Systems Engineer

Join a leading organization, partnered with Aquent, that is at the forefront of its industry, dedicated to enhancing the well-being and success of its workforce. This company is committed to innovation and operational excellence, leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive its mission forward and create a significant impact on people's lives.

Are you ready to shape the future of compensation strategies for a large, dynamic enterprise? We are seeking a visionary and highly skilled professional to take on a pivotal role in optimizing and transforming our compensation systems. This is an extraordinary opportunity to serve as the functional owner for critical compensation processes, directly influencing enterprise strategy and ensuring fair, competitive, and effective reward programs. Your expertise will not only enhance our operational efficiency but also significantly impact associate experience and financial outcomes, making a tangible difference in the lives of thousands.

To be considered for this role, you must:

• Be authorized to work in the United States
• Not require sponsorship of any kind for the duration of the assignment
• Be able to work on a W-2 basis. C2C or 1099 is not permitted for this position

What You'll Do:

• Lead the comprehensive lifecycle of Workday Compensation solutions, from strategy and design through configuration, testing, implementation, and ongoing support.
• Act as the primary functional owner for all compensation-related processes, including annual planning, incentive and bonus programs, eligibility, salary structures, market adjustments, one-time payments, and compensation statements.
• Translate complex business requirements into robust, scalable, and sustainable Workday system capabilities, providing expert solution recommendations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders, driving continuous improvement, identifying opportunities for automation and process optimization, and evaluating new Workday functionality.
• Lead complex initiatives, meticulously assessing cross-functional impacts, and actively supporting governance and release management activities.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting and resolution for critical production issues, ensuring seamless operations.
• Influence enterprise strategy as a senior subject matter expert, mentor team members, and offer strategic recommendations to leadership on matters impacting operations, finance, compliance, and associate experience.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 10+ years of HR technology, HRIS, enterprise systems, or related experience, with significant expertise in leading complex configuration initiatives.
• 5+ years of hands-on Workday configuration experience, demonstrating deep expertise in Workday Advanced Compensation and related HCM functionality.
• Proven experience configuring and supporting comprehensive compensation processes, including annual compensation planning, merit increases, bonus and incentive programs, compensation eligibility, salary structures, and one-time payments.
• Demonstrated ability to gather business requirements, conduct solution design, and translate complex business needs into scalable Workday solutions.
• Extensive experience leading testing activities, including unit testing, system integration testing (SIT), user acceptance testing (UAT), release validation, and production deployment.
• A track record of successful partnership with diverse stakeholders such as Compensation, Total Rewards, HR, Finance, Payroll, and Technology to deliver enterprise-wide solutions.
• Proven ability to provide strategic recommendations, influence business decisions, and lead complex projects or workstreams within a large, matrixed organization.

Qualifications That Set You Apart:

• Workday Pro certification or accreditation in Compensation, Advanced Compensation, HCM, or a related Workday discipline.
• Experience leading large-scale Workday implementations, optimization initiatives, or enterprise compensation transformations.
• Strong knowledge of compensation structures, job architecture, market pricing, salary grade administration, and annual compensation planning processes.
• Proficiency with Workday reporting, dashboards, Prism Analytics, calculated fields, and leveraging data for decision support.
• Experience mentoring configuration professionals and influencing technology strategy within a large, complex enterprise environment.