Workday Analyst (Payroll & Reporting)-W2 Only

Workday Payroll & Reporting Analyst (W2 Only)

Location: Fully remote within the United States, excluding California, New York, Alaska, and Hawaii

Employment Type: Contract-to-hire; W2 Only; we are unable to work with a C2C or 1099 model. As our contractor, you would be eligible for health benefits.

Due to this being a contract to hire position, the client has specified they will not accept candidates who need sponsorship now or in the future

Target Hourly Rate: $65.00; may be flexible based on experience

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Workday Payroll & Reporting Analyst to support and enhance a complex Workday environment. This role combines hands-on reporting and calculated-field development with functional support across Workday U.S. Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking.

You will partner with Payroll, HR, technology teams, and external vendors to translate business needs into effective Workday solutions. The ideal candidate is comfortable investigating data issues, developing reports, testing system changes and interfaces, and supporting production payroll operations in a deadline-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Gather and analyze business requirements related to payroll, absence, time tracking, reporting, and system enhancements.
• Develop and maintain Workday reports, calculated fields, and data solutions that support business and operational needs.
• Configure and support Workday U.S. Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking functionality.
• Identify opportunities to improve accuracy, reduce manual work, and automate existing processes.
• Validate data and system results through detailed testing, auditing, and reconciliation.
• Develop test cases and execute testing for Workday enhancements, integrations, and vendor interfaces.
• Investigate and resolve production issues affecting payroll processing, reporting, or employee data.
• Support interfaces between Workday, external vendors, and internal enterprise systems.
• Partner with business and technical stakeholders to troubleshoot issues and recommend practical solutions.
• Maintain documentation and ensure solutions follow established corporate standards and Workday best practices.
• Provide ongoing support for payroll operations, Workday releases, and tenant updates.

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of hands-on experience with Workday U.S. Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking.
• Proven experience developing Workday reports and calculated fields.
• Experience supporting Workday Payroll in a production environment.
• Experience creating test cases and testing Workday configurations, integrations, or vendor interfaces.
• Strong understanding of payroll data, processes, controls, and reconciliation.
• Ability to analyze complex business needs and translate them into effective Workday solutions.
• Strong problem-solving skills with close attention to data accuracy and detail.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively in a fully remote environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Workday integrations or troubleshooting data exchanged with external vendors.
• Experience working within a large or complex enterprise environment.
• Familiarity with payroll audits, parallel testing, regression testing, or Workday release testing.
• Experience identifying and implementing process-automation opportunities.
• Workday certification in Payroll, Absence, Time Tracking, or Reporting.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

The successful candidate will bring a strong combination of Workday technical knowledge and functional payroll expertise. This person should be naturally curious, comfortable digging into data, and able to move from identifying a problem to testing and implementing a reliable solution. They will communicate clearly, manage priorities effectively, and understand the importance of accuracy when supporting payroll operations.