Workday Platform Lead

Who are we?

First Rail is one of the most experienced rail operators in the UK, with more than 770,000 passenger journeys daily last year across our Department for Transport contracted operations and open access routes.

We operate two major UK train operating companies - Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway (GWR), and two open access passenger rail services, Hull Trains and Lumo. We are also 'shadow operator' on the HS2 programme and operate the London Trams service on behalf of Transport for London.

Our First Rail head office is home to specialist teams that provide expert support across the Engineering, Finance, Property, Operations, Procurement, IT, and Human Resources functions of the rail division. First Rail Holdings is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the job

Leads the strategic and operational management of the Workday platform, ensuring platform stability, scalability, and alignment with enterprise architecture, IT security standards, and business needs. This role sits in the IT team.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Define and execute the Workday platform roadmap in alignment with IT and business strategies.
• Ensure compliance with IT governance, security, and data privacy policies.
• Own platform architecture, integrations, tenant strategy and release planning with a strong focus on IT best practices.
• Oversee API management, middleware solutions, and integration with enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, identity management).
• Manage vendor relationships and AMS support for escalations and optimisations.
• Implement robust monitoring, incident management, and disaster recovery plans
• Partner with HR and IT teams to ensure seamless service delivery and technical support. Work with Workday team, dotted line report into Workday Product Owner.
• Drive automation and process improvements leveraging IT tools and frameworks

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• 7+ years of experience in Workday platform management or enterprise systems leadership.
• Deep understanding of Workday architecture, module configuration, and integration technologies (e.g., REST/SOAP APIs, middleware).
• Knowledge of IT security principles, data encryption, and compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, ISO27001).
• Strong experience in IT service management (ITIL), change control, and release management.
• Ability to design and implement scalable, secure, and resilient solutions.
• Work collaboratively with the internal IT Infrastructure Team and our AMS partner.
• Excellent planning, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement capabilities.

Preferred Certifications

• Workday Certifications
• Workday HCM Core
• Workday Integration Specialist
• Workday Security Configuration
• IT Certifications
• ITIL Foundation or higher

Knowledge of Preferred Tools & Technologies

• Workday Tools : Workday Studio, Workday Report Writer, Workday EIB (Enterprise Interface Builder)
• Cloud Platforms : AWS, Microsoft Azure
• Monitoring & Automation : FreshService, PowerShell scripting

About the location

London or Leeds with Hybrid working included

The Reward

• Minimum of 10% (5% employer and 5% employee) contribution to your Pension (only applicable to members of the company pension scheme)
• 25 days Holiday plus National Bank Holidays
• Travel Offers for Bus and Rail *
• Shopping Discounts including discounts and cashback on electrical goods, your weekly shop, holidays, cinema trips, car insurance, upgrading your mobile and lots more
• Buy as You Earn – allows you to buy shares each month. You can vary the amount you save or stop it at any time. You need to participate in the scheme for at least 3 years to receive the matching shares *
• Save as You Earn – allows you to use your savings after three years, to buy shares at a discounted price, or take your savings back as cash *
• Employee Assistance Helpline – free, confidential employee support service provided by an independent provider
• Payroll Giving – donate directly from your pay to a Charity of your Choice

* After 6 months employment