Project Manager - Workday & Payroll Transformation

The client is a leading consumer goods manufacturing company seeking a Project Manager - Workday & Payroll Transformation. The role leads enterprise-wide Workday, HRIS, and Payroll transformation initiatives, managing project execution, governance, planning, stakeholder engagement, risk management, reporting, and collaboration with HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, and external vendors.

Responsibilities:

• Manage project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, budgets, and dependencies
• Develop, maintain, and monitor comprehensive project plans, schedules, milestones, and resource allocations
• Coordinate multiple concurrent HR, Payroll, and HRIS initiatives to ensure successful execution within approved timelines
• Establish and report on project KPIs, milestones, risks, and overall project health
• Facilitate governance activities, steering committee meetings, status reviews, and executive reporting
• Lead Workday, HRIS, and Payroll implementation, enhancement, and optimization projects
• Partner with HR, Payroll, Benefits, Compensation, Talent Acquisition, and Finance teams to gather requirements and execute project deliverables
• Oversee testing, data migration, integrations, payroll readiness activities, deployment planning, and post-go-live support
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and implementation partners to ensure successful project outcomes
• Establish and maintain RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies) processes
• Proactively identify project risks and develop mitigation plans
• Coordinate cross-functional dependencies and facilitate issue resolution and escalation management
• Develop and execute stakeholder engagement and communication plans
• Provide regular status updates, dashboards, and executive-level reporting
• Support organizational change management, user adoption, training, and business readiness activities
• Ensure transparency regarding project progress, resource capacity, budgets, and key milestones
• Coordinate internal resources, contractors, consultants, and third-party implementation partners
• Partner with business leaders to support resource planning and capacity management
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure accountability for deliverables and timelines

Requirements:

• • Led or managed Workday implementations
• • Managed Payroll system implementations or transformations
• • Worked on Workday Payroll, HCM, Benefits, Time Tracking, Recruiting, or similar modules
• • Participated in multiple HRIS deployments, upgrades, or system migrations
• • Managing large, cross-functional projects
• • Creating project plans, timelines, budgets, and resource plans
• • Running governance meetings and executive reporting
• • Managing project risks, issues, and dependencies
• • Proven experience managing Workday, HRIS, HCM, and/or Payroll implementation projects
• • Strong understanding of payroll operations, HR processes, benefits administration, and employee lifecycle management
• • Experience leading complex cross-functional projects in large, matrixed organizations
• • Demonstrated success managing project plans, stakeholder communications, risk management, testing, deployment, and change management activities
• • Strong executive communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• • Experience implementing or supporting Workday HCM, Payroll, Time Tracking, Benefits, Recruiting, Talent, or Absence Management modules
• • Experience with ADP, UKG, Oracle HCM, SAP SuccessFactors, Dayforce, or similar HRIS/payroll platforms
• • PMP, Scrum Master, Agile, or related project management certifications
• • Experience supporting global HR or payroll transformation initiatives