HR Platforms Reporting & Data Analyst

About the Opportunity

Job Summary

To meet the challenges of the university’s continued growth and expansion, the HR Platforms (HRIT) team is looking for a qualified candidate who will contribute to the support and data analytics of Workday HCM.  This is a hybrid position; required to be ON CAMPUS Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri (Wed is remote).

The HR Platforms (HRIT) Reporting & Data Analyst serves as a key data and reporting resource within HR Platforms, partnering with HR functional areas, Payroll, Finance, and college/division HR stakeholders to understand complex business requirements and deliver accurate, meaningful workforce data and analytics.

This role requires a strong understanding of Workday HCM and Payroll business processes, particularly within the complexities of a decentralized higher education environment with diverse employee populations, organizational structures, and business practices.

The Reporting & Data Analyst translates business needs into effective reporting and analytical solutions, developing and maintaining Workday reports, SQL queries, and other data solutions. The role analyzes complex datasets to identify trends, discrepancies, anomalies, and data integrity issues; investigates root causes; and provides insights that support operational and strategic decision-making.

This position also partners closely with HR Platforms Business Systems Analysts and other technical and functional teams to test, validate, and resolve data and reporting issues.

Success in this role requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, expert proficiency in Excel, proficiency in SQL, attention to detail, and a naturally curious mindset. The successful candidate will be comfortable asking questions, challenging data that does not appear correct, investigating complex issues, and translating analytical findings into clear, actionable information for both technical and non-technical audiences. The role requires sound judgment, initiative, strong customer service skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines in a high-volume environment while maintaining confidentiality and the highest standards of data integrity.

Key responsibilities include:

·         Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, and college/division HR stakeholders to understand complex business requirements and translate data needs into accurate, sustainable reporting and analytical solutions.

·         Develop, maintain, and enhance reports and queries using Workday HCM/Payroll, Prism, SQL, Excel, and other reporting and analytical tools.

·         Analyze and reconcile complex HR and Payroll datasets to identify trends, anomalies, discrepancies, and data integrity issues and investigate root causes.

·         Collaborate with HR Platforms Business Systems Analysts and other technical and functional partners on requirements, testing, validation, system changes, and resolution of data and reporting issues.

To support the University's essential services and business operations, this position may occasionally be required to work outside of regular business hours, including during critical system activities, reporting deadlines, or other periods of operational need.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Human Resources, Data Analytics, or a related field required.
• 3–5 years of progressive experience in HR data analytics, HR systems, reporting, or a related field, with demonstrated experience analyzing complex HR and payroll data.
• Strong understanding of Workday HCM and Payroll business processes, including the ability to understand how transactions, business processes, organizational structures, compensation, time, absence, payroll, and employee lifecycle events impact downstream data and reporting.
• Experience with Workday reporting across HCM and Payroll, including developing, maintaining, interpreting, and troubleshooting reports and identifying opportunities to improve reporting accuracy and effectiveness.
• Higher education HR and Payroll experience is strongly preferred, with an understanding of the unique organizational structures, academic populations, employee types, appointments, positions, grants/funding, faculty/staff populations, and other complexities common to higher education.
• Expert proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including advanced formulas/functions, pivot tables, lookups, data cleansing, conditional logic, data validation, reconciliation, and analysis of large and complex datasets. Experience using Excel to identify trends, anomalies, discrepancies, and data-quality issues is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in SQL, with the ability to query, join, filter, aggregate, and analyze complex datasets across multiple tables and data sources.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a naturally curious mindset and the ability to recognize when data does not make sense and independently investigate the underlying issue, ask insightful questions, identify patterns and anomalies, determine root causes, and translate findings into meaningful business insights.  
• Demonstrated ability to work with large, complex, and sensitive HR and Payroll datasets, ensuring data integrity, accuracy, completeness, consistency, and confidentiality.
• Experience with data reconciliation and validation, including comparing data across Workday and downstream systems, identifying discrepancies, researching root causes, and partnering with functional and technical teams to resolve issues.
• Ability to translate complex HR and Payroll business requirements into meaningful reporting and data solutions, including gathering requirements, understanding the underlying business need, and recommending appropriate reporting or analytical approaches.
• Experience with data management, reporting governance, documentation, testing, and systems changes, including developing test plans and test cases and validating the impact of system changes on data and reporting.
• Workday Prism Analytics experience preferred, particularly experience working with multiple data sources and complex datasets.
• Experience with Cognos or other enterprise reporting/analytics tools preferred.
• Ability to interpret and communicate data clearly, translating complex analysis and technical findings into concise, actionable information for HR leadership, functional partners, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, with the ability to recognize when data does not make sense and independently investigate the underlying issue.
• Strong customer-service and consulting mindset, with the ability to understand customer needs, clarify ambiguous requests, provide thoughtful recommendations, and deliver high-quality reporting and analytical solutions.
• Self-starter with strong initiative and sound judgment, capable of working independently while knowing when to escalate issues or engage appropriate technical and functional partners.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment, organize work effectively, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing business and project requirements.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with technical and non-technical audiences at all levels of the organization.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills, with the ability to partner effectively across HR, Payroll, HR Technology, IT, and other university functions.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive employee, HR, and Payroll information with discretion and in accordance with university policies and data-security requirements.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, with the ability to identify opportunities to automate, simplify, improve data quality, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of HR reporting and analytics.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Reporting and Analytics

