Developer - CONTRACT in Manchester

The opportunity

We're looking for a Workday Integration Developer to join our growing Application Platforms team. If you're passionate about building smart, scalable integrations and want to make a meaningful impact in a people‐first environment, this is an excellent opportunity.

In this role, you will be a key technical specialist for our Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) platform, supporting and optimising multiple functional areas including Core HCM, Recruiting, Compensation, Learning, Absence, Time Tracking and Payroll. You'll collaborate closely with HR, Technology, Finance and other stakeholders to shape the future of our HR technology landscape.

What you'll do

• Design, build, test and maintain Workday integrations (including APIs, EIB, Core Connectors, PECI, RaaS and Studio/Orchestrate).
• Manage data flows between Workday and downstream systems such as Payroll, Finance, Identity & Access Management and data platforms.
• Oversee API management (SOAP/REST, authentication models, vendor advisories) and integration platform operations, resolving technical issues and ensuring performance.
• Deploy and maintain integrations to external applications and data warehouses, managing encryption, PGP, secret management, private endpoints and network rules.
• Act as a Workday subject matter expert, interpreting user stories and translating them into robust technical and system requirements.
• Serve as a point of escalation to troubleshoot configuration and integration issues, perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Lead release management activities for integrations, including reviewing mandatory items, regression testing and managing break/fix.
• Maintain data integrity through regular audits, validations and system maintenance for downstream applications.
• Stay current with Workday releases, industry trends and best practices, recommending and implementing continuous improvements.
• Support training and change management related to Workday enhancements and provide knowledge sharing and mentorship to HRIS team colleagues.

What you'll bring

• Proven experience with Workday Core HCM and related modules.
• Strong understanding of HR processes and data flows.
• Expertise in Workday Reporting (Advanced, Matrix, Composite), EIBs and calculated fields.
• Hands‐on experience with Workday integrations (e.g. Studio, Core Connectors and related tools).
• Excellent analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical topics in a clear, accessible way.
• A strong commitment to data integrity, confidentiality and continuous improvement.

Nice to have:

• Workday certification in one or more functional areas.
• Experience working as part of a global or distributed team.

What we offer

At Freshfields, you'll join a collaborative, inclusive team where your expertise will have visible impact. In this role, you can expect:

• Meaningful impact: You'll play a central role in how we connect our HR, Payroll, Finance, IAM and data platforms, directly enhancing the experience of our people across the firm.
• Professional growth: You'll work with a broad range of stakeholders, technologies and projects, giving you opportunities to deepen your Workday specialism and broaden your experience in enterprise integrations.
• People‐first culture: You'll be part of a welcoming and supportive environment where colleagues are encouraged to share ideas, challenge the status quo and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Inclusive environment: We value diversity of background, experience and thought, and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.