Principal, People (HR) M&A Program Manager

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We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too.

About the Team

The M&A People (HR) team is part of the broader People & Purpose (P&P) organization, and is responsible for the full HR lifecycle of M&A transactions at Workday. This team plays a crucial role in evaluating the HR and talent landscape of target companies, conducting due diligence, defining and setting the people strategy as it aligns to the business/deal strategy, developing workforce and talent plans, creating a remarkable acquired employee onboarding experience (and beyond), and leading the change and P&P integration process in strong partnership with other P&P COEs and cross-functional teams

About the Role

We are currently seeking an experienced and dynamic People (HR) Program Manager to join our M&A People team at Workday. This individual is highly structured and able to optically execute with speed, while also being agile to meet the needs of each deal. This role will report into the Senior Director of M&A People Strategy, and be responsible for project and program management aspects of our full M&A lifecycle including HR diligence, onboarding and integration planning for M&A transactions at Workday. In this role, you will:

• Build and manage detailed project work plans that capture timelines, critical milestones, and interdependencies, ensuring effective execution throughout the entire deal and integration lifecycle

• Collaborate with P&P Centers of Excellence (COEs) and other cross-functional teams to continuously improve M&A processes, playbooks, and tools

• Engage with cross-functional teams to proactively identify, escalate, and resolve risks and issues impacting the P&P M&A project plan

• Partner with the HR Deal lead and the broader P&P team to ensure integration plans are executed on-time and consistently on a global scale, with focus on a remarkable acquired employee experience

• Leverage data to understand trends and measure the impact of all integration activities (employee experience, attrition, onboarding and other programs)

• Own M&A programs such as onboarding and employee experience, ensuring continuous improvement, impact and scalability

• Maintain the structure and cadence for all M&A People team and interconnected workstream meetings, meticulously tracking actions and outcomes to drive accountability and progress to plan

• Engage in other complex, cross-functional P&P projects involving program and change management as needed

About You

Basic Qualifications 

• At least 5 years of successful M&A project/program management experience, leading complex transactions and projects in a fast-paced, global environment. HR experience preferred

• Proven experience leading multiple projects from initiation to completion. Highly adept at maintaining complex project plans, managing cross-functional dependencies, and ensuring accountability to meet tight deadlines

• Experience leveraging diverse project management methodologies and risk management strategies to ensure successful project outcomes

• Expertise in utilizing project management software to develop and manage project plans, generate detailed reports, and build insightful dashboards. Smartsheets experience a plus

• Adept at leveraging advanced Excel functions, including pivot tables, to conduct data analysis, highlight trends and anomali