• Develop, maintain, and enhance Workday HCM and Payroll reports and SQL queries to meet complex HR, Payroll, operational, compliance, and business requirements.
• Analyze complex HR and Payroll data from Workday and other data sources to identify trends, anomalies, data-quality issues, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Serve as a reporting and data analytics subject matter expert for HR and Payroll, providing expertise to troubleshoot reporting issues, investigate discrepancies, and determine root causes.
• Partner with HR and Payroll stakeholders to understand business needs and translate requirements into effective reporting and analytical solutions, recommending the most appropriate reporting approach or data source.
• Provide advanced Excel-based analysis and data reconciliation, including analyzing large datasets, identifying discrepancies, validating results, and developing meaningful insights for HR leadership and business partners.
• Develop and support ad-hoc and standardized reporting capabilities that enable HR users and leadership to access timely, accurate, and actionable workforce information.
• Evaluate existing Workday reports and the report library to identify opportunities to leverage, enhance, consolidate, or retire existing reports and reduce redundant reporting.
• Establish and maintain reporting documentation, including report definitions, data sources, business logic, calculations, dependencies, and intended use to support consistency and knowledge sharing.
• Support reporting testing and validation associated with Workday releases, system changes, integrations, and business process changes, ensuring data and reporting outcomes remain accurate.
• Develop, analyze, and deliver recurring workforce metrics and reporting packages, including quarterly metrics and other HR leadership reporting, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and meaningful interpretation of results.
• Monitor and promote data quality and reporting integrity, partnering with HR, Payroll, and technical teams to research and resolve data discrepancies and reporting issues.
• Provide reporting guidance, training, and support to HR users, helping users understand available reporting capabilities, interpret report results, and use data appropriately for decision-making.
• Serve as a resource for HR staff and leadership on Workday reporting capabilities, including advising on report design, data availability, appropriate use of Workday data, and limitations of reporting outputs.
• Identify opportunities to improve, automate, and streamline reporting processes, leveraging Workday, SQL, Excel, Prism, Cognos, and other available technologies.

Data Integrity & Security

• Monitor, analyze, and validate HR and Payroll data across Workday and related systems, developing and executing audit queries to proactively identify data quality issues, anomalies, and inconsistencies.
• Reconcile HR and Payroll data across Workday, integrations, and downstream systems, investigating discrepancies and partnering with functional and technical teams to identify root causes and implement resolutions.
• Support data integrity audits, testing, and controls associated with HR systems, integrations, releases, and business process changes, ensuring accurate, complete, and reliable data.
• Protect the confidentiality and security of sensitive HR and Payroll data, adhering to University policies and data governance standards while identifying and escalating potential privacy, security, or access concerns.

Training/Communications

• Develop and deliver training to HR and Payroll users on Workday reporting, data analysis, and related reporting tools and capabilities.
• Develop, update, and maintain user guides, training materials, job aids, and other documentation to support effective and consistent use of Workday reporting and analytics.
• Develop and maintain a centralized library of standard reports and reporting documentation, including report purpose, data definitions, business logic, and intended use.
• Communicate reporting changes, new capabilities, and data insights to HR stakeholders and provide guidance to help users effectively interpret and utilize HR and Payroll data.

Position Type

Human Resources

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

111S

Expected Hiring Range:

$87,785.00 - $123,998.75

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.