Workday Project and Release Manager

About the Opportunity

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. 

JOB SUMMARY

The Workday Project and Release Manager will oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of Workday releases, system updates, enhancements and prioritized Workday projects and play a key role in ensuring seamless delivery of Workday’s biannual feature releases and other system enhancements across HCM, Finance, and Payroll.

Serves as an expert with the Workday Deployment Methodology. Experience leading release management including the twice-yearly updates and all prioritized Workday projects and enhancements from requirements gathering to production, bridging IT, functional departments, and vendor teams to ensure that Workday releases and projects are well-governed, tested, and implemented with minimal disruption and maximum institutional value.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge and skills required for this position are normally obtained through a Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field with 3+ years of project management experience with HCM, Payroll, Financial or Student implementations within higher education or public sector with at least 2+ years focused on Workday or other ERP cloud systems.

• Experience with Workday release cycles, including planning, testing, and deploying updates across functional areas.
• Familiarity with higher education business processes and compliance framework
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities, with comfort presenting to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Workday certification or hands-on experience with HCM, Financials, payroll or Student modules.
• Experience with change management and training delivery
• Prior experience in higher education or large, matrixed organizations
• Ability to manage resources, develop and execute project plans, and address resource gaps with internal and external teams.
• ITIL and PMP certifications.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1) Collaborate with Workday functional leads, analysts, and developers to assess new release features, enhancements, and potential impacts. Manage the full lifecycle of the semiannual releases, enhancements and projects, including planning, readiness assessment, testing, deployment, and post-release review. Develop and maintain the release calendar, timelines, and communication plans in coordination with stakeholders

2) Lead working groups and steering committees to review Workday release notes, prioritize adoption of new functionality, and track configuration changes. Partnering with the internal customer for deployment success. Serve as liaison with Workday customer support and partners on issues, patches, and release-related escalations

3) Coordinate and facilitate system and user acceptance testing (UAT) activities, ensuring documentation and validation of results.

4) Monitor tenant environments (sandbox, preview, production) during release periods and ensure readiness for go-live transitions. Maintain detailed documentation of release activities, decision logs, risk assessments, and contingency plans.

5) Demonstrating proficiency in Workday's Implementation Methodology. Participate in requirements gathering and formulation of the delivery approach and release cycle. Ensuring projects are accurately planned and staffed, budget and timelines are set and assist in the transition from the PMO to the support model team post go-live.

This role is hybrid and in the office a minimum of three days a week to facilitate collaboration and teamwork. In-office presence is an essential part of our on-campus culture and allows for engaging directly with staff and students, sharing ideas, and contributing to a dynamic work environment. Being on-site allows for stronger connections, more effective problem-solving, and enhanced team synergy, all of which are key to achieving our collective goals and driving success.

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.