Workday Analyst - HCM

Arriva is one of Europe's leading passenger transport partners, operating across 11 countries and delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys each year. With over 35,000 colleagues, we're committed to connecting people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably.

Following our acquisition by I Squared Capital, we're entering an exciting new phase of growth and transformation. As part of this journey, we're continuing to invest in our people, processes and technology, creating an opportunity for a Workday Analyst - HCM to join our Workday Support Team, on a 12-month fixed term contract. This role can be based from either our Sunderland or London office and operates on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of three days per week in the office.

This is not a traditional systems support role.

We're looking for someone who can act as a trusted partner to HR and business stakeholders, helping shape how Workday supports our organisation. While you'll bring strong Workday expertise, your success in this role will come from your ability to build relationships, understand business challenges and translate requirements into effective Workday solutions that deliver real value.

The Opportunity

As our Workday Analyst, you'll play a key role in the ongoing development and optimisation of our Workday platform, with a focus on HCM, Recruiting and Reporting.

Working with stakeholders across multiple business areas and countries, you'll provide expert guidance on Workday capabilities, challenge existing ways of working and identify opportunities to improve processes, increase automation and enhance the employee experience..

You'll become a trusted advisor to the business, balancing operational needs with Workday best practice and ensuring we're making the most of our investment in the platform.

Whether you're leading stakeholder workshops, supporting a new enhancement, reviewing Workday releases or analysing reporting requirements, you'll have the opportunity to influence how Workday evolves across Arriva.

What You'll Be Doing

• Partner with HR and business stakeholders to understand challenges, gather requirements and deliver effective Workday solutions.
• Act as a subject matter expert for Workday HCM, Recruiting and Reporting, providing advice and guidance on functionality and best practice.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation, influencing decision-making and driving adoption of standardised processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve user experience, simplify processes and increase automation across the employee lifecycle.
• Support and deliver Workday configuration changes, enhancements and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage and resolve Workday incidents, service requests and change requests in line with agreed service levels.
• Facilitate workshops, demonstrations and stakeholder engagement sessions to showcase Workday capabilities and encourage best practice.
• Configure and maintain reports and dashboards to provide meaningful people insights.
• Support testing activities for Workday updates, releases and new functionality, ensuring changes are delivered successfully and with minimal risk.
• Create and maintain user guidance, training materials and knowledge resources to support adoption and capability across the business.
• Stay connected with the wider Workday community, bringing new ideas, innovations and best practice into Arriva.

About You

You'll be someone who enjoys partnering with stakeholders, solving problems and driving continuous improvement through technology.

You're as comfortable discussing business challenges with senior stakeholders as you are working within Workday configuration and reporting. You understand that successful HR technology solutions are built on strong relationships, collaboration and a genuine understanding of business needs.

Essential Experience

• Hands-on Workday HCM experience within a post-go-live environment.
• Experience supporting and optimising Workday business processes and functionality.
• Proven ability to build credibility and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience gathering requirements and translating business needs into practical system solutions.
• Strong communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working within complex, multinational organisations.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with a passion for enhancing processes and user experience.

Desirable Experience

• Workday Recruiting experience.
• Experience with Workday reporting and analytics.
• Exposure to Workday security configuration.
• Experience supporting multiple business units within a shared Workday environment.
• Understanding of organisational change activities such as acquisitions, divestitures and business transformation programmes.
• Experience working in highly configurable, fast-paced Workday environments.

Why Join Arriva?

This is an opportunity to join a business that is investing in its future and in the technology that supports its people.

You'll work as part of a collaborative Workday team, partner with stakeholders across an international organisation and play a key role in shaping the future direction of Workday at Arriva. In return, you'll have the opportunity to influence change, develop your expertise and contribute to a transformation journey that is helping move Arriva forward.

If you're looking for a role where you can combine Workday expertise with genuine business partnership, we'd love to hear from you.