Senior Workday Functional Specialist

If you are a current Fanshawe College employee, please apply to jobs directly through Workday. Do not apply on the external career page. Interested in growing your career at Fanshawe College? Fanshawe College thrives because of its people. We foster a culture of excellence and see opportunities to turn potential into impact. Leading with empathy, belonging, unity, learning and courage, we guide the learning journey of our students, ensuring they are ready for work and life, today and tomorrow. Working at Fanshawe College Fanshawe College is committed to the principles of hybrid work and may offer this option to employees whose work can be performed in an alternate location, without adverse impact to the operations of the College, inclusive of our Student and Staff experience. Confirmation of hybrid work options available to you will be clarified upon hire and may be subject to change based on the duties required of your position. Successful candidates will be required to perform work within Ontario and must be available to work on campus, as required.Posting Closing Date: October 21, 2026 Campus Location: London, ON Department: WHR1 Workday Sustainment HR Employment Group: Administrative Pay Details: $102,000.00 - $135,660.00 Salary Worker Sub-Type: Regular Time Type: Full time Remote Type: Hybrid Contract End Date: Hours of Work per Week: 37.5 Job Description: Note: This is for 1 Regular Full-Time vacancy. This position is deemed a critical replacement vacancy. Work Mode: Hybrid - Occasional in-person work at our London, Ontario campus is required Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.M. to 4:30 p.M.Why this Role is Important
Fanshawe College is advancing its digital transformation through the implementation of Workday, a modern cloud-based enterprise platform that is reshaping how we support our employees, finances, and future student services. Having successfully deployed Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), Finance, and Adaptive Planning, the College is now preparing to embark on the next phase of its journey with the implementation of Workday Student. As Workday becomes the foundation of our administrative ecosystem, access to accurate, timely, and actionable data is more important than ever. To support this evolving landscape, Fanshawe has established a dedicated Workday Sustainment Team responsible for optimizing the platform, driving continuous improvement, and enabling data-informed decision-making across the College. Reporting to the Manager, Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), the Senior Workday Functional Specialist - HCM provides specialized functional and technical expertise in the support, configuration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Workday HCM platform, with a primary focus on assigned modules. The Senior Functional Specialist leans on their deep Workday expertise and is responsible for analyzing business requirements, configuring and testing system solutions, supporting Workday releases, troubleshooting system issues, maintaining documentation, and ensuring the integrity, security, and reliability of the Workday portfolio functionality. The incumbent collaborates closely within the Workday team and Information Technology to align cross-functional opportunities. The incumbent works directly with Human Resources and other stakeholders to define requirements and outcomes and deliver sustainable solutions that support operational excellence and strategic priorities. This role supports the ongoing evolution of Workday by identifying opportunities for process improvement, automation, and optimization. The incumbent maintains expertise in Workday's evolving capabilities, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, intelligent automation, and emerging platform innovations, evaluating and implementing approved functionality that enhances operational effectiveness and user experience. A customer-focused approach, balanced with strong business process knowledge and system expertise, is essential to proactively identify opportunities, improve business outcomes, and support the continued development of the Workday Centre of Excellence through governance, knowledge sharing, standardized practices, and continuous improvement initiatives. This position is privy to, responsible for, and entrusted with highly sensitive, proprietary, and confidential information. This includes, but is not limited to, employee data, financial data, budget allocations, workforce planning metrics, organizational design, business configuration details, and core operational processes. Safeguarding the integrity, security, and restricted access of this information is a core expectation of the role.How You’ll Make an Impact
Business Transformation, Design, and Configuration
Lead the functional design, process mapping, and configuration of assigned Workday modules and related business processes to ensure alignment with institutional goalsThrough an analysis of current-state needs and system deficiencies, establish and confirm future operational goals for assigned functional areas;
make recommendations onprocess modifications to improve data accuracy, user experience, and efficiencyMap end-to-end business processes, identify downstream change impacts for end-users, and provide strategic input into overall project deliverables and workplansParticipate in implementation and post-go-live activities for assigned functional areas including solution design reviews, configuration workshops, testing activities, knowledge transfer sessions, operational readiness planning, and the progressive transition of responsibilities from implementation resources to sustainmentInvestigate, troubleshoot, and resolve system issues, configuration defects, security concerns, and user-reported incidentsAnalyze business requirements and develop sustainable configuration solutions that align with college objectivesAnalyze proposed changes, enhancements, and operational issues to identify potential impacts across Workday functional areas, engaging appropriate subject matter experts to support solution design, testing, implementation, and issue resolutionEnsure configuration and solutions activities adhere to governance, documentation, security, and quality standardsBusiness Analysis and Stakeholder Collaboration
Partner with Human Resources, Information Technology, and business leaders to understand operational requirements and strategic prioritiesAct as the single point of contact to identify, collect, and reconcile business requirements from subject matter experts (SMEs) across HR, Finance, and Student Services to ensure unified data alignmentFacilitate root-cause analysis and requirements gathering sessions to isolate existing process bottlenecks, translating college operations into clean, sustainable functional specificationsProvide expert advice regarding Workday functionality, best practices, and solution alternativesSupport prioritization and evaluation of enhancement requests and operational improvementsEvaluate business requests and configuration changes for downstream and cross-functional implications, facilitating collaboration with team members, technical resources, and business stakeholders to ensure solutions are aligned, sustainable, and support enterprise objectives Lifecycle Testing, Releases, and Quality Assurance
Assess the impact of Workday releases and new functionality on supported business processesArchitect comprehensive end-to-end test scripts, validate results, and coordinate the rapid resolution of system defects, ensuring functional decisions are fully verified by impacted stakeholdersPlan, coordinate, and execute system testing activities, including functional integration, and regression testingEnable and support Business Outcome Validation with impacted stakeholdersSupport release readiness planning, communication, and implementation activitiesIdentify change management impacts for end-users and college stakeholders from system configuration, ensuring comprehensive business outcome validation before deploymentReporting, Data Integrity and Compliance
