Senior Project Manager – Workday Payroll
Position Summary
The Senior Project Manager will provide project management leadership and execution support for enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) initiatives, with a primary focus on the
Workday Payroll workstream. This individual will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing all Payroll-related project activities, including requirements, configuration coordination, testing, implementation readiness, cutover, risk management, issue resolution, and post-go-live stabilization.
The Senior Project Manager will collaborate with Payroll, HR, Finance, Operations, IT, vendors, and implementation partners to ensure successful delivery of Payroll solutions that align with business objectives, compliance requirements, payroll operations, and workforce management processes.
Reporting Structure & Work Design
Reporting to the PMO Manager, the Senior Project Manager will work closely with business and technology stakeholders to lead the Workday Payroll workstream through all project phases.
Responsibilities Include
- Leading Workday Payroll workstream planning, execution, testing, readiness, and deployment activities.
- Managing workstream schedules, dependencies, risks, issues, and stakeholder communications.
- Supporting project governance, reporting, implementation methodologies, and operational transition activities.
- Facilitating business and technical decision-making across cross-functional teams.
- Communicating complex payroll and HCM concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead project management activities for the Workday Payroll workstream from planning through post-production stabilization.
- Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, RAID logs, action items, dependencies, and implementation activities.
- Coordinate with Payroll, HR, Finance, Operations, IT, vendors, and implementation partners to align priorities and drive delivery.
- Facilitate workstream meetings, document key decisions, and ensure accountability for follow-up actions.
- Support requirements gathering, payroll process design, configuration decisions, testing, data validation, readiness assessments, cutover planning, and deployment activities.
- Track and communicate workstream status, risks, issues, dependencies, and implementation impacts.
- Prepare executive-facing status reports, dashboards, decision logs, action trackers, and project documentation.
- Support change management, stakeholder readiness, training coordination, and operational transition planning.
- Ensure deliverables meet business requirements, compliance standards, data integrity expectations, and quality objectives.
- Manage competing priorities while maintaining delivery timelines and implementation commitments.
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree required.
- 5+ years of Project Management experience supporting enterprise HCM and Payroll implementations.
- Direct experience leading or managing a Workday Payroll workstream is required.
- Experience partnering with Payroll, HR, Finance, Operations, IT, third-party vendors, and implementation partners.
- Proven experience supporting large-scale, cross-functional HCM or Payroll transformation initiatives.
Workday Payroll Expertise (Required)
- Hands-on experience delivering Workday Payroll implementations, upgrades, or major enhancements.
- Deep understanding of:
- Workday Payroll
- Payroll business processes
- Payroll compliance requirements
- Payroll testing and validation
- Payroll data conversions and integrations
- Cutover and go-live planning
- Post-production support and stabilization
- Experience coordinating Workday Payroll configuration activities and working closely with implementation partners.
- Ability to identify payroll-related risks, dependencies, and operational impacts and drive timely resolution.
Project & Delivery Skills
- Strong understanding of:
- Project Planning & Scheduling
- Scope Management
- Risk & Issue Management
- Dependency Tracking
- Change Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Executive Reporting
- Experience supporting Agile, Scrum, SAFe, or hybrid delivery methodologies.
- Excellent analytical, organizational, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
Technical & Communication Skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong documentation and reporting capabilities.
- Proficiency with:
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft Project
- Smartsheet
- Jira
- Azure DevOps or similar project management tools
- Experience supporting enterprise HRIS, HCM, and Payroll technology environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with UKG Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Scheduling, or Workforce Management solutions.
- Experience supporting broader HCM functions including Benefits, Absence Management, and Employee Self-Service.
- Experience with payroll integrations and workforce management platforms.
Preferred Certifications
- PMP
- CAPM
- Agile or Scrum Certification
- SAFe
- Prosci
- ITIL
- Workday Certification
- UKG Certification
Ideal Candidate
A senior-level Project Manager with
demonstrated Workday Payroll implementation experience who can serve as the lead for a complex Payroll workstream, drive cross-functional coordination, manage project risks and dependencies, and successfully deliver Payroll transformation initiatives from planning through post-go-live stabilization.
Workday Payroll leadership experience is the key requirement for this role.
