HR Data Security Sr. Analyst (Workday)

Company

Compensation

The Data Sr Analyst, HR Data Governance & Security serves as the subject matter expert for Workday security administration, with broader responsibility for HR data access governance and compliance across the People Analytics function. This role maintains shared ownership of the administration and continuous improvement of Workday security configuration, analyzes security and audit trends, identifies opportunities to strengthen controls, and provides guidance to stakeholders on access management practices. The role exercises independent judgment and autonomy on business-as-usual access and security decisions within established governance frameworks.  

This individual will also evaluate complex and non-standard access requests, assess associated risks, and recommend actions to the AVP for final decision, consistent with governance standards and business strategy. 

The right candidate brings hands-on experience with Workday security configuration, a process-oriented mindset, sound judgment about when to escalate, and the integrity to handle confidential employee data with discretion. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Responsibilities: 

Workday Application Security Administration 

• Serve as one of two Workday security configurators, collaborating with the existing configurator on domain, role-based, and user security group creation, modification, and assignment 
• Monitor 100+ active Workday security activities in Production; research anomalies and escalate issues to AVP as appropriate 
• Resolve standard security configuration issues independently; determine escalation threshold for complex or high-risk changes 
• Partner with HRT and IBT to evaluate and implement improvements to Workday security governance, role design, and access management processes 
• Conduct bi-annual Workday User Access Reviews; coordinate security group clean-up and hygiene 
• Stay current on Workday security updates and patches; recommend enhancements to AVP as appropriate 

Access Request Management & Governance 

• Receive, log, and process routine access requests across Workday, Peakon, UKG, CEI HR ODS, and Reporting & Analytics via ServiceNow and SharePoint 
• Determine whether incoming requests meet standard approval criteria or require escalation 
• Make a recommendation on non-standard or elevated access requests before escalating to AVP for review and approval; document business use cases and decisions 
• Flag requests requiring Legal or Compliance review; escalate to AVP for direction 
• Validate access requests against role-based access profiles and least-privilege standards prior to fulfillment 
• Communicate request status and resolution timelines to requestors and business stakeholders 
• Resolve routine access discrepancies independently; escalate only exceptions outside standard parameters 
• Maintain access request tracker and related governance documentation in SharePoint 

Policy Administration 

• Analyze governance, audit, and access utilization trends; recommend process enhancements, policy improvements, and control measures that strengthen compliance and security outcomes 
• Lead periodic reviews of governance processes and recommend improvements based on audit findings, industry practices, and operational needs 
• Identify recurring governance risks and drive corrective actions with business and technical stakeholders 
• Maintain governance policy trackers, process documentation, and SharePoint resources for the team 

Multi-Platform Security Administration 

• Configure and manage Peakon security in coordination with HRT and VoE stakeholders 
• Administer UKG, Prism, and HR ODS access management and security governance in coordination with HRT, CAI, and Prism Administrators; assist with ODS-to-Fabric platform transition tasks as directed 

Audit Support & Operations 

• Coordinate audit support activities, analyze audit requests, determine documentation requirements, and partner with stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate responses 
• Partner with the Workday security configurator colleague to validate audit findings and coordinate remediation of Workday security configuration issues 
• Identify audit readiness risks and recommend corrective actions to improve compliance outcomes 
• Track remediation activities and partner with stakeholders to drive issue resolution 
• Recommend process improvements based on audit results, findings trends, and governance assessments 

WHO YOU ARE

Qualifications and Experience: 

• Preference will be given to qualified candidates local to Atlanta. Open to remote (US only) for the right candidate. (if remote, must be willing to travel onsite a few times a year)
• Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.
• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 4 years' experience in a related role; or a Master's degree and up to 2+ years' experience; or 8 years' relevant experience in lieu of a degree 
• Ideal candidate will have 4 years of related experience
• REQUIRED: Strong knowledge of Workday HCM security configuration, including domain, role-based, and user security administration 
• REQUIRED: Workday Security Administration certification (e.g., Workday Pro Security)
• Working knowledge of, or exposure to, additional HR platforms (Peakon, UKG, HR ODS, Prism) a plus 
• Experience with HR data access management processes and data governance principles 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workflows with accuracy and attention to detail; experience maintaining governance trackers, process documentation, or audit support materials preferred 
• Sound judgment regarding confidentiality and sensitivity of HR data; ability to recognize when decisions require leadership involvement 
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on routine decisions while recognizing the boundaries of one's authority 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work across HR, IT, Legal, and Compliance functions effectively 
• Proficiency in data visualization and reporting tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, Power BI) to support governance and audit reporting 
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a complex, distributed organization 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Degree in Information Systems, Information Security, Computer Science, or a related field 
• Familiarity with SailPoint or equivalent identity governance and access review tools 
• Experience supporting internal or external audit processes, or maintaining compliance documentation in an HR or data governance environment 
• Experience in a telecommunications, healthcare, or similarly regulated industry 
• Demonstrated confidence in respectfully challenging governance requests from senior leaders that fall outside of established process or approval channels