Workday Payroll Consultant – Healthcare

Workday Payroll Consultant – HealthcareClient location: NYCRemote with some travelNotes: Wants a worker-bee! Must be great with Excel!Must be able to go onsite first few months then remote - flexible on when the onsite is needed.Strongly prefers someone close by but open.Position SummarySeeking a consultant who will be responsible for leading the design, standardization, and optimization of payroll processes and configurations across a multi-entity network environment. This role focuses on aligning disparate payroll practices into a unified, compliant, and scalable Workday payroll framework. The consultant will serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for Workday Payroll, ensuring operational consistency, regulatory compliance, data integrity, and system efficiency across all business units.Key ResponsibilitiesLead the development and implementation of standardized payroll policies, processes, and controls across the network.Harmonize pay rules, earnings codes, deductions, tax treatments, and payroll calendars across multiple entities.Establish governance frameworks for payroll configuration changes, approvals, and version control.Define and document standardized payroll operating models, procedures, and workflows.Configure and maintain Workday Payroll, including earnings, deductions, taxation, retro processing, and off-cycle payrolls.Support payroll parallel testing, validation, and reconciliation activities during standardization and deployment phases.Ensure accurate integration between Workday Payroll, Time Tracking, Absence Management, Benefits, and Financials.Ensure payroll configurations comply with federal, state, and local regulations (e.g., FLSA, tax compliance, wage/hour laws, union agreements where applicable).Partner with Legal, HR, and Compliance teams to mitigate payroll risk and audit exposure.Support internal and external audits, including documentation, controls testing, and remediation.Partner with HR, Finance, IT, and Operations leaders to drive alignment on payroll standardization strategy.Translate business requirements into scalable Workday payroll solutions.Support organizational change management, including communications, training, and adoption strategies.Provide functional leadership and advisory support to payroll teams across the network.Ensure data accuracy, reconciliation controls, and auditability across payroll processes.Support standardized reporting, analytics, and payroll metrics across entities.Establish data governance standards for payroll-related information.Required Qualifications5+ years of extensive experience in Workday Payroll configuration and deploymentProven experience leading enterprise payroll standardization initiativesStrong knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, and payroll complianceExperience in multi-entity, multi-location, or networked organizational environmentsExpertise in payroll process design, transformation, and optimizationStrong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skillsDemonstrated ability to lead complex system and process transformationsAdvanced documentation, requirements gathering, and solution design capabilitiesPreferred QualificationsWorkday Payroll certification(s)Experience with large-scale HRIS or ERP transformationsBackground in healthcare, government, education, or other highly regulated industriesExperience with unionized workforce payroll structuresChange management or project management certification (e.g., PMP, Prosci, Agile)Core CompetenciesPayroll systems architectureProcess standardization and governanceRegulatory complianceEnterprise system integrationData governance and controlsRisk managementChange leadershipOperational transformation