Job DescriptionThe Workday Systems Analyst, IT is a senior-level technical professional responsible for enterprise-wide administration, configuration, and optimization of the Workday platform across HCM, Payroll, and Student modules at Texas State Technical College (TSTC). This role serves as a critical bridge between IT and all organizational departments, providing comprehensive technical support and expertise to ensure platform stability, data integrity, and continuous improvement across all Workday functional areas. With enterprise-level system access and institutional perspective, this analyst supports HR, Finance, Operations, Academic Affairs, Student Services, and other departments while maintaining system governance, security, and compliance standards. This IT-focused role emphasizes infrastructure security, application maintenance, technical architecture, and service delivery within established IT service management frameworks.
Essential FunctionsThe employee will demonstrate TSTC's Core Values of Excellence, Accountability, Service, and Integrity with internal and external stakeholders, customers, students, and community members.Application Functionality, Maintenance & IT Security- Maintain comprehensive application functionality across Workday modules (HCM, Finance, Payroll, and Student) including system and security patches, version upgrades, backups, and disaster recovery processes
- Advise on application security models and implement robust security architectures that protect institutional data
- Work closely with the Office of Audits and Analysis to ensure appropriate controls and audit logs are in place
- Investigate actual or potential security breaches and ensure all identified breaches are promptly investigated and resolved
- Implement system changes required to maintain security and ensure security records are accurate
- Handle confidential and/or privileged information using discretion and judgment in accordance with FERPA, Title IV, and other regulatory requirements
- Develop test plans to verify logic, system functionality, and security configurations
- Maintain working knowledge of scripting languages and automation tools (e.g., PowerShell, Python, PowerAutomate, Power Apps) to enhance system efficiency
System Administration, Configuration & Security Governance- Lead advanced configuration, maintenance, and optimization of Workday modules with enterprise-level access across all functional areas
- Execute complex system updates, enhancements, and validations to ensure operational stability, accuracy, and enterprise readiness
- Migrate configuration changes from sandbox tenants to production environments after thorough testing and validation
- Serve as the configuration deployment specialist across all Workday environments, ensuring consistency and accuracy system-wide
- Manage comprehensive security governance including role-based permissions, access controls, security role assignments, and ongoing audits to maintain system integrity and appropriate segregation of duties
- Review and approve security role assignments, ensuring appropriate access levels across all modules in accordance with established governance and SME guidance
- Perform regular audits to ensure role appropriateness and least-privilege principles
- Design security models, role frameworks, and enterprise-wide business process architectures that balance automation, compliance, and usability
- Oversee business process configurations, approval workflows, and system integrations that span multiple organizational units
- Collaborate with the functional area analysts on Workday business processes, notifications, condition rules, and calculated fields in alignment with business requirements
Application Change Control & Release Management- Plan, coordinate, configure, test, and communicate changes, upgrades/maintenance schedules, and new services with clients, ensuring business operations will operate correctly in current and future environments
- Work collaboratively with functional SMEs for bi-annual tenant release cycles, including feature impact assessment, prioritization, sandbox testing, regression plans, UAT coordination, and go-live execution
- Coordinate testing cycles, including unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing for system changes
- Manage implementation of new modules, features, and integrations with minimal disruption to operations
- Design enterprise-wide business process frameworks and rules that balance automation, compliance, and usability
Support Process Workflow & SLA Management- Create, update, and manage application support tickets through the TSTC Support process workflow by logging and tracking progress from initiation through resolution using the ticket monitoring system
- Ensure all requests for support are dealt with according to established SLAs
- Answer and respond to all incoming customer support tickets within defined SLAs
- Prioritize, investigate, diagnose, and resolve user issues and incidents
- Troubleshoot and/or escalate application issues or defects to vendors
- Implement agreed remedies and preventative measures to facilitate recovery
- Own escalation and incident response, escalating to vendors as needed
- Operate within defined SLAs for application support requests
Data Integrity, Compliance & Advanced Reporting- Ensure the integrity, reliability, and audit-readiness of enterprise data supporting compliance requirements, external reporting, and leadership decision-making
- Apply strong data governance practices to reduce institutional risk and maintain system trust across all departments
- Monitor data quality, identify anomalies, and implement corrective measures to maintain accuracy in production environments
- Ensure compliance with FERPA, Title IV, and other student data privacy and educational regulations in addition to HR, payroll, and financial compliance requirements
- Utilize Workday Report Writer (and calculated fields as needed) to develop targeted diagnostic reports for technical troubleshooting, data validation, and root-cause analysis
- Perform system health checks and internal audits using advanced reporting to verify data integrity, security configurations, and business process behavior
- Maintain proficiency in Workday reporting tools exclusively for internal IT investigations and research
