Workday Technical Lead, Payroll, Time & Absence

Guardian Life Insurance•New York, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Workday Technical Lead – Payroll, Time & Absence is responsible for the end-to-end technical ownership, design, and governance of Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, and Absence modules. This role serves as the system authority for the domain, ensuring scalable design, data integrity, and alignment with business and compliance requirements. This position operates within IT and partners closely with Payroll, HR, and external vendors to deliver reliable, efficient, and compliant solutions. While not responsible for payroll processing, this role is accountable for the systems and configurations that enable accurate payroll outcomes. Every day, Guardian helps our 29 million customers realize their dreams through a range of insurance and financial products and services. Our Purpose, to inspire well-being, guides our dedication to the colleagues, consumers, and communities we serve. We know that people count, and we go above and beyond to prepare them for the life they want to live, focusing on their overall well-being — mind, body, and wallet. As one of the largest mutual insurance companies, we put our customers first. Behind every bright future is a GuardianTM. Learn more about Guardian at guardianlife.com.

Requirements

5+ years of Workday experience with deep expertise in: Workday Payroll (U.S.), Time Tracking, Absence
Proven experience owning system design and configuration decisions
Strong understanding of payroll processes, compliance, and downstream impacts
Experience supporting integrations and data flows across systems
Demonstrated ability to lead complex problem-solving and root cause analysis

Nice To Haves

Workday certifications in Payroll, Time Tracking, or Absence
Experience with global payroll integrations and vendor coordination
Experience with Workday integrations (EIB, Studio, APIs)
Background in IT or HR technology environments

Responsibilities

Domain Ownership & Technical Leadership: Own the architectural and configuration guardrails for Payroll, Time, and Absence, coordinating execution while retaining accountability for outcomes. Establish and maintain standards for configuration, data integrity, and system governance. Make and guide key decisions on system design, scalability, and long-term architecture. Serve as the primary escalation point for complex system and payroll-impacting issues.
System Design & Configuration: Lead configuration of payroll elements, time tracking rules, and absence plans with a focus on scalability and maintainability. Ensure configurations support business requirements while minimizing downstream risk. Evaluate and redesign existing configurations to improve performance, accuracy, and usability.
Payroll Systems Enablement (U.S.): Ensure Workday Payroll configurations support accurate and compliant payroll processing. Partner with Payroll leadership to identify risks, gaps, and optimization opportunities. Own enterprise‑level resolution of payroll‑impacting issues, including root cause identification, risk mitigation, and long‑term remediation.
Global Payroll Integration (India – External Vendor): Own design and reliability of outbound payroll data integrations. Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and auditability across systems. Coordinate with external vendors to resolve systemic issues and improve processes.
Architecture, Integrations & Data: Own architectural decisions and trade‑offs for payroll, time, and absence integrations, balancing compliance, scalability, and operational risk (e.g., EIB, APIs, vendor feeds). Ensure alignment between Workday and downstream/upstream systems. Define and maintain data standards, controls, and validation processes.
Workday Release & Change Governance: Lead impact assessment and strategy for Workday biannual releases. Establish testing standards and ensure high-quality deployment of changes. Govern system changes to ensure stability and avoid unintended impacts.
Continuous Improvement & Strategy: Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual work, and improve system efficiency. Translate business needs into scalable, forward-looking system solutions. Shape and influence the broader HR technology roadmap, representing Payroll, Time, and Absence priorities and trade‑offs.
Stakeholder Leadership: Act as the primary technical advisor and decision partner to Payroll, HR, and IT stakeholders. Provide clear recommendations and guidance on system capabilities and limitations. Influence decision-making through expertise and data-driven insights.