Workday Program Manager (ERP Implementation)

Company: Established Scientific Organization Pay Rate: $65 - $70+/hour (w 2) + Healthcare, Vision and dental premium benefits Position Type: 6-month contract with extensions Location: th St NW, Washington, D.C. Hybrid role: 2 days/week onsite, rest remote Position Summary The Senior Program Manager provides program leadership and oversight for enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) platform initiatives, with a primary focus on Workday. This position is responsible for planning, coordinating, and driving execution of HCM platform implementations, enhancements, integrations, reporting, governance, testing, readiness, and operational transition activities. The role requires strong stakeholder engagement across HR, finance, payroll, operations, IT, vendors, and implementation partners to ensure HCM solutions align with organizational priorities, compliance requirements, workforce processes, and enterprise technology standards. Program: High profile, large scale ERP implementation for ACS Target go live: June 18 (year not specified) Role scope Lead the overall Workday program across four workstreams and multiple areas of ACS. Align workstreams and coordinate the project managers. Establish the integrated project plan, hold regular meetings with project managers, and monitor progress against deadlines and budget. Identify gaps, risks, and issues early; escalate items that need attention. Put a written communication plan in place. Assess vendor risks and evaluate vendor recommendations and platform options. Anticipate future program needs and help set the stage for the project managers. Required background Workday experience is a must-have. Experience leading complex ERP implementations. Senior, well-resourced program leader who can oversee a large, complicated program. Strong judgment in evaluating vendor recommendations and understanding what will or won’t work at scale. Program scale and context Approximately 20,000 employees, plus other entities. Three main organizational areas. Workers in 16 countries. Large contingent workforce of editors. Nonprofit organization with commercial, revenue-generating operations. Education/Experience/Technological Knowledge Bachelor's degree; a minimum of 5+ years of experience in program management, project management, business analysis, technology delivery, or a related field, with demonstrated experience supporting enterprise HCM platforms. Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional HCM programs or projects involving HR, payroll, finance, operations, technology teams, vendors, and senior leaders. Strong experience supporting Workday initiatives, including implementation planning, enhancement delivery, requirements definition, configuration coordination, workflow and business process alignment, integration coordination, testing, data validation, security and access considerations, reporting, stakeholder readiness, training support, adoption planning, issue resolution, and post-implementation stabilization. Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Teams, and related collaboration tools. Hands-on experience using Workday, and related enterprise tools to support program delivery, platform reporting, issue tracking, stakeholder communications, implementation governance, testing coordination, cutover planning, and executive-level decision support. Experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Dev Ops, or equivalent tools preferred. PMP, PgMP, SAFe, Agile, Scrum, Prosci, ITIL, Workday, HRIS, or similar certification preferred. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a motivated professional eager to influence enterprise-wide technology transformations. If you possess the necessary skills in project management methodology, technical proficiency in enterprise solutions implementation, and leadership capabilities within fast-paced environments—and like to apply to this job, please reach me as soon as possible at and share your resume to support our discussions. Thank you, James James Parakka