JOIN THE BEST TEAM IN SPORT & SPIRIT
At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.
Location: Hybrid (2-3 Days per week) Farmers Branch, TX
This job does not offer citizenship or H1-B Sponsorship. All applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.
HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT
The Senior HRIS Analyst serves as a senior individual contributor and subject-matter expert for assigned Workday modules and other HR systems across Varsity Brands. This role independently delivers configuration, release, reporting, and project work for assigned areas; resolves complex Workday Help cases escalated by HRIS Analysts, escalating cross-module or high-impact issues; and acts as a reliable partner to HR Centers of Excellence (COEs), Payroll, HR Business Partners (HRBPs), Finance, and Technology & Product organizations. This role partners with Workday module administrators to prepare for releases and annual cycles and supports additional HR systems as assigned, including Phenom, which is integrated with Workday Recruiting to deliver a better candidate experience.
The Senior HRIS Analyst translates defined business needs into system capabilities with a strong focus on efficiency, data privacy, and compliance, and shares improvement ideas, including opportunities for AI and automation, with the team.
The Senior HRIS Analyst reports to the Director, HRIS and works day to day with the other members of the team; it does not manage people or direct the HRIS function. This role provides technical and functional expertise through module ownership, project contribution, and knowledge sharing, under the direction of the Director, HRIS.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Workday Configuration, Releases, and Annual Cycles
- Serve as the functional and technical SME for assigned Workday modules, eliciting requirements and designing, building, testing, and deploying configuration changes independently, which may include complex or cross-module changes
- Active Workday modules include: Absence, Benefits, Core HCM, Compensation, Help, Payroll, Recruiting, Talent Management (Performance, Potential, Succession, Learning, Engagement), Time Tracking
- Translate business needs into Workday capabilities for assigned modules; recommend and implement enhancements that improve automation, user experience, and process efficiency, presenting options with business value, effort, and risk to inform prioritization
- In partnership with the other HRIS team members, support Workday release management for assigned modules:
- Review new features from Workday's two primary annual releases that affect assigned modules
- Maintain release backlog items for assigned modules
- Execute regression and impact testing for assigned modules
- Communicate changes and readiness to module administrators and HR stakeholders
- Configure and maintain Workday business processes, condition rules, and foundational data for assigned modules to meet evolving business needs, applying documented testing and change-control practices to protect data integrity and system stability
- Execute configuration, testing, and production support for annual and cyclical HR processes such as open enrollment, annual compensation/merit, talent review, and performance management for assigned modules
- Meet regularly with Workday module administrators and functional owners for assigned modules to understand upcoming needs, releases, and leading practices, and share recommended solutions and options
- Participate in readiness reviews with module administrators before each annual or cyclical HR process (e.g., performance, talent review, open enrollment, merit) to confirm configuration, testing, timelines, and communications
- Apply AI capabilities within Workday and other HR systems, as well as approved AI tools, to improve reporting, testing, documentation, support, and user experience, ensuring appropriate data privacy, security, and governance, and share ideas with the team
- Provide day-to-day support for Phenom, which is integrated with Workday Recruiting (ATS) to provide a better candidate experience, including configuration, enhancements, and issue resolution as assigned
- Monitor Workday integrations with internal systems and third-party vendors for assigned modules, troubleshoot failures (including EIB and data load issues), and coordinate with Technology & Product and vendors as directed
- Support additional systems and tools as HR adds them to its technology portfolio, including implementation, integration, and ongoing administration as assigned
Support, Security, and Data Integrity
- Resolve complex Workday Help cases escalated from HRIS Analysts for assigned modules, including system errors, EIB requests, security updates, access issues, and data errors, in a timely manner; escalate cross-module, high-impact, or unresolved issues.
