Workday OPAL Product Director

Job Description

The Office of Innovation and Technology is seeking a Workday Product Director to lead, manage, and grow a large team responsible for the implementation, optimization, and continuous improvement of Workday across various modules. This leadership role will oversee a team of 40 professionals working across Workday’s Financial and Purchasing modules to drive operational excellence, improve efficiencies, and enhance system capabilities. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Workday, combined with leadership experience in managing large, cross-functional teams within a complex organizational environment. This role requires a deep understanding of Workday’s capabilities and best practices, as well as the ability to drive product strategy, manage cross-functional teams, and deliver impactful results that meet the needs of public sector stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have experience in a large public sector environment and will be passionate about enhancing Finance, Purchasing, and operations through cutting-edge technology.

Workday Product Strategy & Roadmap Development:

· Define and maintain the Workday product roadmap aligned with the strategic goals of the organization.

· Collaborate with senior leaders, stakeholders, and department heads to prioritize and align Workday initiatives with broader organizational objectives.

· Manage product lifecycle from concept to delivery, ensuring the solutions meet business needs, regulatory requirements, and user expectations.

Cross-Functional Team Collaboration:

· Lead, mentor, and manage a team of 40 professionals across various functions, including functional experts, analysts, and system administrators, ensuring high performance, productivity, and engagement.

· Serve as the primary liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams, translating business requirements into actionable system configurations and enhancements.

· Provide strategic direction and thought leadership to team members across different Workday modules, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.

· Develop and implement training programs to continuously enhance the team’s technical expertise and leadership skills.

· Provide guidance on Workday best practices and drive change management initiatives to ensure successful adoption of new features.

Project Management & Delivery:

· Lead the execution of Workday implementation projects, upgrades, and system configurations, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.

· Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, ensuring transparent communication on project statuses, timelines, risks, and outcomes.

· Identify and mitigate risks that could affect project timelines or quality, taking corrective action as needed.

Optimization & Continuous Improvement:

· Work with business stakeholders and technical teams to evaluate system performance, monitor key metrics, and implement updates or new features that drive efficiency and effectiveness.

· Lead the evaluation and deployment of new Workday features and functionality, ensuring continuous

enhancement of the platform’s capabilities.

· Ensure the effective integration of Workday with other enterprise systems, managing dependencies and resolving challenges as needed.

Stakeholder Communication & Training:

· Act as a subject matter expert (SME) for all Workday-related topics, direct training and support to end users across the organization.

· Regularly communicate project status, outcomes, and improvements to both technical and non-technical

stakeholders.

· Ensure training materials are developed and maintained, including user documentation and user support

resources, to support effective platform adoption.

Compliance & Security:

· Ensure that Workday configurations and updates comply with all relevant regulatory requirements, data privacy laws, and internal policies. · Partner with the IT and security teams to maintain data integrity, security, and confidentiality within Workday, particularly for sensitive employee and financial data. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills & Knowledge:

· In-depth knowledge of Workday Finance, Purchasing and other Workday modules, with experience in system configuration, deployment, and post-implementation support.

· Strong understanding of public sector finance and purchasing processes, regulations, and compliance

requirements.

· Ability to lead cross-functional teams and work with senior leaders to drive product success.

· Excellent project management, organizational, and time management skills with a focus on delivering high-quality results on time.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with the capacity to make data-driven decisions.

· Demonstrated experience leading Workday product strategy within a government agency, large municipality or similarly complex public-sector organization.

Technical Proficiency:

· Experience working with Workday Studio, Workday Integration, Workday Reporting, and other technical

components of the platform.

· Experience with other ERP systems is a plus.

Communication and Management Skills:

· Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all

organizational levels.

· Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

· Customer-centric mindset with a commitment to delivering excellent service and value to the organization.

· Adaptability and flexibility to respond to changing business needs and priorities.

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Finance, or a related field; advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., MBA, Workday Certification) are a plus.

· Minimum of 10+ years of experience in financial systems management with significant experience in system

configuration, integration, and optimization and with at least 5+ years in a leadership role managing large, cross-functional teams preferably in a large governmental environment

· Proven experience in managing large-scale Workday implementations, system optimizations, and driving thedevelopment of strategic product roadmaps.

· Knowledge of data privacy laws and regulations specific to public sector operations.