Workday Project Manager, Finance & Administration bei Northwest Missouri State University

About the Department

EMPLOYMENT TERMS: Full-time position

PRIMARY DUTY:

Northwest has embarked on a transformational initiative to implement the Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), Payroll, Finance, and Student platforms. These systems will modernize our administrative and academic operations and enhance the experience of faculty, staff, and students.

The Project Manager for the Workday Implementation will lead and coordinate the university’s multi-year initiative to implement the Workday System. This role is responsible for planning, executing, and finalizing the project according to established timelines, scope, and budget. The Project Manager will work closely with functional and technical teams, campus stakeholders, and external consultants to ensure successful deployment, adoption, and integration of Workday with academic and administrative operations. Must be a strong communicator, highly organized, detailed-oriented, and able to operate with minimal oversight in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities and deadlines while ensuring stakeholders are engaged and business objectives are achieved.

Position Duties

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Project Leadership & Planning

1. Develop and manage detailed project plans, milestones, and deliverables for the Workday Student implementation.

2. Coordinate across functional areas (registrar, admissions, financial aid, academic units, student accounts, HR, Finance and IT).

3. Identify project risks, dependencies, and issues, and lead mitigation strategies.

4. Provide regular reports and presentations to governance bodies and executive sponsors.

5. Ensure alignment of organizational change activities with program milestones for Workday Student implementations

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

6. Serve as the primary liaison between university leadership, campus stakeholders, and Workday/implementation partners.

7. Facilitate steering committee meetings, workgroups, and status updates.

8. Provide clear, consistent communication on progress, challenges, and decisions.

Team & Vendor Coordination

9. Guide cross-functional implementation teams, ensuring collaboration and accountability.

10. Manage relationships with Workday and third-party implementation consultants.

11. Ensure technical integrations, data conversions, and testing are aligned with project goals.

Change & Adoption Management

12. Partner with functional leaders to support process redesign aligned with Workday Student capabilities.

13. Work collaboratively in assisting the Change Management Project Manager who is responsible to develop training and adoption strategies to prepare faculty, staff, and students for the transition.

14. Monitor implementation readiness and provide ongoing support during go-live and post-implementation.

Other

16. Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Business Management, Information Systems or related field.

Experience:

· At least three years of project management experience or related leadership experience managing large projects.

· Exceptional communication, facilitation and organizational skills.

· Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholder groups.

· Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, with proven ability to influence without direct authority.

Skills:

· Excellent customer service

· Strategic and analytical thinking

· Strong planning, organizational and critical thinking skills

· Collaboration, cross-functional teamwork and consensus building

· Ability to manage complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders

· Adaptability in navigating changing priorities and environments

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Master’s degree in a relevant field.

Experience:

· Demonstrated experience supporting enterprise system implementations.

· PMP or other recognized project management certification.

· Familiarity with change management frameworks (e.g. Prosci, ADKAR).

· Experience with Workday Student or other Workday modules.

· Experience working in higher education student operations (registrar, admissions, student financials, or financial aid) and knowledge of faculty governance and student services.

Other Qualifications

WORKING CONDITIONS: Typical office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; evening and weekend hours required as necessary

EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS USED: Personal computer with appropriate software applications and with internet, networking and mainframe capabilities, copier, telephone with conferencing capabilities, and other office equipment.

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office machines; light lifting; normal range of hearing and vision.

COMMUNITY: Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri, a community of 12,000 with a diverse economy and a strong industrial base. Maryville is located 45 miles north of St. Joseph, Missouri, 90 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, and 110 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska. For more information visit the city’s website at www.maryville.org.

UNIVERSITY: With an enrollment of about 10,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jump start on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area and Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency.

The University also is a national model for student success and career placement with 96 percent of graduates securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data.

Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. Designated the Missouri Arboretum, the Northwest campus was named one of the “50 Most Amazing University Botanical Gardens and Arboretums in the U.S.”

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Until the position is filled

DATE AVAILABLE: Date to be determined with the successful candidate

TO APPLY: Please fill out a Northwest application online by clicking https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmissouri to reach our employment opportunities listing. You will also need to submit a cover letter, resume, and the contact information for three references in order for your application materials to be complete. Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 660-562-1121 or email [email protected] for more information.