Senior Workday Engagement Manager

About the role

As a Senior Workday Engagement Manager at Kainos, you’ll fully manage the successful implementation of Workday solutions for customers by working closely with customer business teams and internal delivery teams to drive the scope, definition, and delivery of solutions that are fit for purpose and commercially viable. You’ll take accountability for the complete delivery lifecycle alongside the sales and capability Solution Architects. You’ll manage all aspects of your projects, which will typically be either one large, complex project or multiple smaller projects.

Key responsibilities include:

• Commercially managing the implementation of global Workday programs from pre-sales through implementation to handover to AMS (Application Management Services).
• Acting as the key client interface between functional and technical teams and the client.
• Pragmatically offering domain experience (HCM, Fins, Payroll, or where relevant to a Workday Capability) to provide functional insight and thought-leadership.
• Managing all aspects of delivery including project planning, resourcing, milestone tracking, commercial management, and customer satisfaction.
• Leading and supporting blended teams of colleagues, client, and partner resources to share knowledge and develop an integrated delivery ethic.
• Agreeing on objectives, outputs, milestones, and timescales with the client, together with associated contract and commercial terms.
• Identifying requirements, business processes, application configurations, testing plans, and other artifacts to be documented to ensure shared understanding and facilitate knowledge transfer.
• Creating well-structured and accurate deliverables and presenting to client steering-level groups to secure proposed recommendations and agreement.
• Identifying and actioning opportunities to win business, including negotiating and closing at a senior client level.
• Contributing to supporting and growing the Kainos Way of delivering with excellence to our clients by partnering with Kainos colleagues and mentoring other Engagement Managers at Kainos by example and intentional collaboration.
• Supporting the operations function to ensure that our consultant pool is used in the most commercially advantageous way, balancing development needs and personal preferences.

Requirements

Minimum (essential) requirements:

• Experience in implementing back-office systems with direct experience in the successful delivery of solutions within a consulting environment/IT services environment.
• Full lifecycle project management experience, from initial opportunity through to requirement development/definition, functional solution design, implementation, data-migration, system testing, user acceptance testing, go-live, and service management.
• Demonstrable deployment service delivery experience within a consulting/IT services environment.
• Excellent customer focus, able to assess customer needs, build relationships, and manage customer expectations.
• Ability to intervene effectively and resolve customer escalations appropriately.
• Commercial experience managing and supporting geographically distributed and blended teams of colleagues, client, and partner resources to share knowledge and develop an integrated delivery ethic.
• Excellent commercial management, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication skills, able to communicate with customers and colleagues with impact and credibility.
• Sound ability to formally present to senior client audiences.
• An emerging role model within Kainos and the wider Workday ecosystem.
• Excellent business writing skills with experience in producing business cases, requirement documentation, tender documents, contracts, statements of work, and change requests.
• Demonstrable success in identifying and taking appropriate action on opportunities for additional business.
• Ability to provide effective pre-sales support as required, including devising and costing viable, winning solutions working closely with a sales team.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and make sensible decisions under pressure, taking a balanced view of customer demands and Kainos commercials.
• Ability to widen and maintain a network of external contacts.
• Understanding of risk management and ability to manage risk.
• Ability, if required, to travel to customer sites in the same region (minimal out-of-region travel may also be required).

Qualifications

Desirable qualifications and experience:

• Professional qualifications where applicable in your Capability.
• Experience developing and delivering products/offerings and services that differentiate Kainos in the marketplace.
• Experience identifying talent for rapid development within the capability.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing teams.
• Working with Workday or other SaaS delivery methodologies.
• Strong functional domain expertise including areas such as HR and Finance (including Payroll).

About Kainos

At Kainos, we’re problem solvers, innovators, and collaborators—driven by a shared mission to create real impact. Whether we’re transforming digital services for millions, delivering cutting-edge Workday solutions, or pushing the boundaries of technology, we do it together. We believe in a people-first culture, where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your contributions truly make a difference. Here, you’ll be part of a diverse, ambitious team that celebrates creativity and collaboration.

We believe in the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to building a team that is as diverse as the world we live in, where everyone is valued, respected, and given an equal chance to thrive. We actively seek out talented people from all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other characteristic that makes them who they are.