Workday HCM Project Manager

Part-Time Workday HCM Implementation Lead (Higher Education)Overview

A highly respected higher education institution is seeking a Part-Time Workday HCM Implementation Lead to support an accelerated Workday HCM implementation with a targeted go-live date of July 2027.

This individual will partner closely with executive HR leadership and serve as a trusted advisor throughout the implementation lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings hands-on Workday HCM implementation experience and can provide guidance on configuration, testing, data validation, organizational readiness, and go-live activities while leveraging lessons learned from previous deployments.

Please note: This is not a traditional IT Project Manager position. Ideal backgrounds include Workday HCM Consultant, HRIS Manager, Workday Functional Lead, Workday Implementation Lead, or HR Technology Leader with experience supporting Workday implementations.

Key Responsibilities

• Support HR-related Workday implementation activities from planning through go-live and stabilization.
• Partner with HR leadership, HRIS, Payroll, Faculty Affairs, Student Affairs, IT, and implementation partners.
• Coordinate project plans, milestones, risks, issues, dependencies, and action items.
• Facilitate implementation meetings and maintain project documentation.
• Assist with validation of Workday configuration decisions and alignment to business requirements.
• Coordinate testing activities, including User Acceptance Testing (UAT), issue tracking, and defect resolution.
• Support data validation, data governance, and implementation readiness activities.
• Identify implementation risks and provide recommendations based on previous Workday implementation experience.
• Prepare executive updates, status reports, dashboards, and implementation documentation.
• Support organizational readiness and stakeholder communication efforts.
• Assist with go-live planning, deployment activities, stabilization efforts, and post-production support.
• Capture lessons learned and support transition to ongoing operational support.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience supporting HRIS, Workday HCM, or enterprise HCM implementations.
• Participation in at least one full-cycle Workday HCM implementation from planning through go-live.
• Experience supporting Workday configuration, testing, UAT, data validation, and deployment activities.
• Strong understanding of HR business processes including:
• Core HCM
• Benefits
• Compensation
• Recruiting
• Talent Management
• Employee Lifecycle Management
• Ability to identify implementation risks and provide recommendations based on prior Workday deployments.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional stakeholders and third-party implementation partners.
• Excellent communication, documentation, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher education experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting Workday implementations within colleges or universities.
• Background as a Workday HCM Consultant, Workday Functional Consultant, HRIS Manager, Director of HRIS, or Workday Implementation Lead.
• Experience supporting post-go-live stabilization and optimization efforts.
• Atlanta-area candidates preferred.

Workday Scope

• Core HCM
• Compensation
• Benefits
• Talent Acquisition / Recruiting
• Talent Management
• Employee Data & Reporting
• HR Business Processes

Work Environment

• Approximately 15-20 hours per week.
• Primarily remote with occasional onsite meetings in the Atlanta area.
• Must be available during standard business hours (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST).
• Preference for Atlanta-area candidates.

Why This Opportunity?

This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in a high-visibility Workday HCM implementation at a leading higher education institution. The selected consultant will work directly with executive HR leadership and have significant influence on implementation success, organizational readiness, and post-go-live stabilization.

Key Skills

• Workday HCM Implementation
• Workday Configuration
• HRIS / Human Resources Information Systems
• Data Validation & UAT
• HR Operations
• Higher Education Experience
• ERP Systems
• Organizational Readiness
• Executive Reporting
• Workday Go-Live Support

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Atlanta, GA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $100.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Atlanta,GA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 23, 2026.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.