People Technology Principal Functional Specialist (Workday Absence & Time Tracking)

The Role

We are looking for an experienced and highly skilled People Technology Principal Functional Specialist to join our HelloFresh People Team at our New York City Headquarters.

In this role, you will serve as the technical expert for Workday Time Tracking and Absence while also contributing broad expertise across the Workday HCM suite. You will bring deep knowledge of time and attendance processes, leave management, and scheduling configuration—covering eligibility, accruals, time entry, approvals, and compliance—alongside strong hands-on capability in core HCM areas such as Staffing, Organizations, Business Processes, Security, and Reporting.

As the most senior functional specialist within the team, you will partner closely with People Operations, Payroll, HR, and Finance to design and deliver scalable, compliant, and data-driven solutions. You will not only own delivery of complex Time Tracking and Absence initiatives but also provide thought leadership and guidance across the wider HCM landscape, ensuring HelloFresh maximizes the value of Workday globally.

What You’ll Do

• Act as the principal subject matter expert in Workday Time Tracking & Absence, owning solution design, configuration, testing, deployment, and governance.

• Partner with senior stakeholders (People Operations, Payroll, HRBPs, Finance) to translate business requirements into scalable and compliant system solutions.

• Lead complex, global Time Tracking and Absence initiatives in Workday (e.g., time entry redesigns, absence policy rollouts, compliance and localization projects).

• Provide thought leadership across Workday HCM, ensuring best practices in Core HCM, Staffing, Organizations, Business Processes, and Security.

• Act as a senior advisor within the People Technology team, mentoring colleagues and supporting broader HCM projects beyond Time Tracking and Absence.

• Troubleshoot and resolve complex Workday issues in both Time Tracking/Absence and HCM, ensuring operational continuity during critical periods such as payroll or leave accrual cycles.

• Contribute to Workday reporting and analytics, with a focus on time and absence insights as well as broader HR data.

• Support Workday data conversion, EIBs, and integrations across Time Tracking, Absence, and HCM areas.

• Lead system audits, ensure data integrity, and continuously improve processes related to Time Tracking and Absence.

• Develop training, documentation, and enablement materials for HRBPs, managers, and business users.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of hands-on Workday experience, with demonstrated expertise in Time Tracking and Absence (eligibility, accruals, calendars, time entry, time calculations, and absence plans).

• Strong working knowledge of Workday HCM modules, including Core HCM, Staffing, Organizations, Business Processes, Security, and Reporting.

• Proven ability to design and implement global, scalable, and compliant Workday solutions across multiple domains.

• Experience leading large-scale Time Tracking and Absence implementations or transformations, including governance, configuration, and troubleshooting.

• Expertise with Workday data conversion, EIBs, and integrations across Time Tracking, Absence, and HCM.

• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills for time and absence data validation, reporting, and HR analytics.

• Strong consulting skills: ability to engage with senior stakeholders, gather requirements, and deliver solutions aligned to business strategy.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex Workday functionality to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• A collaborative mindset, with the ability to mentor colleagues and influence without direct authority.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, HR Management, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Familiarity with Agile methodologies is a plus.

• Fluency in English is required; additional languages are a plus.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, 401k with company match that vests immediately upon participation, and company equity plan based on role

• Generous PTO, including sabbatical, and parental leave of up to 16 weeks

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits with options at $0 monthly, effective first day of employment

• Tuition reimbursement for continuing education

• Up to 75% discount on subscriptions to HelloFresh meal plans (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, and Factor_)

• Access to 7 different Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) including those for BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, and LGBTQ+

• Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment within a fast-paced, mission-driven company that is disrupting the traditional food supply chain

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities. However, the Company reserves the right to adjust, modify, or reassign work tasks and responsibilities as needed to meet changing business needs, operational requirements, or other factors.

New York Pay Range
$116,250—$173,600 USD