across delivery and support teams.
Maintain clear documentation, backlog artifacts, design decisions, and delivery records to support governance, audit, and continuity.
Lead and provide technical direction to Workday and People Analytics professionals, including coaching, guidance, and capability development.
Apply deep Workday expertise to explain platform capabilities, constraints, and technical tradeoffs, supporting aligned technical decisions across HR, IT delivery teams, architecture, data, vendors, and partners.
Lead discussions with external stakeholders and vendors to align on technical approaches, delivery plans, and platform strategy.
Provide regular, factual updates to IT leadership on platform status, delivery progress, risks, and emerging technical opportunities.

Benefits

Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Basic Life & Supplemental Life
Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Student Loan PayDown
Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
Skills Development & Certifications
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
Mobility Stipend