Workday Payroll Specialist (or Consultant)

We are seeking for our client a Workday Payroll Specialist (or Consultant) to support the payroll department of a large organization through a system transition from UKG to Workday.  This will be on a contract basis and working onsite side-by-side with the payroll department in the Sacramento office through a 3-phase testing period. This role is ideal for a seasoned payroll professional who is a subject matter and end-user expert in the Workday payroll system.  The Payroll Specialist or Consultant will have a background in workday payroll system implementation, SOP training, and managed payroll for a large workforce including union payroll.

Hourly range starting at $45.00/hour DOE

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead or support user-training in Workday payroll system implementation, ensuring alignment with internal operational and compliance standards.
• Partner cross-functionally with HR, IT, and accounting teams to evaluate current payroll workflows, identify inefficiencies, and recommend scalable improvements to the payroll leadership and team.
• Configure systems to reflect internal policies, collective bargaining agreements, and regulatory requirements; address unique payroll complexities such as site-based employee assignments and specialized coding needs.
• Provide team support and training through all phases of project testing—including end-to-end testing, parallel testing, and go-live execution —while troubleshooting issues and validating system outputs with leadership.
• Review and provide guidance on newly created SOPs, training documentation, and process maps to support payroll consistency and knowledge transfer.
• Deliver proactive support to employees on payroll system use, standard workflows, SOPs, and training on-site.
• Serve as an on-call resource for issue resolution during testing, audits, and implementation rollouts.
• Provide timely updates and reports to stakeholders, maintaining full visibility across key milestones and deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including garnishments, taxes, benefits, and deductions.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of payroll specialist or management in workday is required.
• Preferred experience with workday system implementation or project-based work is highly recommended.
• A subject matter expert level experience with Workday platform is required.’
• Familiar with union payroll processing and regulations.
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, tax regulations, and compliance standards.
• Proficiency in Excel and data analysis tools.
• Excellent communication and project coordination skills.
• CPP certification preferred but not required.
• Ability to work independently and adapt to fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Location: Sacramento CA