Job Specifications
Role: Workday Payroll SME
Location: Remote work in Canada (EST) + occasional on-site visits (Toronto, Ontario)
Introduction
Brunel is partnered with a leading consulting firm to support a long-term healthcare sector project requiring a Workday Payroll Subject Matter Expert.
The client has been live on Workday for one year and is entering a period of stabilization, optimization, and enhancement of their Payroll environment. Due to complex integrations with third-party time systems and ongoing incident volume, the consulting team is seeking a senior techno-functional Workday Payroll specialist who can take ownership of the Payroll module, resolve defects, and guide the client toward best-practice Workday configurations.
Role Overview
The Workday Payroll SME is the primary owner of all Payroll-related sustainment activities, including incident management, enhancements, configuration fixes, and client guidance.
You will:
• Lead incident triage, analysis, and remediation within Workday Payroll
• Design, configure, and test Payroll enhancements and new requirements
• Work closely with business stakeholders to clarify requirements and propose solutions
• Serve as the single point of contact for all Payroll module issues within the project team
• Own end-to-end delivery: requirement intake, configuration, testing, migration, and client sign-off
This is a techno-functional role requiring strong Payroll operations knowledge, deep Workday Payroll configuration experience, and excellent communication.
Responsibilities
Payroll Module Ownership
Act as the senior internal SME for Workday Payroll
Lead all Payroll incident and defect analysis; resolve issues directly in the system
Manage enhancement requests, including solutioning, configuration, testing, and production migration
Ensure Payroll configurations account for dependencies with third-party time and attendance systemsMaintain a stable, compliant, and audit-ready Payroll environment
Techno-Functional Delivery
Log, assess, and resolve tickets within the team’s ITSM/ticketing system
Conduct root-cause analysis for configuration issues, calculation errors, integrations, and process breaks Translate business requirements into clear Workday configuration changes
Perform hands-on configuration, end-to-end testing, and validation
Document changes and communicate impacts to stakeholders
Client & Stakeholder Management
Lead Payroll-focused client calls, workshops, and requirement sessions
Provide best-practice guidance on Workday Payroll design and operational impacts
Escalate issues appropriately and proactively identify risks
Work independently while remaining connected to the broader consulting team
Team Collaboration
Work as part of a multi-module AMS team supporting HCM, Time, and other Workday area
Coordinate with cross-functional consultants when enhancements or defects impact multiple modules
Contribute to knowledge-sharing and process improvement within the team
Qualifications:
6–7+ years Payroll experience, preferably Canadian Payroll
Strong Workday Payroll configuration skills (not just functional oversight)
Techno-functional profile: able to gather requirements, configure solutions, test, and migrate
Experience supporting AMS/sustainment environments (incident & enhancement management)
Strong understanding of payroll calculations, gross-to-net, time integration dependencies, and reconciliation
Excellent client-facing communication and ability to lead solution discussions
Able to work Monday–Friday during EST business hours (flexible within 20 hours/week)
Based in Canada
Bonus Experience
Experience in the healthcare industry or environments with complex time-tracking integrations
Workday Payroll implementation or upgrade experience
Familiarity with ITSM ticketing tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira, Remedy)
Experience in multi-module Workday landscapes (HCM, Absence, Time Tracking)
Ability to onboard quickly or support initial work via secure VPN (if approved)
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About Us
Brunel has a reputation for working with some of the best in the business. That’s what we continually strive for. Brunel provides the global recruitment and workforce services you need to lead your industry. With 50 years of market experience in Renewable Energy, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Mining, Infrastructure, and IT, we help you finish major projects safely, compliantly, on-time, within budget and at the highest quality, so you can keep growing – anywhere in the world.
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