Workday Change and Automation Manager

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Workday Change & Automation Manager leads the strategy and execution of testing, release readiness, automation, and change adoption across the enterprise Workday platform and integrated systems. This role ensures that system changes are thoroughly validated, effectively communicated, and successfully adopted by the business. 

In addition, this role serves as a hybrid business analyst and delivery lead, translating business needs into actionable solutions, supporting business case development, and occasionally leading initiatives from concept through delivery. The role partners closely with Product Managers, functional leaders, and technical teams to drive measurable business outcomes through platform changes. 

This role is critical to ensuring that platform changes are not just delivered but successfully adopted and value realized. By combining testing, automation, change management, and business analysis, the Workday Change & Automation Manager serves as a key bridge between strategy (Product) and execution (Engineering & Operations). 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: 

Testing Strategy & Automation  

• Define and execute the enterprise Workday testing strategy, including regression, functional, integration, and UAT testing  

• Lead platform regression testing using Kainos SmartTest (or equivalent automation tools), expanding automation coverage and efficiency  

• Oversee functional and technical testing coordination across Finance, HR, Procurement, and integrations  

• Manage integration, system, and user acceptance testing (UAT) cycles, ensuring business validation and sign-off  

• Establish and monitor test quality metrics (defect leakage, coverage, cycle time, etc.)  

• Continuously improve testing frameworks, tools, and processes through automation and standardization 

 Release Readiness & Feature Adoption 

• Lead Workday bi-annual release analysis, assessing impact and value across business domains  

• Develop and manage a Release Adoption Roadmap aligned with product priorities and business value  

• Coordinate release readiness activities, including impact assessments, testing alignment, communications, and training  

• Stay current on Workday updates, innovations, and system changes, recommending adoption strategies  

• Partner with Product Managers to align release adoption with roadmap priorities and business outcomes 

Change Management & Adoption 

• Develop and execute change management strategies to support system enhancements and releases  

• Create and maintain technical support documentation, job aids, and knowledge articles  

• Drive post-release adoption activities, including feedback loops, issue resolution, and optimization  

• Partner with business stakeholders to ensure readiness, engagement, and sustained adoption  

• Track and report on adoption metrics and user experience improvements. 

Learning & Training Enablement 

• Define and manage Workday training plans and learning strategies for end users and administrators  

• Coordinate development and delivery of role-based training programs  

• Oversee learning administration (LMS coordination, training content lifecycle, etc.)  

• Ensure training aligns with release cycles, process changes, and business needs 

Platform Administration & Enablement 

• Manage Workday Community engagement and administration 

• Oversee Workday Success Plans (WSP), ensuring value realization and alignment with platform strategy 

• Administer and maintain collaboration sites (e.g., SharePoint, knowledge hubs) for end-user enablement 

• Support cross-team collaboration and knowledge sharing across the CoE and business functions 

Business Analysis & Delivery Leadership 

• Partner with stakeholders to intake, analyze, and translate business needs into functional and technical requirements  

• Support development of business cases, including value, cost, and expected outcomes  

• Facilitate requirements workshops, stakeholder alignment sessions, and solution design discussions  

• Lead or support end-to-end delivery of small-to-medium initiatives, including planning, execution, and tracking  

• Act as a liaison between Product, Engineering, and Business teams to ensure clarity and alignment  

• Deliver structured artifacts such as:  

• Business requirements and functional specifications 

• Process flows and impact assessments 

• Testing scenarios tied to business outcomes 

Governance, Planning & Continuous Improvement 

• Support demand intake and prioritization processes in partnership with Product Managers  

• Ensure changes align with platform governance, compliance, and risk management standards  

• Identify opportunities for automation, process optimization, and scalability  

• Contribute to QBRs, roadmap planning, and executive reporting as needed  

• Drive continuous improvement across testing, release, and change capabilities 

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES: 

Technical Skills 

• Experience supporting Workday Platform for Finance, HR, and/or Procurement domains  

• Knowledge of product management frameworks and agile delivery models  

• Exposure to integration testing and enterprise system landscapes  

• Experience building business cases and value tracking  

• Familiarity with change management frameworks  

• Experience working within a Workday COE model 

• Testing & automation leadership  

• Release readiness & change execution  

• Strong business analysis capability  

• Data-driven decision making 

Leadership & Business Competencies 

• Cross-functional influence  

• Business outcome orientation  

• Structured execution & delivery  

• Strong stakeholder communication  

• Continuous improvement mindset 

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS: 

• 7–10+ years of experience in Workday or enterprise SaaS environments  

• Deep experience in:  

• Workday testing (manual + automated) 

• Release management and adoption 

• Change management practices 

• Hands-on experience with test automation tools (e.g., Kainos SmartTest strongly preferred)  

• Strong business analysis skills, including requirements gathering and process mapping  

• Experience coordinating UAT with business stakeholders  

• Proven ability to manage cross-functional initiatives in complex environments  

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field. 

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSURES, AND LANGUAGE SKILLS (If needed): 

• Required / Strongly Preferred 

• Workday Pro Certification (HCM, Financials, Procurement, or Reporting) 

• Kainos SmartTest Certification (or equivalent test automation tool) 

• Business Analysis Certification (CBAP, PMI-PBA, or equivalent experience) 

• Preferred 

• Project/Program Management Certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/CSM) 

• Nice to Have 

• Prosci Change Management Certification (or similar) 

• ITIL Foundation (change/release governance) 

• ISTQB or other testing certifications 

• Data/analytics-related certifications (optional) 

• Kainos Suite experience (a plus) 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Position requires little to moderate physical activity. Handling of average weight objects up to 15 pounds; occasional standing or walking; frequently at a keyboard, workstation, or desk. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

Work is typically in a normal office administrative environment involving minimal exposure to physical risks. Hybrid / remote-eligible schedule available.