Design, develop, and maintain standard Workday reports, calculated fields, and dashboards that support operational, regulatory, and business requirementsAnalyze reporting requirements and provide reporting solutions that enable stakeholders to access accurate, timely, and meaningful information for decision-makingCollaborate with senior specialized teams and other subject matter experts on complex, cross-functional, or enterprise reporting initiatives requiring advanced reporting expertise or specialized analytics solutionsMonitor, validate, and maintain data integrity across assigned business processes and reporting outputsSupport audit, compliance, regulatory, and operational reporting activities as requiredSystem Optimization and Continuous improvement
Develop and maintain configurations supporting portfolio business processesAnalyze business processes and identify opportunities to increase automation, improve efficiency, and enhance user experienceDeconstruct flawed legacy configurations and recurring system errors to engineer automated, scalable, and standardized workflows that align directly with enterprise objectivesParticipate in roadmap planning and continuous improvement initiativesInnovation, AI Enablement and Emerging Capabilities
Monitor Workday releases, roadmap developments, and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, skills intelligence, predictive analytics, and intelligent automationEvaluate new platform capabilities and recommend opportunities to improve service delivery, operational effectiveness, and employee experienceConfigure, test, validate, and support approved AI-enabled features and intelligent automation capabilitiesComplete Workday professional development opportunities supporting AI and automation, participate in Higher Education Community groups and Workday knowledge-sharing activities related to emerging technologiesDocumentation, Compliance and Knowledge Management
Develop and maintain configuration documentation, testing artifacts, business processes, and support proceduresDocument configuration rationale, process decisions, and operational proceduresSupport knowledge transfer initiatives and organizational readiness activitiesCollaborate with integration developers, technical resources, vendors, and business stakeholders to define requirements, validate data movement, support testing activities, and resolve integration-related issues affecting assigned business processesWhat You’ll Bring
Post‑secondary 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, or related field with an emphasis on ERP systems or other related disciplineA combination of other relevant equivalent education and/or experience will be consideredMinimum five years of experience supporting enterprise ERP applicationsMinimum three years of experience configuring Workday HCM, Benefits, Compensation, or related modules, with demonstrated specialization and advanced configuration experience in Workday BenefitsWorkday certification in HCM, Benefits, Compensation, or related modules is considered an assetComprehensive understanding of human resources including Benefits, Compensation and related business processesDemonstrated experience gathering requirements, configuring solutions, performing testing, and supporting production environmentsExperience supporting software releases and continuous improvement initiativesExperience working with cross‑functional stakeholders within a large, complex organizationExperience in a post‑secondary or public sector environment would be considered an assetExperience evaluating or implementing automation, artificial intelligence (AI), or emerging enterprise technology capabilities would be considered an assetKnowledge of AI governance, privacy, security, ethical considerations within enterprise software environments is considered an assetStrong business analysis, problem‑solving, and process improvement skillsUnderstanding of software testing methodologies and change management practicesAbility to translate business requirements into technical solutionsExcellent analytical and troubleshooting skillsStrong verbal, written, and presentation skillsAbility to collaborate effectively with technical and non‑technical stakeholdersDemonstrated ability and willingness to continuously learn emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and analyticsAbility to evaluate new platform capabilities and support business adoption through configuration, testing, documentation, and stakeholder engagementWhat This Opportunity Offers
Comprehensive Pension & Benefits: Join a defined‑benefit pension plan (through the CAAT Pension Plan) that delivers predictable lifetime retirement income, plus dental, disability, travel insurance and extended health coverage.Vacation: Enjoy paid time off and benefit from a scheduled holiday closure that offers additional rest and time with family during the winter seasonTuition & Professional Development: Continue your learning journey — eligible employees and their dependents can take select Fanshawe programs or courses at a reduced costInclusive, Meaningful Campus environment: Work alongside passionate colleagues in an inclusive culture that values diversity, drives student success, and connects you to the local community and campus life.Fanshawe provides
Competitive compensationComprehensive Benefits PackageDefined benefit pension planGenerous vacation and holiday entitlementsFull‑time employees start at a minimum of 3 weeks of vacation per year in addition to our paid college closure from Dec. 25 – Jan. 1Prepaid leave/salary deferral planSubsidized maternity and parental leaveFamily tuition programFlexible work policyEmployee and Family Assistance ProgramCorporate Discounts through CAUBOEducational Credentials
While transcripts are not required for the interview, they are mandatory as a condition of employment.Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Fanshawe College is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equity, value diversity, and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.Accommodation
Fanshawe College provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, the hiring manager and the recruiter leading the recruitment will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant’s accommodation needs. Accommodation requests per the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act can be emailed to: View email address on ca.hrm.tc Acknowledgement
Fanshawe College would like to acknowledge and honour the Anishinaabe, Lotinuhsyuní and Lenape people of southwestern Ontario as the traditional owners and custodians of the lands and waterways where Fanshawe College is located. We thank all applicants for their interest;
however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.Fanshawe College uses Workday to manage recruitment and hiring processes. Find a career you’re proud of and unlock your potential in a supportive environment, surrounded by a community of lifelong learners and endless possibilities. Browse the open opportunities at left or use the search and filter features to discover your perfect fit. A place where you belong: Embark on a fulfilling career journey with us! We’re more than a job;
at Fanshawe College youbecome part of a community that values your growth. We are dedicated to nurturing your success with exceptional resources, technology, and professional development. Learn more below and find out why a career at Fanshawe should be part of your future.Full‑time Job Postings: DBprime Plan Part‑time Job Postings: DBplus Plan
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