Program Manager, HR Technology

Essex Property Trust•Irvine, CA

1d•$107,000 - $135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Manager, HR Technology will lead the implementation, optimization, and ongoing management of HR Technology supporting Essex’s real estate operations. Reporting to the Director, HR Technology, this role will manage projects across corporate functions and property-level operations. Working with HR, IT, Finance, and Operations teams to ensure HR Technology supports the unique staffing, multi-entity, and geographically distributed (California & Washington) nature of the business.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university (B.A./B.S.) is required.
5+ years of project/program management experience, with 3+ years managing HRIS- speciﬁc projects.
Experience supporting multi-entity, multi-state organizations with decentralized or ﬁeld-based workforces (real estate, hospitality, retail, or similar preferred)
Strong understanding of Workday's organizational structure, security model, business process framework, and reporting/Prism tools
Experience with PM methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) and tools (Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, Asana)
Strong business acumen with the ability to understand how HR technology supports organizational goals.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with attention to detail.
Ability to build strong partnerships with HR, Payroll, IT, and business stakeholders.
Drive for continuous improvement and innovation in HR systems and processes.

Nice To Haves

Ability to manage multiple, time sensitive HR system projects throughout the year, based on current priorities.
A strategic mindset to leverage HR Technology to meet the needs/requirements of our corporate and property management operations.
Effective and proactive communication to drive trust and conﬁdence within HR technology.
Ability to identify risks and re-prioritize projects as needed to meet agreed upon timelines.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end Workday implementation and enhancement projects across HCM, Payroll, Learning, Talent, Recruiting, Compensation and Time & Absence modules, tailored to support corporate, and operations staff.
Serve as primary liaison between HR, Payroll, Finance, Operations, and IT stakeholders, plus third-party implementation partners.
Coordinate HR system support for property acquisitions, dispositions, and portfolio changes — including new entity setup, employee transfers, and org restructuring as the portfolio evolves.
Project manage and oversee integrations between HR systems (i.e., Workday) and third-party vendors.
Develop and maintain project plans, budgets, timelines, and status reports; facilitate steering committee updates for executive/ownership stakeholders.
Manage bi-annual Workday releases and assess impact on operations and corporate business processes.
Lead UAT cycles with stakeholders and end users, accounting for varying levels of system access and technical proﬁciency.
Maintain vendor relationships and projects.
Identify opportunities to streamline HR and Payroll processes across the organization through HR Technology solutions.
Support change management for HR Technology initiatives. Partner with COEs on communication planning and adoption strategy, and coordinating training delivery with the technical team to support end users across the organization.
Maintain the HR Technology-related communications and documentation on the HR intranet page, ensuring content stays current and easily accessible to end users.