Senior Project Manager, HR Systems Transformation

The PMO Squad; Atlanta (GA); Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The PMO Squad seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead a complex HR systems transformation for a global enterprise. You will set direction, establish governance, and align multiple teams across HR, payroll, IT and business units to ensure on-time delivery.

You’ll communicate with senior executives, manage dependencies, and navigate stage-gated PMI lifecycle. This remote role requires travel occasionally to client sites in the US; pre-employment checks may apply.

Qualifications

• Senior program or project leadership on enterprise-scale transformations.
• Proven executive presence with ability to influence senior leaders under pressure.
• Experience establishing governance and running steering committees.
• Ability to drive accountability across functions via influence, not authority.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of HR systems transformation and set a clear path to completion.
• Establish and run program governance and escalation pathways.
• Be the trusted voice to senior executives on status, risks, and decisions.
• Prepare executive briefings showing progress, risks, and recommended steps.
• Drive accountability across teams and manage competing priorities.
• Coordinate across HR, payroll, IT, and business teams for integrations.
• Guide the program through PMI-aligned lifecycle and stage gates.
• Partner with HR business partners on change impact and rollout confidence.
• Bring leadership and structure to the existing project team.

Skills

Senior leadership

Executive presence

Governance setup

Cross-functional work

Stakeholder management

Waterfall/PMI

Travel flexibility

Tools

PeopleSoft HCM

Workday/SAP

Job description

Senior Program Manager, HR Systems Transformation

Contract: 6–12 months, extension possible | Remote with occasional travel | Senior, executive-facing

Overview

A large global enterprise is transforming a core HR platform, and the change reaches nearly every part of the organization. The initiative is underway, carries significant investment, and is closely watched by the company's most senior leaders. We're looking for a senior program leader to take charge of it. You'll set direction, earn executive confidence, and hold a wide network of teams accountable as the work moves across connected systems.

What You'll Lead

• Take ownership of an HR systems transformation already in progress and set a clear path to completion
• Establish and run program governance: steering committee schedule, decision frameworks, and escalation paths
• Be the trusted voice to senior executives on status, risks, trade-offs, and the decisions you need from them
• Prepare short executive briefings that show what's working, what's at risk, and the recommended next step
• Drive accountability across teams you don't directly manage, and settle competing priorities
• Work across HR, payroll, IT, and business teams to support integrations with connected systems, keeping dependencies visible and on track
• Guide the program through a stage-gated, PMI-aligned lifecycle and its gate reviews
• Partner with HR business partners on change impact so stakeholders stay confident in the rollout
• Bring leadership and structure to the existing project team

Required Qualifications

• Senior program or project leadership on complex, enterprise-scale transformations
• Proven executive presence: you've briefed and influenced senior executives and kept their confidence under pressure
• Experience establishing governance and running steering committees
• Track record of driving accountability across functions through influence rather than authority
• Experience working across multiple teams to support system integrations and manage the dependencies between them
• Delivery experience in waterfall or stage-gated environments
• Ability to travel occasionally

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• HR system implementation experience (PeopleSoft preferred; Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or Oracle HCM also valued)
• Experience with HR, payroll, training, or onboarding integrations
• HR data migration or reclassification experience
• Organizational change management experience
• Exposure to Agile delivery

Tools & Environment

PeopleSoft HCM and the systems connected to it. Stage-gated, PMI-aligned lifecycle, with onboarding on the client's methodology. Remote collaboration across a large, matrixed organization.

Ideal Candidate Profile

You lead from the front. You walk into a large, complex organization, learn it fast, and become the person executives turn to for a straight answer. You're comfortable telling senior leaders what they need to hear, laying out hard trade-offs, and asking for decisions. You build trust across teams without formal authority and keep everyone focused on the same outcome. You see this as a business transformation, not a technical rollout. Strong performance may lead to an extension or follow-on work.

This position will require a pre-employment background check and drug test to be administered by the clients preferred partners. All screening is required to be completed prior to start but will not be conducted until an offer has been made.