Program Manager – Workday Financials Implementation

Program Manager – Workday Financials Implementation (Enterprise Finance Systems)
Lincolnshire, IL
- Hybrid : 3 days onsite, 2 days remote per week
Job Duration: 6-12 months to start, with high potential for extensions

Client is seeking a domain‑experienced Program Manager to lead the end‑to‑end implementation of the Workday Financial Management system for a large, multi‑business enterprise. This role requires deep, hands‑on experience delivering enterprise finance systems, with demonstrated career progression from roles such as Business Systems Analyst, Functional Lead, Technical Lead, or Product Manager into program leadership. This is not a traditional project or program management role.

This is not a generic program management role.

The Program Manager will be accountable for translating complex finance requirements into executable delivery plans, leading cross‑functional execution with internal stakeholders and a third‑party Workday implementation partner, and ensuring the program delivers measurable business outcomes aligned to Finance and enterprise objectives.

This role requires first‑hand experience designing, configuring, implementing, or owning enterprise financial systems. Candidates must demonstrate a career progression within finance systems delivery rather than purely project or program management. Success in this role depends on the ability to challenge design decisions, validate finance workflows, and lead informed trade‑off discussions with Finance leadership and system integrators.

• Lead the end‑to‑end Workday Financials implementation, owning scope, outcomes, and delivery accountability.
• Apply hands‑on enterprise finance system knowledge to guide solution design, sequencing, and execution decisions.
• Ensure finance business requirements are accurately translated into system configuration and implementation plans.
• Serve as a trusted partner to Finance leadership rather than a delivery coordinator.

• Serve as the primary point of accountability across Finance, Accounting, FP&A, Procurement, Tax, Internal Audit, and IT teams.
• Lead and govern the third‑party Workday system integrator, holding them accountable for design quality, delivery timelines, and outcomes.
• Facilitate working sessions to review and validate functional design, data models, integrations, and financial controls.

• Develop and manage the integrated program plan, including milestones, dependencies, and critical path.
• Build and manage resource and capacity models across internal teams and external vendors.
• Own budget tracking, forecasts, and variance management.
• Drive disciplined scope control, change management, and decision governance throughout the program lifecycle.

• Manage execution using JIRA for tracking and Confluence for documentation, governance artifacts, and decision logs.
• Oversee system integration testing, user acceptance testing, parallel runs, cutover planning, and go‑live readiness.
• Ensure data migration, reconciliation, and financial reporting accuracy meet enterprise finance and audit standards.

• Deliver concise, executive‑ready program communications that translate technical and financial complexity into actionable insights.
• Proactively escalates risks, design issues, dependencies, and trade‑offs with recommended options and business impacts.

• 12+ years of experience delivering enterprise finance systems, including at least 2 end‑to‑end Workday Financial implementations.
• Demonstrated career progression from hands‑on finance system roles into program leadership. Proven experience leading large‑scale ERP or financial management system implementations, Workday strongly preferred.
• Proven experience with Workday Financials and strong understanding of core finance domains including General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, Procurement, Financial Reporting, internal controls, etc.
• Experience supporting SOX, audit, and internal control requirements within financial systems.
• Experience operating in large, complex, multi‑entity or global enterprise environments.
• Proven experience managing system integrators and third‑party vendors.
• Hands‑on experience using JIRA, Confluence, and enterprise delivery tools.
• Strong Executive Stakeholder Communication, Risk, Dependency, and Change Management.
• PMP, PgMP, SAFe, or equivalent program management certification preferred.