- Define reporting standards and support compliance requirements
Monitoring, Analysis & Continuous Improvement- Monitor, identify, and analyze patterns, trends, and issues across all Workday modules
- Update products and processes as needed based on monitoring insights
- Perform proactive system health checks to identify potential issues before they impact operations
- Stay current with Workday releases, features, and updates, assessing their applicability and potential benefits across the organization
- Proactively identify opportunities for system optimization and process automation
- Serve as escalation point for technical issues that cannot be resolved at the functional area level
Documentation & Knowledge Management- Maintain comprehensive system documentation including knowledgebase articles, root cause analyses, support ticket requests, change logs, and user management documentation
- Document application-specific knowledge base articles, change logs, and Root Cause Analyses (RCAs)
- Develop and maintain system documentation, user guides, and standard operating procedures
- Ensure documentation promotes consistency, clarity, and quality assurance across all Workday systems and processes
Integrations & Technical Architecture- Coordinate with App Engineering teams to assist with integration design and data flows
- Implement prebuilt APIs and custom integrations
- Maintain proficiency in integration technologies and data management tools
- Identify and escalate integration issues to the Application Engineering team for resolution
- Monitor integration performance and troubleshoot connectivity issues between Workday and other enterprise platforms
Cross-Functional Collaboration, Training & Support- Coordinate with functional SMEs (HR, Payroll, Finance, Student Services, Academic Affairs, Registrar, Financial Aid) to ensure proper technical understanding of Workday requests and align solutions to business processes
- Communicate and partner with product owners and business stakeholders to understand requirements, identify application impacts, and recommend solutions
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams across IT to effectively resolve issues and optimize system performance
- Participate in cross-functional team meetings and represent Support throughout the product release planning phases
- Provide comprehensive technical support to functional area analysts and end users across all departments
- Create documentation and process improvement plans to the functional area analysts
- Collaborate with Functional Area Analyst to discuss new features, system updates, and optimization techniques
- May provide escalation support and mentoring to Application Administrator personnel
- Facilitate change management, guiding teams through the adoption of new processes and technologies
- Elicit, document, and distribute client feedback on products and services to interested stakeholders within TSTC
Project Management & Strategic Initiatives- Contribute to the strategic planning of enterprise technology initiatives and the development of strategies, policies, standards, procedures, and tools
- Continually seek opportunities to improve systems and processes, enhancing efficiency and user experience across the organization
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend data-driven solutions that align with institutional priorities
- Balance the unique needs of academic, administrative, and student-facing operations while maintaining enterprise-level system integrity and standardization
- Develop and present well-reasoned, data-driven recommendations for enhancing business processes and Workday functionalities
Additional Responsibilities- Understand the business function and workflows of each application across HCM, Payroll, and Student areas
- May require availability outside of normal working hours
- Other duties as assigned
QualificationsEducation- Associate degree in Information Technology required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field preferred
Experience- Minimum of 4-6 years related experience in Workday systems administration across multiple functional areas (HCM, Payroll, Finance and/or Student)
- Minimum of 1-2 years of advanced experience in Workday administration with a proven track record in a complex, multi-tenant environment
- Extensive experience as an Application Administrator or in a similar leadership role
- Demonstrated leadership experience in a team environment
- Advanced experience with Workday configuration, reporting, testing, and troubleshooting
- Demonstrated ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgment, and lead complex technical work
- Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
Workday Ecosystem - Required- Basic to advanced proficiency with Workday Security, Business Process framework, and Report Writer, including the ability to:
- Configure business processes, notifications, condition rules, and calculated fields in alignment with business requirements and least-privilege principles
- Establish frameworks for managing Security & Access Governance, Business Process Architecture, and Tenant & Release Management, focusing on RBAC, least-privilege audits, and coordinating bi-annual cycles
- Implement EIB, API implementation, and advanced Reporting & Analytics to support executive and compliance data needs
- Coordinate with functional SMEs across HR, Payroll, Finance, and Student departments to align technical solutions with business processes and compliance standards like FERPA
- Work collaboratively with functional SMEs for tenant release cycles
- Define reporting standards and support compliance requirements
Skills & Abilities- Advanced knowledge of Workday functionality, reporting tools, and data structures across HCM, Payroll, and Student modules
- Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear guidance for non-technical audiences
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess risk, identify trends, and recommend solutions
- High level of organization, attention to detail, and commitment to data accuracy and quality assurance
- Ability to plan, prioritize, and execute complex system initiatives with minimal supervision
- Demonstrated capability to mentor peers and influence outcomes without formal authority
- Strong collaboration skills across functional areas and institutional pa
