Data Lead (Workday HR)

Job Title: Data Lead (Workday HR)Location: Remote (UK)Salary: £70k-£100k + BenefitsThe Role

As the Workday Data Lead, you will act as the subject matter expert for HR data structures and Workday HCM. You’ll build and maintain standards for how people data is created, stored, accessed, and integrated, ensuring it remains a trusted source for HR, Finance, and senior leadership teams.

Your work will support everything from compliance and reporting to operational efficiency and the wider employee experience.

Key ResponsibilitiesData Governance & Quality

• Create and enforce global data governance rules, ownership models, and quality standards.
• Monitor and improve accuracy, completeness, and consistency of HR master data.
• Lead routine data audits, validation checks, and clean-up activities.
• Ensure alignment between Workday and downstream systems such as Payroll, Finance, and IT.

Workday Expertise

• Serve as the expert for Workday Core HCM, organisational structures, job architecture, security roles, and position management.
• Support functional teams across HR, Talent, Reward, and Payroll with data-driven process improvements.
• Manage testing cycles, release updates, and change activity relating to HR data.
• Oversee data migrations for acquisitions, reorganisations, or system upgrades.

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure global compliance with data protection and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, SOX, HIPAA).
• Maintain strong access controls, audit trails, and secure data handling practices.
• Investigate and resolve data discrepancies, implementing long-term fixes.

Stakeholder & Project Leadership

• Lead data-related initiatives across HR technology programmes, restructures, M&A projects, and system enhancements.
• Collaborate closely with IT, Finance, and HR leaders to align data management with organisational needs.
• Produce documentation, training, and best-practice guidance for HR teams worldwide.
• Work directly with vendors and partners to resolve issues and optimise configurations.

Reporting & Insights

• Deliver meaningful dashboards and workforce analytics to support planning and decision-making.
• Partner with reporting teams to maintain accuracy and consistency of metrics.
• Track data quality KPIs and recommend improvements.

About You

• Highly analytical with exceptional attention to detail.
• Able to work collaboratively across HR, Finance, IT, and external partners.
• Comfortable leading change and championing best-practice data standards.
• Strong problem-solver with a focus on long-term solutions.
• Experienced in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Strategic thinker who can balance BAU stability with future-state design.

Skills & Experience

• Degree in HR, Information Systems, Business, Data, or a related field.
• 5+ years’ experience working with HRIS or HR data, with deep Workday knowledge.
• Demonstrated background in data governance, master data design, and compliance.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end HR processes.
• Advanced Workday reporting capability (e.g., Calculated Fields, BIRT, Prism desirable).
• Confident stakeholder manager with excellent communication skills.
• Project management experience or relevant certification (PMP/Prince2/Agile) is an advantage.