- Perform root-cause analysis on recurring issues in assigned modules, implement fixes, and share trends that inform process and system improvements
- Maintain Workday security role assignments and security role matrices for assigned modules, ensuring access aligns with job requirements and with data privacy and compliance expectations
- Support periodic security access reviews and audit controls, including segregation-of-duties checks and remediation tracking, and provide documentation and evidence for internal and external audit requests as requested
- Follow and apply data governance standards set by the Director, HRIS and HR leadership, including data definitions, validation rules, and ownership expectations
- Run cadenced data audits for assigned modules, partnering with COEs and HRBPs to cleanse and correct data
Reporting
- Build and maintain advanced reports and dashboards across assigned modules, translating data into actionable insights for HR leadership, COEs, and HRBPs
- Develop reporting solutions, including calculated fields, matrix reports, and scorecards, that give HR partners reliable, self-service access to data
- Partner with COEs to support HRBPs and HR leaders in using self-service reporting, reducing reliance on ad hoc report requests
- Share trends and insights from Workday data with module administrators and HR leaders ahead of key decisions and cycles
Projects, Partnership, and Knowledge Sharing
- Lead assigned Workday workstreams within larger projects, including system releases and upgrades, enhancement packages, new functionality, and process redesign, from requirements through post-launch support, and contribute to projects within he broader team
- Identify project risks and issues early and escalate them to the Director, HRIS with proposed mitigation options
- Operate as a consultative partner to COEs, HRBPs, Payroll, Finance, and Technology & Product organizations for assigned modules: treat HR leaders, COEs, and HRBPs as customers and functional experts; provide recommendations, risks, and alternatives; communicate clearly with audiences from end users to HR leaders; and, once priorities are set by HR leadership, execute with urgency and clear status communication
- Drive adoption of employee and manager self-service by expanding Workday Help knowledge articles, job aids, and training resources in partnership with the HR Centers of Excellence
- Author and maintain process documentation for assigned modules, including configuration records, integration documentation, security role matrices, and support procedures
- Share knowledge and leading practices with HRIS Analysts and team members, including answering module questions and contributing to team documentation, job aids, and training materials
- Work with external consultants on assigned upgrades, customizations, integrations, and support cases,
- Engage with Workday Community, training, and user groups to stay current on capabilities and share learnings with the team and Workday module administrators
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
- Navigate ambiguity and adapt quickly in a fast-paced, privately held company undergoing rapid transformation, making sound decisions with incomplete information as priorities change
- Manage highly confidential employee, compensation, and organizational data with strict discretion and sound judgment
- Influence cross-functional partners without direct authority, building credibility through expertise, clear business cases, and follow-through
- Put customers first: understand the needs of HR colleagues before proposing solutions, and keep the end user, and ultimately the students Varsity Brands serves, at the center of decisions
- Drive results with a cost-conscious mindset, and maintain a positive, resilient outlook that stays focused on solutions through setbacks and shifting priorities
- Deliver on commitments, take ownership of errors, and correct course quickly
- Build strong, respectful working relationships, welcome different perspectives, and work as a team so shared goals are achieved together
- Apply sound judgment and fact-based analysis to weigh options, risks, and impacts, bring others along in decisions, and recognize the contributions of others
- Communicate openly and directly, give and welcome candid feedback, and take calculated risks by testing, learning, and adjusting quickly
- Offer expert recommendations and raise concerns respectfully, then align and execute decisively once direction is set by HR leadership
- Maintain professional composure when working under pressure, tight timelines, or competing priorities
Education and Experience Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Technology, Information Systems, Business, or a related field
- 4+ years of experience in Human Resources in an HRIS or Shared Services environment
- 2+ years of hands-on Workday configuration and support across multiple modules (Absence, Benefits, Core HCM, Compensation, Help, Payroll, Recruiting, Talent Management, or Time Tracking)
- Strong understanding of HR processes, HR systems, integrations, and payroll data
- Strong Workday reporting skills, including calculated fields, matrix reports, and dashboards
- Working experience with Workday security (role-based and user-based), business processes, and condition rules
- Working knowledge of Workday integrations (e.g., EIB), data loads, and integration troubleshooting
- Ability to analyze data and translate it into actionable insights
- Experience researching new system capabilities and sharing findings with business and functional owners
- Familiarity with applying AI tools or AI-enabled system features (e.g., generative AI) to improve reporting, documentation, testing, or process efficiency, with an understanding of data privacy considerations
- Experience managing multiple tasks and competing priorities, delivering assigned work to defined scope and timelines with clear status communication
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and recommendations to HR partners and leaders
- Strong Microsoft Office skills (MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, MS Teams, MS Word)
Preferred
- Workday Pro certification in one or more modules, such as Talent Management, Recruiting, or Compensation
- Experience leading Workday workstreams or small projects from requirements through post-launch support
- Experience serving as a technical resource for peers or less-experienced team members
- Hands-on experience configuring Workday Talent Management, including performance, talent review, and succession
- Experience with Phenom or similar candidate experience and talent acquisition platforms integrated with Workday Recruiting
- Experience supporting additional HR technology platforms integrated with Workday
- Experience supporting organizational change in Workday, such as reorganizations, acquisitions, or system migrations
- Experience in a privately held, high-growth, or transformation-driven environment
- Familiarity with responsible AI use and governance practices for HR and employee data
Physical Demands and/or Work Environment The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.
OUR VALUES
Service - We lead with heart. We champion community. Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose. Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions. Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it. Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community. Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.
OUR BENEFITS
We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:
- Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
- HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
- Wellbeing Program
- 401(k) plan with company matching
- Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
- Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
- Varsity Brands Ownership Program
- Employee Resource Groups
- Access to Financial Coaching and member-owned Credit Union
- St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
- Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!
Eligibility for company-sponsored benefits is determined by scheduled work hours, and the terms of the applicable benefit plans. Benefit offerings and eligibility requirements may vary by position and are subject to change in accordance with plan documents and applicable law.
Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.