Senior Workday Specialist - Core HCM

Job description

**Job Description** **The Opportunity** Right now, over 70,000 of our employees are working to cure the world’s most complex diseases. We know that our people are the key to our success, which is why our Human Resources team works to attract, develop, retain and inspire our people so that they can learn, grow and make a true impact on the world. Together we collaborate to create a culturally rich, diverse organization ensuring we remain innovative, agile and flexible. Based in Hyderabad, this role sits within HR Operations, operating at the intersection of HR, technology, and digital enablement. As part of our growing Regional Capability Center, you will help build and scale the HR technology capabilities that support our global workforce—spanning platforms, data, automation, and emerging AI‑enabled solutions. Here, your work directly supports a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products—while helping shape the future of how HR delivers value through data, automation, and intelligent systems. Your ideas matter, your expertise drives impact, and your contributions help multiply our company’s ability to deliver for patients, colleagues, and communities worldwide. **Role Summary** Join our HR Solutions team as a Senior Specialist focused on Core HCM solutions. This role uses Workday Core HCM as the primary technology and will evolve to incorporate AI-enabled solutioning and automation across our HR technology stack. You will operate in a highly matrixed environment to assess business requests, design technical solutions, and drive implementation, operations, and continuous improvement of Core HR systems and integrations. The ideal candidate combines strong HR functional knowledge with technical proficiency, is proactive, collaborative, and detail-oriented, and can work independently while partnering across global teams. **What You Will Do** - System Configuration & Support Configure and support Core HR systems (Primarily Workday Core HCM) to meet global and local HR requirements. Execute configuration changes and act as a functional subject matter expert for Core HR functionality. - AI-Enabled Solutioning Propose, design, and pilot AI-driven enhancements (e.g., intelligent automation, data-driven recommendations, process optimization) to improve HR processes and user experience - Demand & Change Management Triage, assess, and manage new business requests; recommend alternative technical solutions and roadmaps that align with global standards and local requirements. Lead impact analysis for system changes and bi-annual upgrades. - Integration & Technical Collaboration Support integrations between Core HR systems, payroll and other third-party systems. Partner with IT, vendors, and integration teams to ensure reliable data flows and secure interfaces. - Testing & Release Define test strategies and plans, lead or coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), validate release artifacts, and support deployment activities for enhancements and upgrades. - Data Privacy & Compliance Prepare and update data privacy and governance documentation; collaborate with Data Privacy Office and data stewards to obtain necessary local and global approvals and works council signoffs as required. Ensure solutions comply with GDPR and applicable local privacy laws. - Operational Excellence & Support Serve as a Tier 3 escalation point for complex Core HR incidents and problem resolution. Create and update functional design documents, and the process/training materials used by HR Support Centers to process cases. - Stakeholder Engagement Partner with HR Process and Solutions leads, Global Centers of Excellence, HR operations, and business stakeholders to translate business needs into technical requirements and to present system capabilities and trade-offs. - Projects & M&A Support Participate in projects, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, ensuring Core HR impacts are identified and addressed. **Required Qualifications** - Experience/Education Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 4 years’ relevant experience in HRIS, HR Operations, or IT supporting HR systems, OR minimum 6 years’ relevant experience with a high school diploma. - Core HR Platform Knowledge 2+ years of hands-on experience with Workday Core HCM configuration and operational support, and experience using a ticketing/service management tool (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management) to manage incidents, requests, and changes. - AI & Automation Aptitude Demonstrated interest or exposure to AI-enabled HR solutions or intelligent automation tools; ability to identify opportunities for AI to improve HR processes and to partner with technical teams to pilot solutions. - Requirements Engineering Proven ability to translate end-user business requirements into technical specifications and configuration changes. - Testing & Release Management Minimum 2 years’ experience leading or executing user acceptance testing and end-to-end system testing for HR technology changes. - Integrations & Data Experience working with integrations (API, middleware) and an understanding of HR data flows and mapping. - Data Privacy & Compliance Solid understanding of GDPR and core data privacy concepts; experience coordinating privacy approvals. - Project & Stakeholder Skills Experience managing multiple priorities and projects in deadline-driven environments; strong relationship management, facilitation, and influencing skills. - Communication & Analysis Strong written and verbal English communication skills; proven ability to present technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and to use analytical skills to resolve complex business problems. **Preferred Qualifications** - Report Writing Experience 1+ years of experience with calculated fields, Workday DOCS and report writing. - Cross-Module Experience Familiarity with related modules (Compensation, Time & Absence, Benefits, Talent) or other HR