Principal Engagement Manager - DACH

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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 DACH Global Services team is at the heart of Workday's customer success story. We build and deliver services that help our customers unlock greater value from their Workday investment, ensuring the successful implementation of Workday's suite of cloud-based enterprise applications for Finance, HR, and Planning - with AI embedded at the core to help customers make better decisions and work more efficiently.

As Workday's AI capabilities continue to expand, including the next generation of intelligent AI agents, our team is at the forefront of bringing this innovation to life for some of our largest and most strategic customer projects.

We help frame the solution delivery, partnering closely with our consultants to manage the delivery plan and ultimately help our customers achieve rapid time to value. Our focus in the year ahead is on deploying Workday AI innovation, including AI agents as part of initial customer deployments, while continuing to build on the foundation as customers grow and evolve with Workday.

What truly sets this team apart is a culture rooted in Workday's core values, with "Employees" leading the way. We empower you to follow your desired career path and champion equal opportunities for everyone. We promote a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and aspirational goal setting - inspiring and encouraging team members to develop their careers and become the best professionals they can be.

About the Role

As a Senior Engagement Manager within our delivery team, you will learn and apply the Workday methodology to successfully lead project teams deploying Workday's enterprise cloud applications across Finance, HR, and Planning. You will guide customers through our deployment lifecycle, from project start-up through go-live, resolving challenges creatively by partnering with Workday delivery leadership, consultants, and resource management teams.

You will be responsible for projects across all types of industries, from medium-size deployments to very large and sophisticated global deployments. Your role is to deliver the expected value to our customers on time and on budget, with an outstanding customer experience every step of the way.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Guiding customers to success in a dynamic environment, helping them achieve the business transformation they are looking for
• Leading projects across a wide range of industries, with a focus on large and complex global deployments
• Delivering expected value to customers on time and on budget, ensuring the best possible experience from project start-up through go-live
• Promoting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, including using AI tools and emerging technologies to increase delivery efficiency and streamline project work
• Empowering project teams and focusing them on deployment objectives, fostering collaboration and accountability
• Acting as a trusted advisor to customers, enabling them to meet their project goals through successful Workday deployment
• Helping customers adopt Workday AI in their tenants by positioning how Workday AI is embedded across Finance, HR, and Planning to support better decisions and experiences
• Reporting to the DACH VP of Professional Services, with travel up to 25% across the EMEA region

About You

Basic Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in engagement management, project management, or professional services delivery within a SaaS, ERP, HCM, Financials or enterprise software environment
• Experience leading complex software implementation projects across multiple industries, including global or multi-country deployments
• Bring a balance of business and technical experience with ability to create deployment plans that suits customer industry and transformation programme.
• Fluency in German and English is mandatory

Other Qualifications

• Experienced in project management, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver complex deployment projects on time and within budget, including defining project scope, managing resources and finances, tracking progress, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring quality outcomes across all phases of the project lifecycle
• Experienced in software implementations, with the ability to assess customer requirements, develop implementation plans, coordinate resources, and navigate unexpected challenges, keeping all parties aligned and informed from planning through post-go-live support
• Skilled in relationship management, with experience building rapport and trust with key customer contacts and internal partners, proactively seeking feedback, anticipating needs, navigating disagreements constructively, and fostering collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships
• Skilled in leadership, with the ability to establish a clear vision, motivate and empower project teams, adapt your approach to different team members, delegate effectively, and foster a collaborative environment built on trust and mutual respect
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to tailor complex information to diverse audiences at all levels, present with confidence and clarity in high-profile settings, and actively listen to and address questions or concerns to build trust and credibility

Workday Pay Transparency Statement (For EU Locations Only)

Listed below is the base salary range applicable to this position. Workday pay ranges (and the precise pay offered to the successful candidate) are based on a number of objective criteria such as relevant experience and skills, and educational qualifications, level of responsibility, demands of the role, work location and business need. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants awarded by Workday Inc. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please click here.

Our Approach to Flexible Work

With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in-person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in-office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you'll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote "home office" roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter.

Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Workday is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals during our application process, in order to perform one or more essential functions of their job, as well as regarding the use of AI tools for employment decision-making to any degree. Please see below for more details including how to request an accommodation as a qualified veteran, due to a disability or for religious reasons, or as otherwise provided under applicable law.

Workday prohibits taking adverse action against any candidate or employee for reporting a possible violation of this policy, requesting one or more work accommodations, exercising a privacy right, or cooperating in an investigation in accordance with applicable law. Any employee who retaliates against a candidate or employee for doing so may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, to the fullest extent allowable under applicable law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, you may email [email protected], as far in advance as possible.

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