Staff Workday Engineer, People Systems & AI Automation

Let’s face it, a company whose mission is human transformation better have some fresh thinking about the employer/employee relationship.

We do. We can’t cram it all in here, but you’ll start noticing it from the first interview.

Even our candidate experience is different. And when you get an offer from us (and accept it), you get way more than a paycheck. You get a personal BetterUp Coach, a development plan, a trained and coached manager, the most amazing team you’ve ever met (yes, each with their own personal BetterUp Coach), and most importantly, work that matters.

This makes for a remarkably focused and fulfilling work experience. Frankly, it’s not for everyone. But for people with fire in their belly, it’s a game-changing, career-defining, soul-lifting move.

Join us and we promise you the most intense and fulfilling years of your career, doing life-changing work in a fun, inventive, soulful culture.

If that sounds exciting—and the job description below feels like a fit—we really should start talking.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Staff/Lead Workday Engineer to join our People team as the technical authority for Workday and the broader HR systems ecosystem. This role spans the full stack — from integration architecture down to day-to-day configuration and support — and is our primary driver for AI enablement across Workday and the tools connected to it. You’ll operate with wide latitude and independent judgment on complex, ambiguous problems, partnering closely with Total Rewards, Talent, HR Ops, and IT leadership to keep our systems reliable and compliant today, while identifying and mobilizing the automation and AI opportunities that will define how the broader HR team works tomorrow.

This role reports to the VP of Total Rewards and HR Operations.

We are a hybrid company with a focus on in-person collaboration when necessary. Employees are expected to be available to work from one of our office hubs at least two days per week, or eight days per month. Our US hub locations include: Austin, TX; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; and the Arlington, VA metro area. Please ensure you can realistically commit to this structure before applying.

What You’ll Do

Workday configuration & support

• Serve as the primary technical owner for Workday — configuration, troubleshooting, security roles, business process framework, and day-to-day support across HCM, Compensation, Benefits, and related modules

• Own access controls, role-based permissions, and audit logging to ensure security and compliance

• Manage Workday releases, including impact analysis, testing, and rollout of new features

Integrations & architecture

• Design, build, and maintain integrations across Workday and connected systems (e.g., Ashby, Pave, Shareworks, Athena, HC 365), using EIB and API-based integration patterns

• Manage end-to-end lifecycle transactions and data flows across the HR tech stack

• Partner with IT and HR Ops to troubleshoot issues and architect scalable system enhancements

AI & automation enablement

• Define and own the AI roadmap within Workday — evaluating and implementing capabilities such as Workday Assistant, Illuminate, Extend, and Orchestrate as they become relevant to our stack

• Identify and systematize automation and AI opportunities with impact beyond a single team, and secure buy-in from HR and IT leadership to prioritize and resource them

• Stay ahead of Workday's AI and automation roadmap, anticipating what's worth piloting before it becomes an obvious ask

• Bring curiosity to the broader HR tech stack and processes — proactively surface where automation or AI augmentation opportunities across HR tech stack that could benefit the wider HR team, not just Workday itself, and act as the go-to resource others come to for this thinking

Compliance & documentation

• Own the approach to SOX ITGC controls for People systems, building controls that enable compliance without adding unnecessary friction

• Maintain clear, audit-ready documentation of system configuration, workflows, and change management processes; set the standard others on the team follow

Cross-functional partnership & influence

• Serve as the technical expert Total Rewards, HRBPs, Talent, HR Ops, and IT leadership come to for complex or ambiguous systems decisions

• Translate business needs from senior stakeholders into scalable, well-documented system solutions, and clearly communicate tradeoffs and recommendations

• Mentor other HR systems practitioners and elevate how the broader team approaches configuration, integration, and automation work

If You Have Some or All of the following, Please Apply

• 12 years of experience in HR systems, with deep, hands-on Workday expertise spanning both integrations and day-to-day configuration/support (not just one or the other)

• Track record of leading complex Workday work independently — full-cycle implementations, major system transformations, or integration architecture — with minimal oversight and accountability for the outcome

• Strong knowledge of Workday integration design (EIB, REST/SOAP APIs) and experience connecting Workday to third-party tools

• Working knowledge of Workday's AI capabilities (Workday Assistant, Illuminate, Extend, Orchestrate, AI Gateway APIs) — or demonstrated ability to master new Workday capabilities quickly and turn them into adopted practice

• Experience owning access management, security roles, and data integrations across a modern HR tech stack (tools like Ashby, Pave, Shareworks, Athena, HC 365 a plus)

• Working knowledge of SOX ITGC and compliant system practices in a public or audit-ready environment

• History of originating and systematizing automation/AI opportunities that scale beyond your own queue of tickets — not just executing requests, but identifying what's worth building before you're asked

• Experience operating with wide latitude and independent judgment on ambiguous, high-complexity problems, and being sought out by others (including senior/VP-level leaders) as the trusted authority on system decisions

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with VP-level stakeholders and use them to move cross-functional work forward, plus comfort acting as a mentor or informal technical lead to other practitioners

• Strong communication skills — able to translate technical tradeoffs for non-technical and senior stakeholders alike

AI at BetterUp

Our team thrives at the intersection of human expertise and AI capability. As an AI-forward company, adaptation and continuous learning are part of our daily work. We're looking for teammates who are excited to evolve alongside technology – people who experiment boldly, share their discoveries openly, and help define best practices for AI-augmented work. These professionals thoughtfully integrate AI into their work to deliver exceptional results while maintaining the human judgment and creativity that drives real innovation. During our interview process, you’ll have opportunities to showcase how you harness AI to learn, iterate, and amplify your impact.

Benefits:

At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community.

• Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member

• A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Flexible paid time off

• Per year:

  • All federal/statutory holidays observed

  • 4 BetterUp Inner Workdays (https://www.betterup.co/inner-work)

  • 5 Volunteer Days to give back

  • Learning and Development stipend

  • Company wide Summer & Winter breaks

• Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp

• 401(k) self contribution

We are dedicated to building diverse teams that fuel an authentic workplace and sense of belonging for each and every employee. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we encourage everyone interested in joining us to apply.

BetterUp Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, BetterUp Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Protecting your privacy and treating your personal information with care is very important to us, and central to the entire BetterUp family. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about the privacy of your personal information or your rights with regards to your personal information, please reach out to [email protected]