Senior Manager of Workday Operations, Benefits Lead

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior Manager of Workday Operations, Benefits Lead

Job Profile Title

Information Technology Manager Senior

Job Description Summary

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing the core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services upon which Penn’s numerous Schools and Centers build their unique tools and capabilities.

ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations in order to create, deliver and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as a trusted advisor to Penn’s IT community, faculty, staff and students in support of an environment of discovery and progress.

ISC’s focus on customer service and the high-quality, cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutions advances the mission of the University, as well as that of each individual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom and departmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISC supports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogent counsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ their distinct strengths in support of their goals.

Learn more about us by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/.

The Senior Workday Manager, Benefits Lead within Information Systems and Computing (ISC), provides leadership and oversight for the Workday Operations Team, directing and supervising a team of Workday professionals responsible for system support, optimization, and continuous improvement of Workday systems.

Serving as the functional lead and subject matter expert for the Workday Benefits module, this role is responsible for leading the configuration, enhancement, and ongoing optimization of Workday solutions to support business objectives and improve the user experience. The ideal candidate brings deep Workday expertise, including strong configuration experience across two or more Workday modules, along with proven leadership skills and a track record of driving operational excellence and system innovation.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop the Workday Operations team, including overseeing work assignments, prioritization, workload management, and quality of deliverables.
• Manage the full employee lifecycle for direct reports, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, mentoring, and professional development, while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, continuous learning, and adoption of best practices.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, providing constructive feedback, identifying growth opportunities, and recognizing individual and team achievements.
• Partner with the Director of Workday Operations to develop strategic priorities, establish operational objectives, and drive process and system optimization initiatives.
• Provide functional leadership for the Workday Benefits module, serving as the subject matter expert and owning the end-to-end configuration and optimization of benefit plans, eligibility rules, rates, event types, and related business processes.
• Lead the configuration, enhancement, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Workday modules, ensuring solutions align with business needs and organizational goals.
• Oversee the planning, testing, execution, and post-launch support for two annual Open Enrollment cycles within Workday, including coordination of communications and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Collaborate closely with HR Benefits, Integration Services, Payroll, and benefits vendors to ensure accurate system configuration, data integrity, and successful benefits integrations and vendor feeds.
• Establish, maintain, and promote Workday governance standards and best practices across the Penn Workday ecosystem.
• Monitor, assess, and communicate the impact of Workday releases and feature updates, proactively evaluating opportunities, risks, and required tenant changes to support system stability and continuous enhancement.
• Collaborate with the Director of Workday Operations to craft strategies, set objectives, and optimize operations.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 4 to 6 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Demonstrated success leading complex programs, governance initiatives, and operational improvements through cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and influence.
• Proven ability to lead through influence and drive strategic outcomes within a highly matrixed organizational environment.
• Experience managing, developing, and coaching direct reports.
• Deep functional and configuration expertise in two or more Workday modules; experience supporting Workday in a higher education environment is strongly preferred.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and organizational levels.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to assess complex issues and develop effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, manage multiple competing priorities, and consistently meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organization while maintaining a high level of accuracy, accountability, and customer focus.