Finance M&A Lead

Workday•Pleasanton, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Your work days are brighter here. We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too. About the Team The Finance Transformation team (FTO) leads the modernization and optimization of Workday’s global finance function. At the core of this effort is the Strategy & Operations team - who drive operational excellence through alignment with Finance strategy, the Future of Finance roadmap, and M&A priorities delivering high-impact initiatives that shape how Workday scales and operates. The team blends operational rigor, analytical insight, and clear storytelling to enable effective end-to-end execution. About the Role We are seeking a versatile finance leader to join the Finance Transformation Team as the Finance M&A Leader. This role drives the finance perspective across the M&A lifecycle, from early-stage evaluation and due diligence through post-close integration into Workday’s systems and operating model. The successful candidate will translate diligence insights into clear recommendations, integration requirements, and execution plans. Serving as a central point of coordination, this leader will drive finance integration planning and execution across core finance teams and collaborate with legal, HR, and external partners. The ideal candidate brings strong executive communication, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to align teams around shared objectives and disciplined execution.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in finance, including M&A, corporate finance within a technology or high-growth environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting end-to-end M&A transactions, from due diligence through post-close integration
Strong working knowledge of accounting principles, financial statements, and close/reporting processes.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives or programs, with familiarity in project or program management methodologies.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; MBA, or CPA preferred but not required.
Expertise in managing acquisition integration including strong stakeholder management and sub-team coordination.
Ability to partner effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior leadership, and translate sophisticated finance and accounting concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risk, evaluate trade-offs, and support sound decision-making in ambiguous deal environments.
A detail-oriented, self-starting mindset with the ability to operate in a fast-paced, deadline-driven M&A environment.
Proven ability to influence without authority, align diverse stakeholders, and drive execution against shared objectives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level storytelling and concise status reporting.

Responsibilities

Due Diligence & Strategic Partnership Serve as a finance partner with Corporate Development, Strategy, Legal, HR, IT, and cross-functional teams to translate diligence findings into clear requirements, assumptions, risks, and success criteria.
Connect deal hypotheses and valuation drivers to integration scope, timing, and execution plans.
Ensure alignment and finance representation across the end-to-end M&A lifecycle, from diligence through post-close stabilization.
Ensure Finance considerations are embedded early in deal strategy, valuation, and integration planning.
Collaborate with product on new deal opportunities.
Integration & Execution Coordinate the finance M&A integration program across core workstreams including technical accounting.
Define ownership, deliverables, timelines, and milestones; manage integrated plans and drive execution across teams.
Monitor progress, identify dependencies and risks, and drive issue resolution to ensure smooth Day 1 and post-close transitions.
Governance & Operational Deployment Own finance integration status, decision frameworks, reporting- delivering concise data-driven updates and escalations to senior leadership.
Ensure clear decision rights and escalation paths for scope, timeline, and risk management Design and evolve M&A finance playbooks, dashboard, and operating procedures to drive consistency and scalability Capture lessons learned and embed improvements into future deal execution
Stakeholder Management Serve as a central coordination point for Finance with Corporate Development, Technical Accounting, HR, Legal, Business Technology, and acquired leadership
Facilitate cross-functional working sessions to align on dependencies, sequencing, and system/process impacts Translate complex integration topics into clear, actionable communication for finance and non-finance stakeholders