Workday OPAL Product Director

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.