Workday Financials Senior Principal Consultant - Accounting Center & Prism
The Senior Principal Consultant will act as a strategic bridge between business and technical teams, leading complex Workday Financials engagements with a focus on Accounting Center and Prism Analytics. This role combines deep functional finance expertise with advanced data, reporting, and transformation capabilities to deliver scalable, data-driven accounting solutions. You will guide clients through transformation, implementation, and operational phases, while shaping solution design, driving delivery strategy, and leading high-performing teams.
Key Responsibilities
Act as a subject matter expert in Workday Financials, with deep specialization in Accounting Center and Prism Analytics. Lead the end-to-end design and delivery of Accounting Center solutions, including accounting rules, journal generation frameworks, and source data integration. Architect and oversee Prism Analytics data pipelines, datasets, and reporting solutions to support financial insights and decision-making. Drive solution design workshops, translating complex business and data requirements into scalable Workday configurations. Define and lead data strategy, including ingestion, transformation, reconciliation, and auditability of financial data. Provide strategic guidance to clients on data-driven accounting models and reporting transformation. Own and drive delivery across multiple workstreams, ensuring alignment between finance, data, and technical teams. Identify dependencies and manage integration between source systems, Accounting Center, and Prism Analytics. Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, including Finance and IT leadership. Lead, mentor, and develop consultants and analysts, fostering both functional and technical capability growth. Oversee testing strategies, validation processes, and issue resolution to ensure high-quality deliverables. Take leadership roles such as Engagement Lead, Solution Architect, or Delivery Assurance Reviewer. Ensure adherence to organisational standards, delivery methodologies, and best practices. Support business development activities, including solution shaping and client proposals where required. Skills & Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 8-12+ years of ERP consulting experience, with strong exposure to finance transformation and data-led solutions. 5+ years of Workday Financials implementation experience, including Accounting Center and/or Prism Analytics. Proven expertise in:Accounting Center design (accounting rules, journal processing, event-driven accounting) Prism Analytics (datasets, pipelines, reporting, and data modelling) Strong understanding of core finance processes, including general ledger, accounting, and financial reporting. Experience delivering data transformation and reporting solutions within ERP or SaaS environments. Experience integrating multiple source systems into financial platforms. Proven ability to lead complex, multi-workstream programmes and make tactical delivery decisions. Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with experience working with senior business leaders. Proven leadership and mentoring experience within consulting teams. Minimal travel required, but must be willing to travel on‑site as needed Eligible for SC Clearance - you must have been a UK resident for the last five years and be legally entitled to work in the UK #LI-Remote Why choose Cognizant: Entrepreneurial environment that welcomes your ideas Opportunity to do great work Outreach programs that support communities and tap into your volunteer spirit Learning opportunities to help current needs and advancement Global operations, with opportunities in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific An abundance of Affinity groups to meet your needs Cognizant Core Values: Work as One: We think beyond roles, relying on each other’s strengths to win as a team. Raise the Bar: We always aim for excellence in how we work and what we deliver. Dare to Innovate: We push boundaries and take chances to reimagine what’s possible. Do the Right Thing: We all lead with integrity and always make the ethical choice. Own It: We own the outcomes for our company, colleagues, and community.