Workday HCM Lead

Vanguard; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking a senior leader to own and evolve the Workday HCM product family globally. You will drive strategy, roadmap, delivery, and optimization across Vanguard's HR technology platforms that support crews enterprise-wide.

You will partner with HR, IT, and business leaders to deliver scalable, data-driven solutions, modernizing processes, and enhancing self-service capabilities to support every stage of the employee lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience owning and evolving a Workday HCM platform, including roadmap management, governance, optimization, integrations, and stakeholder engagement at scale.
• Proven success partnering with executive leaders to identify strategic needs, influence decisions, and drive outcomes.
• Proven success defining product strategy, roadmaps, and SaaS-based HR technology solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Deep expertise in Workday HCM and related HR technologies, with the ability to align platform capabilities to business priorities.
• Knowledge of HR processes across talent acquisition, onboarding, development, performance management, and workforce planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of crew and leaders across a variety of disciplines and career stages, fostering a culture of innovation and accountability.
• Influence and own the product strategy, roadmap, lifecycle, and operational health of Workday HCM and related HR tech platforms.
• Partner with HR and business leaders to deliver technology capabilities that attract, recruit, onboard, develop, and retain top talent.
• Define, prioritize, and deliver product investments aligned to enterprise and HR objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement across core HR processes using automation, self-service, data, and emerging tech.

Skills

Workday HCM

HR technology strategy

Leadership & people mgmt

Stakeholder engagement

Product roadmap & governance

Education

Undergraduate degree

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

Workday integrations

Job description

Are you known for leading complex HR technology work, having a bias for action and delivering measurable impact for the people and teams you support? Are you ready to shape the future of the crew experience by modernizing HR processes, enhancing self-service capabilities, and delivering technology solutions that support every stage of the employee lifecycle? This role might be for you.

In this role, you will have global ownership of the strategy, management, and evolution of Vanguard's Workday Human Capital Management product family. You will be accountable for the vision, roadmap, delivery, and optimization of Workday HCM and related HR technology platforms that support all crew across the enterprise. You'll partner closely with Human Resources, IT, and business leaders to deliver innovative, scalable solutions that enable Vanguard's people strategy through technology, automation, and data-driven insights.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead a team of crew and leaders across a variety of disciplines and career stages, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous growth. Consistently builds, retains and advances high performing teams.
• Influence and own the product strategy, roadmap, lifecycle, and operational health of Workday HCM and related HR technology platforms supporting Vanguard crew globally.
• Partner with HR and business leaders to deliver technology capabilities that attract, recruit, onboard, develop, and retain top talent.
• Define, prioritize, and deliver product investments aligned to enterprise and Human Resources strategic objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement across core HR processes by leveraging automation, self-service, data, and emerging technologies to enhance the crew experience.
• Play a key role in evolving Vanguard's HR service delivery model across people, process, and technology.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought leader to senior stakeholders, translating business needs into scalable and sustainable technology solutions.
• Establish governance, adoption, and measurement practices that ensure solutions deliver measurable business value and operational excellence.
• Continuously deepen HR technology expertise through strategic partnerships, industry engagement, training, and professional development.

What it takes

• Demonstrated experience owning and evolving a Workday HCM platform, including roadmap management, governance, optimization, integrations, and stakeholder engagement at scale.
• Demonstrated success partnering with executive leaders to identify strategic needs, influence decisions, and drive outcomes.
• Proven success defining product strategy, roadmaps, and SaaS-based HR technology solutions, including Workday HCM, that deliver measurable business outcomes and align enterprise, divisional, and functional HR priorities.
• Proven success defining and delivering product strategies that enable business outcomes through SaaS-based solutions.
• Deep expertise in Workday HCM and related HR technologies, with the ability to align platform capabilities to business priorities.
• Knowledge of HR processes and technologies across talent acquisition, onboarding, employee development, performance management, organizational management, and workforce planning.
• Experience developing and executing technology roadmaps aligned to enterprise, divisional, and functional strategies.
• Strong consultative, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and lead through change.
• Experience leading large-scale HR technology transformations, platform implementations, or modernization initiatives.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in HR technology, Human Capital Management systems, or related business functions including 5+ years leading managers and technical teams.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience. Graduate degree preferred.

Special Factors

Vanguard is NOT offering visa sponsorship for this position.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission-we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.