Workday Solutions Architect in Madison

We are seeking an experienced Workday Solutions Architect to provide technical and strategic leadership for Phase II of a Workday implementation. This role will own the end-to-end solution architecture across Core HCM, Payroll, Recruiting, Peakon, Performance, Benefits, integrations, data conversion, and security.

The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on Workday expertise, strong facilitation skills, and the ability to challenge design assumptions constructively. They will partner closely with IT, HR, Payroll, Finance, Business Analysts, functional consultants, and the system implementer to ensure solutions are sustainable, secure, and aligned with organizational needs.

Key Responsibilities

Solution Architecture & Design

• Own end-to-end Workday solution design across Phase II workstreams, including Core HCM, Payroll, Recruiting, Peakon, Performance, and Benefits.
• Make and document design tradeoff decisions where modules, data conversion, and integrations intersect.
• Review and challenge system implementer design proposals to ensure alignment with District-specific business processes, legacy-system dependencies, and downstream operational impacts.
• Define the target-state integration architecture between Workday and connected systems, including payroll bank files, benefits carriers, time systems, providers, and legacy ECM platforms such as OnBase.

Cross-Workstream Leadership

• Identify and resolve cross-workstream dependencies before they become delivery risks.
• Set the technical direction for Business Analysts, functional consultants, and integration developers.
• Partner with the IT Director on scope, sequencing, milestone readiness, and go/no-go decisions.
• Ensure key configuration decisions account for impacts on data conversion, security, integrations, and operational processes.

Data, Integration & Security Architecture

• Design the Phase II data conversion approach, including source-to-target mapping, data cleansing requirements, validation, and reconciliation plans.
• Define the integration architecture and determine the appropriate use of EIBs, Core Connectors, Workday Studio, and middleware.
• Architect Workday security, including role-based access, segregation of duties, and data governance controls in accordance with policies.

Requirements & Design Facilitation

• Lead design workshops with HR, Payroll, Finance, and IT stakeholders.
• Translate ambiguous or undocumented business requirements into clear, actionable, and documented design decisions.
• Surface conflicting interpretations and drive stakeholders toward a single source of truth before configuration begins.
• Produce Workday design specifications that Business Analysts and implementation partners can execute without interpretation gaps.

Release & Change Management

• Assess Workday biannual releases for architectural, operational, and integration impacts.
• Advise on release adoption strategy and change-request prioritization based on effort, risk, and long-term roadmap alignment.
• Guide regression-testing strategy through a design-risk lens, identifying areas most likely to affect cross-module functionality.

Consultative Partnership & Mentorship

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to IT, HR, and Finance leadership on Workday capabilities and architectural direction.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to Business Analysts, Workday administrators, and support staff.
• Support the District’s mission through reliability, sustainability, collaboration, and a strong commitment to , equity, and .

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Human Resources, or a related field. -6+ years of hands on Workday solution design, and configuration experience

• 6+ years of hands-on Workday configuration and solution design experience.
• 4+ years in a Workday Solutions Architect, Lead, or Design-level role supporting full-lifecycle implementations.
• Deep expertise in Workday HCM, including Core HCM, Security, and the Business Process Framework.
• Demonstrated experience in at least two additional Workday modules, including:
• Payroll
• Benefits
• Recruiting
• Performance Management
• Advanced Compensation
• Time Tracking
• Proven experience designing Workday integrations using EIBs, Core Connectors, and Workday Studio.
• 3+ years of experience facilitating design sessions with HR, Payroll, Finance, and/or IT stakeholders.
• Experience partnering with and constructively challenging external system implementers., Workday Pro certifications in HCM and one or more of the following: Integrations, Payroll, Benefits, or Advanced Compensation.
• Experience in public-sector, municipal, utility, or special-purpose district environments.
• Experience supporting parallel ERP implementations and Workday-to-ERP data flows.
• Familiarity with legacy ECM platforms, including OnBase or similar systems, and related migration patterns.
• Background in change management, organizational design, or business process reengineering.