Workday Test Lead (Testing & Validation)

We are seeking a Workday Test Lead to drive testing strategy and execution across Workday implementations and enhancements. This role is responsible for ensuring that Workday solutions are fully validated, business-ready, and aligned to real-world processes prior to go-live. The Test Lead will partner closely with functional leads, PMs, and client stakeholders to coordinate testing efforts across HCM, Payroll, Time Tracking, Absence, Benefits, and Compensation. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role that sits at the center of delivery—ensuring quality, minimizing risk, and enabling successful deployments.

What You’ll Do

• Own and drive the end-to-end testing strategy for Workday implementations and releases
• Develop and manage the testing plan, including:
• Unit Testing (supporting functional teams)
• System Integration Testing (SIT)
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• Payroll Parallel Testing (if applicable)
• Coordinate across functional workstreams to ensure test coverage aligns with business processes and configurations
• Define and manage test scenarios, scripts, and data requirements
• Lead UAT execution, including:
• Business user coordination and scheduling
• Tester enablement and guidance
• Daily triage calls and status tracking
• Manage defect tracking and resolution, partnering with functional teams to prioritize and drive closure
• Ensure clear visibility into testing progress, risks, and readiness for go-live
• Support payroll parallel testing, including validation of results, reconciliation, and issue resolution
• Facilitate go/no-go readiness discussions based on testing outcomes
• Drive testing governance, including:
• Entry/exit criteria
• Test completion metrics
• Defect thresholds
• Contribute to continuous improvement of testing frameworks, tools, and accelerators

What Makes You Successful

• You think in terms of business processes, not just test cases
• You can quickly identify gaps, risks, and edge cases others miss
• You bring structure to chaos during high-pressure testing cycles
• You’re comfortable pushing back when things aren’t ready for go-live

Qualifications

• Current Workday Partner HCM Certification
• 5–10+ years of experience in testing, QA, or Workday delivery roles
• Hands-on experience leading testing efforts in Workday implementations
• Strong understanding of Workday business processes across HCM and/or Payroll domains
• Experience with:
• UAT coordination and execution
• Test planning and script development
• Defect management and triage
• Payroll parallel testing (strongly preferred)
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and client stakeholders during testing cycles
• Strong organizational and communication skills, especially under tight timelines

Preferred

• Workday functional experience (HCM, Payroll, Time & Absence, Benefits, etc.)
• Experience with test management tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, etc.)
• Experience supporting global or multi-country deployments