Workday Program Director
University of Rhode Island - Kingston, RI
posted 5 days ago
About the position
The inaugural Workday Program Director will lead a team in the implementation and management of the Workday platform at the University of Rhode Island. This will include the HCM (Human Capital Management), Financials, and all other modules the university elects. This leadership role will oversee the entire project lifecycle—from planning and deployment to optimization and ongoing system governance. As the University's first dedicated leader for Workday, the Program Director will play a critical role in establishing the foundation for the system's long-term success, aligning Workday capabilities with the institution's strategic objectives. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with expertise in large-scale Workday implementations, strong project management skills, and a dedication to driving transformational change in a higher education environment.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership for the University's implementation and optimization of Workday, ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
- Engage campus partners including the President's Executive Council through a strategic communications plan to build consensus and promote system adoption.
- Oversee Workday design and configuration, Finance and HR reporting, integrations and project management.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes and maximize efficiencies using Workday functionality.
- Manage Workday and other vendor relationships; develop and maintain strong relationships, leveraging expertise to enhance outcomes.
- Lead change management efforts to prepare the university community for the transition to Workday, fostering user adoption and minimizing disruption.
- Establish a sustainable system governance structure to oversee ongoing Workday updates, enhancements, and maintenance.
- Oversee project scope, operating budget, resources, risks, and ensure timely delivery.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in relevant field (i.e., project or program management, human resources, finance, technical management, etc.).
- Minimum ten years of relevant experience at the Project / Program / HR / Finance / Technical leadership level.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing large teams with successful results.
- Demonstrated strategic leadership skills and ability to exercise sound, ethical judgment.
- Demonstrated effective change management and program management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively consult with clients to understand issues and resolve related problems.
- Demonstrated success cultivating relationships with a diverse array of constituents, both internally and externally.
- Demonstrated evidence of successful business process improvement and proactive solutioning.
- Demonstrated success in leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or HCM implementations within higher education or other complex organizations.
- Demonstrated experience with and understanding of Workday.
- Demonstrated core competencies of analytical thinking, consulting, and strategic planning.
- Demonstrated change management, problem solving, and program management skills.
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated proficiency in written communication skills.
- Demonstrated team building skills (including proven ability to build consensus in order to achieve organizational goals).
- Demonstrated technical adeptness in multiple areas and knowledge of financial and HR processes.
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups/populations.
Nice-to-haves
- Demonstrated experience implementing Workday Financials/HCM.
- Workday certifications in relevant modules.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in a higher education environment.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Agile or other project management methodologies.
Benefits
- Hybrid work schedule after initial onboarding period.
- Full-time, calendar year appointment limited to three years with possible extension.
