Technical Lead, Core HR (Workday)

Company Description

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.

Job Description

Versant is seeking a Technical Lead, Core HR Systems to lead the design, development, deployment, and ongoing support of key components of Versant’s core HR ecosystem, centered on Workday. This role plays a critical hands-on lead DevOps position in delivering reliable, scalable solutions that support Versant’s workforce with delivering SaaS and custom solutions.  
 
You will build and lead high-performing teams of engineers and solution leads responsible for platform architecture, delivery, integrations, and operational excellence. You will partner closely with stakeholders across Payroll, HR, Time, Broadcast and Sports Operations, Product, Data & Analytics, and Enterprise Technology to ensure HR & Payroll solutions are well-architected, secure, and aligned to business priorities. 

Key Responsibilities 

Platform Strategy & Architecture 

• Contribute to the definition and execution of Core HR & Payroll platform standards, patterns, and roadmaps across HR, Payroll, Time, & Broadcast & Sports Operations 

• Design and implement scalable, secure custom and SaaS solutions that meet defined business and technical requirements 

• Ensure solutions align with architecture standards and integrate cleanly with upstream and downstream systems 

• Evaluate and implement new technology capabilities (automation, AI features, data unification, packaged SaaS solutions) in support of product and business needs 

• Collaborate with architecture, product, and data teams to ensure consistency and reusability across platforms 

Delivery & Operations Excellence 

• Lead end-to-end delivery for Core HR & Payroll initiatives, from technical design through build, test, deployment, and post-go-live support 

• Oversee technical delivery, release planning, and environment management to ensure stability and predictable releases 

• Enforce best practices in DevOps, code quality, documentation, and automated testing 

• Partner with integration, data, and infrastructure teams to ensure reliable interoperability and data flows 

• Monitor platform performance and operational health, driving root-cause resolution and continuous improvement 

Partner & Team Leadership 

• Serve a critical role as the Development Lead for Versant’s planned transformation of their key HR & Payroll Systems  

• Build and lead a blended organization of internal engineers, architects, and contracted delivery partners both on and offshore 

• Serve as an accountable leader for contracted and managed service partners, ensuring delivery quality, cost effectiveness, and strategic alignment 

• Define clear scopes of work, service-level expectations, and governance processes with delivery partners 

• Foster a culture of collaboration, ownership, and learning - balancing partner execution with internal engineering capability 

• Mentor and develop team members, driving engagement, accountability, and professional development 

• Assist with managing budgets and resource plans, ensuring optimal allocation across initiatives 

Governance, Security & Stakeholder Alignment 

• Ensure HR & Payroll solutions comply with corporate security, privacy, and regulatory requirements 

• Adhere to established governance processes including change management, version control, and documentation 

• Partner with Legal, Privacy, and Security teams to support secure handling of customer and business data 

• Provide regular status updates on delivery progress, risks, and operational health to technology and business stakeholders 

• Act as a trusted technical advisor for HR and Payroll engineering within cross-functional

Qualifications

Basic Requirements 

• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years leading medium to large engine