Workday - Senior Consultant, HCM (Higher Education)

Avaap is seeking an experienced Workday Senior Consultant, HCM Core, Compensation & Recruiting to join our growing Workday practice with a focus on Higher Education clients.

As a Workday partner, Avaap helps Higher Education organizations modernize operations through innovative Workday solutions and long-term client partnerships. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to clients by supporting Workday HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting implementations, optimizations, enhancements, and related business processes across Higher Education environments.

The ideal candidate brings strong functional expertise in Workday HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting, along with a deep understanding of Higher Education business processes, academic and administrative workforce structures, position management, job architecture, compensation programs, and recruiting operations. This individual will partner with client stakeholders and Avaap team members to assess business needs, recommend practical solutions, configure and test Workday functionality, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced consulting environment.

Responsibilities Include

• Provide functional support and consulting expertise for Workday HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting client engagements.

• Lead assigned HCM workstreams, functional areas, or small project teams as appropriate.

• Partner with Higher Education clients to review requirements, validate business processes, and recommend solutions aligned to institutional needs and Workday best practices.

• Configure, test, troubleshoot, and support Workday HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting functionality.

• Support design and configuration for HCM foundations, supervisory organizations, staffing models, position management, job profiles, business processes, security considerations, compensation plans, compensation eligibility, recruiting workflows, candidate management, and offer processes.

• Review and assess existing client configurations and recommend enhancements, optimizations, and process improvements across HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting.

• Advise clients on configuration impacts, dependencies, and upstream and downstream considerations across HCM, Compensation, Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits, Security, and Reporting.

• Support testing cycles, defect resolution, deployment activities, and post-go-live stabilization.

• Create and maintain project deliverables, including configuration documentation, design materials, test support materials, issue logs, and knowledge transfer documentation.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional functional and technical teams.

• Manage multiple client priorities and deliverables while communicating risks, progress, and dependencies clearly.

• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts, reusable assets, and knowledge sharing across the Workday practice.

Qualifications

• Active Workday HCM certification required.

• Workday Compensation and/or Recruiting certification strongly preferred.

• Strong experience configuring and supporting Workday HCM Core, Compensation, and Recruiting.

• Experience supporting Workday implementation, optimization, enhancement, or post-production support engagements for Higher Education clients.

• Ability to independently manage client-facing responsibilities and priorities.

• Strong understanding of upstream and downstream impacts across Workday HCM, Compensation, Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits, Security, Reporting, and Integrations.

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate client conversations and translate Higher Education business requirements into Workday solutions.

• Strong testing, documentation, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work effectively across multiple concurrent client initiatives.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex topics clearly to non-technical users.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience supporting Higher Education clients, including colleges, universities, academic medical centers, or university systems.

• Previous Workday consulting experience.

• Experience within Workday AMS, post-production support, implementation, or optimization environments for Higher Education clients.

• Functional experience in Higher Education HCM areas such as:

  • Academic appointments and administrative workforce structures

  • Position management and staffing models

  • Job profiles, job families, and job architecture

  • Faculty, staff, student worker, and contingent worker populations

  • Compensation plans, eligibility rules, merit processes, allowances, and one-time payments

  • Recruiting workflows, candidate management, job requisitions, offers, and onboarding handoffs

  • HCM business processes, approvals, condition rules, security impacts, and reporting dependencies

• Experience reviewing Workday release functionality and recommending client-specific enhancements.

• Strong relationship-building skills and a passion for exceptional customer service.

Pay Transparency

Compensation for roles at Avaap varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific business unit, team, role, skillset, and level of experience. As required by law, Avaap provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired.

• Base Salary Range is 115,000 - 160,000 plus 20% variable compensation is available for this specific role. At Avaap it is not typical to be hired at the top of the base salary range.

• During the interview process, alignment to level will be determined and should level differ from position applied for, a new compensation range will be provided for the appropriate role.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills along with the ability to communicate effectively.

• Must be able to perform work indoors and remain stationary at a computer.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment.

• Passion for exceptional customer service and collaboration.

• Ability to work remotely or out of one of Avaap's physical office locations.

• Current permanent U.S. work authorization required.

Featured Avaap Benefits

• Open PTO

• Competitive vision, dental, and medical, including fertility coverage

• Paid parental leave

• 401(k) match

• Company-paid disability and life benefits

• Employee Assistance Program, including behavioral health services

• Fitness stipend