Project Manager (Finance Focus)

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

About The Position

The Project Manager is part of the Workday Enterprise Solutions Team (WEST) Project Management and Administrative Operations team and is aligned with the Workday Finance functional area. WEST administers and optimizes Workday and related systems for Finance, Human Resources, and Research Administration across the Universities of Wisconsin System, with a focus on people, processes, technology, continuous improvement, system maintenance, release enhancements, support, and strategic integration. This position leads planning and execution of initiatives for the Workday Finance and Research Administration teams, partnering closely with the Finance and Research Administration Director. Projects may affect Workday Financial Management, Adaptive Planning, Huron Research Suite (RAMP), and ChemManager/ShopUW+, as well as financial business processes, reporting and analytics, integrations, data warehousing, security, enterprise document management, and HCM partnerships. The Project Manager acts as a liaison between WEST functional finance teams and technical teams, translating business needs into coordinated project delivery and aligning outcomes with institutional financial priorities. The role creates and manages project plans, coordinates resources, identifies and mitigates risks, and ensures timely delivery of high-quality outcomes. It also promotes project management best practices and consistency across WEST activities. The successful candidate will collaborate with WEST peers and help foster a respectful, inclusive, and safe team environment. The schedule will be determined with the selected finalist. The primary schedule is during business hours Monday through Friday, beginning no later than 9:00 a.m. CST and ending no earlier than 3:00 p.m. CST, with on-call or weekend rotation as required by the department. Well-qualified applicants can expect to earn $115,000–$140,000, based on experience and qualifications. Benefits include paid time off, health, dental, vision, and life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System pension fund.

Requirements

Experience working with or supporting initiatives related to Workday or other ERP systems.
A proven track record leading successful multi-unit, moderately complex projects; higher education or public sector experience is preferred.
Advanced proficiency in Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid project management methodologies.
Experience with project management tools such as Smartsheet, Jira, or Microsoft Project.
Ability to lead diverse, cross-functional teams and build relationships with stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to executive leadership and stakeholders.
Experience supporting executive- or director-level leadership in project delivery and operational initiatives.
Experience engaging stakeholders to understand needs, maintain engagement, and confirm alignment; strong risk management, resource allocation, and communication skills.
Ability to align projects with organizational strategy, assess performance using KPIs and metrics, and translate technical and operational details into actionable updates and visualizations for non-technical audiences.
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, project management, information systems, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in business administration, project management, information systems, or a related field.
Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or similar certification.
Seven or more years of experience managing complex, cross-functional projects in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain, or IT systems.
Experience with project management tools such as Smartsheet, Jira, or Microsoft Project.
Experience working within structured governance frameworks.

Responsibilities

Schedule and facilitate communication for vendor workflow integration, and track and review vendor deliverables for moderately complex, multi-unit projects.
Draft and deliver project status communications and reports.
Serve as a main point of contact for clients during the development and implementation of multi-unit, moderately complex projects.
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align project goals with broader organizational priorities and requirements.
Foster a respectful, inclusive, and safe team environment.
Provide advanced technical and analytical guidance to project teams.
Identify and estimate tasks, apply project management and process improvement methods, and use budget and cost analysis to identify obstacles and drive project completion.
Create and manage project plans, coordinate resources, identify and mitigate risks, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality outcomes.
Support planning, coordination, and execution of finance-related initiatives across the WEST portfolio.
Promote project management best practices and contribute to the consistency of WEST project management activities.