Workday - Payroll Consultant

About Meridian Meridian is a 10-time Inc. 5000 honoree and one of the nation's fastest-growing small businesses — and a certified Workday Services Partner and SAP Services Partner. For more than two decades, we've delivered enterprise solutions that are efficient, scalable, and aligned to each client's mission, guided by an unwavering commitment to integrity, excellence, and client-centered service. We proudly serve state and local governments, federal agencies, and K–12 organizations, giving our team exposure to meaningful work that directly improves communities and public services nationwide. We show up with empathy, collaborate as true partners, and bring the resilience and adaptability needed to navigate even the most complex challenges. If you're looking to grow your career inside a team that values learning, innovation, and a genuine collaborative spirit — Meridian is the place for you! Workday Payroll Consultant Full-time, salaried position   100% Remote - must reside within the United States   Up to 30% domestic travel   Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship, now or in the future   The Opportunity We’re expanding our Workday practice and looking for an experienced Workday Payroll Consultant who thrives in complex environments—especially those involving union and public sector payroll structures. In this role, you’ll support and optimize high-impact Workday Payroll implementations for public sector clients, helping them ensure accurate and compliant payroll processing. You’ll offer advisory support on payroll systems and regulations, helping to improve payroll efficiency and controls. This is a high-visibility, high-impact consulting role with room to grow, innovate, and help shape the future of our Workday practice. Responsibilities System Configuration & Testing Apply deep expertise in the Workday Payroll product across customer engagements Partner with customers to elicit, clarify, and document business requirements Configure Workday Payroll to align with customer needs and operational realities Document solution decisions clearly so customers can support and sustain their environment after go-live Production Support Lead Workday post-production support services for Payroll, a portfolio of clients. Serve as the primary point of contact and strategic advisor for client stakeholders, addressing escalations, resolving complex issues, and guiding clients through system updates and enhancements. Manage day-to-day support activities: triage tickets, troubleshoot issues, and oversee timely resolution in alignment with SLAs. Own Workday release management: analyze feature updates, assess client impact, and coordinate testing and deployment with client teams. Client Engagement & Solutioning Partner with clients to understand complex benefits structures, including union, non-union, and retiree populations governed by state and local policies. Identify opportunities to improve client processes and system configuration for efficiency, accuracy, and compliance. Provide end-user training and support during implementation and post-implementation phases. Lead collaborative discovery sessions to document requirements and translate them into effective, compliant Workday configurations. Implementation Methodology & Framework Alignment Apply Meridian’s internal Workday Delivery Framework (MDF) and Workday Delivery Implementation Methodology (WDIM) across all phases. Maintain project documentation, RAID logs, and deliverable quality in accordance with internal governance and QA checkpoints. Support risk identification and mitigation planning in partnership with the Practice Director and Project Manager. Best Practices & Optimization Provide expert guidance on Workday Payroll best practices, ensuring configuration aligns with delivered functionality and avoids unnecessary customization. Participate in internal knowledge-sharing sessions and contribute to the Practice’s continuous improvement and innovation repository. Compliance & Policy Interpretation Maintain a strong understanding of public sector-specific reporting and compliance requirements Translate policy requirements into compliant configuration and business process design. Serve as the internal SME for interpreting union-related benefits rules and ensuring configuration meets legal and contractual obligations. Minimum Qualifications Active Workday certification in Payroll and Core HCM required Active Workday certifications in Time Tracking and/or Absence highly desirable 1+ years Public Sector consulting experience within state or local agencies 2+ years of Workday Payroll experience, including configuration, deployment and post-production of Payroll and related modules. 1+ years of post-implementation support experience with Workday Payroll, and preferably Time Tracking, and/or Absence modules 1+ years of experience with leading the troubleshooting, optimization, and maintenance of the Workday Payroll, and preferably Time Tracking, and/or Absence modules Bachelors' Degree or equivalent professional experience Ability to work standard East Coast hours Pay Transparency Compensation for roles at Meridian varies depending on a wide array of factors including, but not limited to, the specific practice, role, skillset, and level of experience. As required by law, Meridian provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired. Base Salary Range is $120,000 to $150,000 plus bonus is available for this specific role. Why You’ll Love Working at Meridian A collaborative, people-first culture rooted in empathy, respect, and shared purpose Generous time off and flexible remote environment that supports resilience and balance 401(k) with company match that immediately vests Comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision, caregiver/adoption support, fi