Sr. Program Manager - Workday Implementation - Contract - 18 months +

Resource 1, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Resource 1, Inc. seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead a Workday implementation and enterprise transformation for a higher education client in Chicago.

The program is in configuration and targets a July 2027 go-live, followed by hypercare, stabilization, and ongoing support through the end of 2027. The ideal candidate will oversee multiple workstreams, manage risks and dependencies, and partner with vendors, partners, and business leaders to drive planning, testing, training, and cutover with

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience leading complex technology programs or enterprise transformations.
• Significant experience managing ERP implementations or major enterprise application transformations.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and complex dependencies.
• Strong stakeholder-management, communication, facilitation, and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively with business leaders, technical teams, vendors, and implementation partners.
• Strong understanding of enterprise application implementations and the relationship between functional, technical, integration, testing, and change-management activities.

Responsibilities

• Assume leadership of an active Workday implementation and quickly establish an understanding of program status, priorities, risks, dependencies, and timelines.
• Coordinate multiple functional and technical workstreams across the implementation.
• Drive the program toward the planned July 2027 go-live and subsequent hypercare and stabilization activities.
• Manage cross-functional dependencies involving Workday configuration, integrations, testing, training, change management, and operational readiness.
• Work closely with business stakeholders, technical teams, implementation partners, and vendors to ensure timely execution.
• Monitor program milestones, deliverables, risks, issues, dependencies, and resource requirements.
• Facilitate program meetings, working sessions, status reviews, and executive-level discussions.
• Identify potential issues and dependencies and drive resolution and escalation.
• Support end-to-end testing, training, cutover, deployment, go-live, and post-production stabilization.
• Partner with change-management teams to ensure appropriate organizational readiness and adoption.
• Maintain program documentation, reporting, action items, and decision tracking.
• Provide leadership with clear visibility into program health, risks, decisions, and areas requiring attention.
• Help transition implementation activities and knowledge from external partners to internal teams as the program progresses.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Organizational skills

Project/Program management

ERP implementations

Workday experience

Vendor management

Education

PMP / PgMP / equivalent certification

Tools

Workday

Job description

NO THIRD PARTIES PLEASE. Resource 1 is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead an active Workday implementation and business transformation program for our client in higher education. The program is currently in the configuration phase and is targeting a July 2027 go-live, followed by hypercare, stabilization, and ongoing support through the end of 2027. This is a highly visible role responsible for coordinating multiple functional and technical workstreams, managing program dependencies and risks, and ensuring the organization remains on track for implementation, testing, training, deployment, and go-live.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced program leader with strong Workday and/or ERP implementation experience, exceptional organizational and stakeholder-management skills, and the ability to quickly step into an active program and provide structure, accountability, and momentum.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assume leadership of an active Workday implementation and quickly establish an understanding of program status, priorities, risks, dependencies, and timelines.
• Coordinate multiple functional and technical workstreams across the implementation.
• Drive the program toward the planned July 2027 go-live and subsequent hypercare and stabilization activities.
• Manage cross-functional dependencies involving Workday configuration, integrations, testing, training, change management, and operational readiness.
• Work closely with business stakeholders, technical teams, implementation partners, and vendors to ensure timely execution.
• Monitor program milestones, deliverables, risks, issues, dependencies, and resource requirements.
• Facilitate program meetings, working sessions, status reviews, and executive-level discussions.
• Identify potential issues and dependencies and drive resolution and escalation.
• Support end-to-end testing, training, cutover, deployment, go-live, and post-production stabilization.
• Partner with change-management teams to ensure appropriate organizational readiness and adoption.
• Maintain program documentation, reporting, action items, and decision tracking.
• Provide leadership with clear visibility into program health, risks, decisions, and areas requiring attention.
• Help transition implementation activities and knowledge from external partners to internal teams as the program progresses.

Required Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience leading complex technology programs or enterprise transformation initiatives.
• Significant experience managing ERP implementations or major enterprise application transformations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and complex dependencies.
• Strong stakeholder-management, communication, facilitation, and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively with business leaders, technical teams, vendors, and implementation partners.
• Strong understanding of enterprise application implementations and the relationship between functional, technical, integration, testing, and change-management activities.
• Ability to quickly assess an in-flight program and establish structure, priorities, and accountability.
• Strong problem-solving and risk-management capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience managing a Workday implementation.
• Experience with Workday HCM, Finance, Payroll, or related modules.
• Experience leading an ERP implementation through configuration, testing, training, go-live, and stabilization.
• Experience working in higher education or similarly complex, decentralized organizations.
• Experience managing implementation partners and multiple concurrent vendors.
• Experience with enterprise transformation and business-process change.
• PMP, PgMP, or other relevant program/project management certification.

Interview Process:

• The initial interview will be conducted virtually, followed by an in-person interview in Chicago location.