Manager, HRis Operations

Reporting to the Sr. Director, HR Technology and Employee Experience, the Manager, HRIS (Workday) Operations is responsible for leading the day-to-day management of HRIS configuration planning, delivery and Workday release management. This includes actively prioritizing and refining backlog items, scheduling and tracking progress on change requests and defect fixes, and ensuring all work is planned, resourced, and delivered according to established timelines. This role requires close coordination with Labour Relations, Business HR, Payroll, and the Employee Service Centre (ESC) to ensure that all configuration projects, changes, and fixes meet requirements and are executed to the highest standard of accuracy.

This role will be based in Markham Ontario. Extendicare offers a hybrid working environment.

**Responsibilities**:

- Initiate and manage project plans for configuration changes, enhancements, and defect resolutions, including setting milestones, deadlines, and deliverables which are aligned with business priorities.

- Prepare and maintain detailed configuration documentation for each change and fix, ensuring traceability and compliance with internal standards.

- Work with the Director, HR Systems and Optimization to manage team capacity, allocate tasks, monitor progress, and address issues or delays promptly.

- Use metrics and performance data to monitor progress on backlog items and project delivery.

- Coordinate configuration testing (unit, regression, and UAT) before production deployment

- Own the Workday release calendar - working closely with the Director, HR Systems and Optimization and coordinating with IT, finance and other dependent systems, ensuring all planning, testing, and change management and communication activities are completed on time.

- Partner with key stakeholders on impact assessments for upcoming releases

- Evaluate and implement new features from system upgrades, ensuring alignment with business priorities

- Lead regular sessions to evaluate, prioritize, and clarify tasks, changes, and defect fixes.

- Collaborate with stakeholders to define acceptance criteria and ensure backlog items are ready for development.

- Develop and maintain a project schedule for all backlog items, including change requests and defect fixes, assigning resources and tracking completion.

- Monitor progress on backlog items, updating status and escalating blockers as needed to ensure timely delivery.

- Manage change request intake process, partnering with key business stakeholders to prioritize enhancements and proposed changes based on business value and alignment to our strategy and objectives

- Partner with Labour Relations, Business HR, Payroll, and ESC teams to gather and document requirements for changes and fixes.

- Maintain a “we succeed together” approach, fostering collective ownership of outcomes.

- Provide regular progress updates to all stakeholders, including detailed status reports on backlog items, changes, and defect resolutions.

- Document all decisions, requirements, and implementation details to ensure transparency and accountability.

- Take ownership of issues, managing them through to full resolution—even when they span multiple teams or systems.

- Proactively identify and implement process improvements related to backlog management, change delivery, and defect resolution.

- Introduce new processes and tools to improve the accuracy and efficiency of configuration deployments.

- Solicit feedback from stakeholders to drive continuous improvement.

- Foster a culture of continuous improvement by conducting periodic audits of configuration and permissions to ensure compliance.

**Requirements**:

- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Information Technology, Business Administration, or related field. Postgraduate qualifications or certifications (e.g., PMP, Agile, Scrum Master) are an asset.

- Minimum 5 years’ experience in HR systems implementation, project management, or related roles; previous experience as a Scrum Master preferred.

- Strong problem-solving, organizational, and analytical skills.

- Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management abilities.

- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities.

- Experience managing HR technology or systems teams, preferably with Workday.

- Demonstrated ability to coordinate across multiple business functions.

- Strong communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.

- Proven track record of driving process improvements and delivering quality results.

- Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies is an asset.

At Extendicare, we believe that working as a team creates an environment that allows us to reach our potential. We value each employee, encourage equal opportunity for growth and recognize achievement. As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

- Continuous mentorship, support for life-long learning and growth opportunities