Staff Product Analyst (Workday Payroll, Absence & Time Tracking)

Identity is the key to unlocking the potential of AI. Okta secures AI by building the trusted, neutral infrastructure that enables organizations to safely embrace this new era. This work requires a relentless drive to solve complex challenges with real-world stakes. We are looking for builders and owners who operate with speed and urgency and execute with excellence.

About the role

Okta is seeking a Staff Product Analyst (Workday Payroll, Absence & Time Tracking) to join our People Technology Team. This is a pivotal role dedicated to the functional optimization of Okta's global Workday platform across Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking. You will lead the end-to-end lifecycle of these programs, from strategic discovery and design to global deployment and adoption. You will act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders across People, Payroll, IT, and Finance, ensuring our People Technology suite drives automation, accuracy, and efficiency.

The Enterprise Technology team builds and delivers the secure, scalable systems that power how our business runs. Our People Technology Team sits at the heart of this work, overseeing the full Hire-to-Retire technical ecosystem—including core applications like Workday, Greenhouse, and Cornerstone—and ensuring these platforms evolve alongside the company's growth. We partner closely with HR, Finance, Operations, and Security to bring data-driven, secure, compliant, and innovative solutions to life.

Responsibilities

• Product Strategy and Roadmap: Collaborate on the product vision and multi-year roadmap for Workday Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking, ensuring alignment with global People Technology and Finance team objectives.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to People, Payroll, and Finance leadership, translating complex business needs into clear functional requirements and configuration designs.
• Functional Configuration and Design: Lead the design and configuration of Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking business processes, calculations, eligibility rules, and pay components that prioritize employee experience and operational efficiency.
• Lifecycle Management: Manage the full lifecycle of payroll, absence, and time tracking configuration, from initial discovery and requirements gathering through testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.
• Data-Driven Insights: Leverage Workday reporting and analytics to monitor process performance, identify trends, and deliver actionable recommendations for payroll, absence, and time tracking optimization.
• Vendor and Platform Management: Oversee relationships with third-party vendors (e.g., ADP) to ensure seamless data flows and adherence to service level agreements.
• Operational Excellence: Champion continuous improvement by analyzing process and configuration issues, leading testing efforts, and proposing changes that enhance accuracy and reduce manual intervention.
• Feature Adoption and Training: Drive end-user adoption of new Workday features through comprehensive documentation, user guides, and training programs.
• Compliance and Security: Ensure all payroll, absence, and time tracking configurations strictly adhere to global data privacy requirements and internal security standards.

Requirements

• 7+ years configuring Workday Payroll, Absence, and/or Time Tracking, including business process design, calculated fields, and eligibility rules.
• Deep functional expertise in Workday Payroll (GL, pay components, taxes), Absence, and Time Tracking configuration, along with global HR business processes.
• Proven experience leading tenant configuration testing, including UAT and regression testing, to ensure accurate, reliable releases.
• Advanced capability in building custom reports, dashboards, and hubs to drive data-informed decision-making.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders and collaborate effectively across global time zones.
• Superior ability to troubleshoot complex functional issues and design scalable configuration solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working in an Agile environment, managing backlogs, and delivering value through iterative cycles.
• Must be on U.S. soil (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or outlying areas of the United States, as defined in FAR 2.101) and be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or U.S. national, including green card holders, refugees, and asylees). Working on a U.S. visa does NOT qualify.

Qualifications

• Experience with Workday integrations (e.g., PECI, PICOF, Studio) or Workday Extend is a plus.
• Workday Certification in Payroll, Absence, or Time Tracking.

Pay

The annual base salary range for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between $148,000 and $203,500 USD. Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington: between $132,000 and $181,500 USD. Actual base salary depends on skills, qualifications, experience, and work location. Okta offers equity (where applicable), bonus, and benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), flexible spending account, and paid leave (including PTO and parental leave) in accordance with applicable plans and policies.