Back Office Finance Platforms Lead

Darktrace are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Workday Finance Lead to oversee the management and delivery functional and technical development, system integration and optimisation of Workday Finance functional areas across Procure-to-Pay (PTP), Order-to-Cash (OTC) and Record-to-Report (RTR) . This role is critical in ensuring the system effectively supports our global Finance operations and strategic initiatives.

This role can be based in our London or Cambridge offices on a 2x per week hybrid working model.

What will I be doing:

In this role you’ll be leading the functional and technical development, system integration and optimisation of Workday Finance functional areas across Procure-to-Pay (PTP), Order-to-Cash (OTC) and Record-to-Report (RTR).Working closely with all areas of the business as well as technical IT teams to ensure the product is fit for purpose, integrates seamlessly across the existing and future technology landscape and meets all business needs, producing a positive user experience backed by efficient processes, clean data and enhanced reporting and analytics requirements. Responsibilities include the following:

• Lead, manage, and develop the Finance Back Office Platform team, ensuring high performance and continuous capability growth.
• Ensure the successful delivery of Workday (WD)–related projects within agreed timelines and budgets.
• Oversee the Workday release management process, with a strong focus on regression testing and optimisation of new features, ensuring system stability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the timely and effective resolution of production service requests and incidents, maintaining high service standards.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with business functional leaders to support alignment and collaboration.
• Capture and define Workday Finance system requirements, ensuring alignment with the broader product and business roadmap.
• Partner with Finance stakeholders to optimise processes within Workday and maximise return on investment.
• Foster user engagement by ensuring training and support services meet business expectations, with a focus on user experience and adoption.
• Collaborate with IT on broader business initiatives, particularly those involving Workday Finance and related modules.
• Ensure Workday data is validated, controlled, and securely managed in line with business requirements, including identifying data owners and maintaining the highest standards of data quality.
• Work with stakeholders to ensure Workday reporting is accurate, reliable, and aligned to business needs.
• Collaborate with the Systems Operations team to document processes and workflows comprehensively.
• Review and continuously improve business processes in collaboration with all Workday stakeholders.
• Ensure system security through the implementation and regular testing of controls.
• Contribute actively as a member of the Workday leadership team and ensure cross functional Workday platform dependencies are managed working directly with the HCM and Tech leads
• Deliver against defined operational, tactical, and strategic objectives.

What experience do I need:

We’re seeking an experienced Workday professional with a strong technical background and a deep understanding of HR processes. You will be confident in your ability to configure, optimise, and support a global Workday environment, while partnering closely with HR and IT stakeholders. You should have:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Extensive hands-on experience as a Workday Finance specialist or lead, with in-depth knowledge of multiple Workday functional areas and business domains(e.g., FDM, Financial Accounting, Business Assets, Procurement, Customer Accounts or Customer Contracts).
• Proven experience in Workday implementation, configuration, and support for a global organization.
• Strong understanding of Finance business processes and how they are supported by Workday.
• Proficiency in Workday reporting and analytics (e.g., custom reports, calculated fields, dashboards).
• Experience with Workday integrations (e.g., EIBs, Core Connectors, Workday Studio, BIRTS) is highly desirable.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Workday certifications are a significant plus.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.