Workday Program Manager

Workday Programme Manager

Location: UK-based / Home-based Travel: Occasional international travel, up to 10% Contract/Employment Type: To be confirmed

About the Role

Our client is a global organisation operating within the energy sector and is undertaking a significant transformation programme involving Workday and associated business systems.

They are looking for an experienced Workday Programme Manager to provide senior-level leadership across a portfolio of concurrent Workday implementation, optimisation and transformation projects.

The successful candidate will operate at programme level, providing strategic direction, governance and oversight while working closely with individual Project Managers responsible for specific Workday projects. You will also work closely with the Payroll Programme Manager to ensure strong alignment between Workday and Payroll activities, managing dependencies, risks, timelines and integrated delivery.

This is a highly visible, client-facing position requiring someone who can operate comfortably with senior stakeholders and executive sponsors while also providing leadership and direction to delivery teams.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Leadership

• Lead a portfolio of Workday projects as part of a wider global transformation programme.

• Provide strategic oversight and direction to Project Managers across the programme.

• Ensure projects remain on track against agreed scope, timescales, budgets and quality standards.

• Oversee successful transition of completed projects into business-as-usual operations.

• Identify opportunities to improve delivery effectiveness and consistency across the programme.

Programme Governance & Reporting

• Establish and maintain effective programme governance structures and reporting processes.

• Monitor overall programme health, milestones, budgets, resources, risks and issues.

• Ensure appropriate governance, controls and delivery methodologies are consistently applied.

• Provide clear and concise programme-level reporting to senior stakeholders and governance forums.

• Escalate significant risks, issues and delivery concerns where appropriate.

Workday & Payroll Integration

Work closely with the Payroll Programme Manager to manage dependencies between Workday and Payroll workstreams.

Ensure alignment across project timelines, milestones and delivery plans.

Coordinate activities relating to data migration, testing, cutover and deployment.

Identify and proactively manage cross-project dependencies, risks and issues.

Ensure Workday and Payroll activities remain aligned throughout the programme lifecycle.

Stakeholder Management

Act as a trusted senior advisor to client stakeholders and executive sponsors.

Build strong relationships across business, technology and delivery teams.

Lead and contribute to Steering Committee and executive governance meetings.

Communicate complex programme information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Influence decision-making and maintain stakeholder alignment across multiple workstreams.

Leadership & Team Management

Provide leadership, coaching and support to Project Managers operating within the programme.

Promote accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement across delivery teams.

Encourage knowledge sharing and the adoption of programme-wide best practice.

Help create a consistent, high-quality delivery culture across the programme.

Key Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

Significant experience leading complex, global Workday implementation and transformation programmes.

Proven experience overseeing multiple concurrent Workday projects.

Experience managing and providing leadership to Project Managers and multidisciplinary delivery teams.

Strong knowledge of Workday HCM and associated Workday modules.

Experience operating at programme level within large-scale transformation environments.

Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders, including C-suite and executive sponsors.

Strong understanding of programme governance, financial management, risk management and dependency management.

Excellent communication, leadership, influencing and negotiation skills.

Experience managing delivery within complex, matrix-based global organisations.

Ability to operate effectively within fast-paced and continually changing environments.

Previous experience with payroll transformation and/or Workday-payroll integration would be advantageous.

Experience working across geographically dispersed teams and global delivery environments.

Location & Travel

The position is primarily home-based within the UK.

Occasional international travel may be required to client or project locations, expected to be no more than approximately 10% of the role.

The Ideal Candidate

This role would suit an experienced Workday Programme Manager who has progressed beyond individual project delivery and is comfortable providing strategic oversight across multiple Workday workstreams.

You will need to be confident operating with senior executives while retaining enough delivery focus to challenge Project Managers, manage dependencies and ensure the wider programme remains on track