Workday Optimization Programme Leader

• Location: Barcelona

We are embarking on an ambitious tune up of our Workday platform. This is not a full greenfield re-platforming exercise but rather an aggressive focus on process optimization and data integrity as we operate. Our ambition is to be AI ready and truly leveraging best in class automation by 2028.

As our Workday Optimization Programme Leader, you will serve as the Digital Delivery lead for a multi‑year optimization and rollout of Workday across Sanofi, partnering closely with the Lead Workday Architect (primary owner of platform configuration outcomes), the PMO Lead, and our selected third‑party implementation partner. You’ll own the business outcomes tied to the implementation Statement of Work (SOW)—from scope discipline and stakeholder sign‑off through adoption and measurable value realization. 

This role will steward design integrity, cross‑functional interdependencies, and executive alignment so we deliver on Sanofi’s Leap strategy with speed, rigor, and impact.

Key responsibilities

Lead the functional Workday program for Digital P&C and People Services

• Engage and mobilize the right functional resources (People Services, Talent, Total Rewards, Workforce Planning, HRBP communities) to participate in design, testing, and deployment waves; ensure availability against the plan and decision cadence. 
• Drive sign‑off on functional designs (Core HCM, Absence/Time, Compensation, Talent, Recruiting, Benefits, Payroll interfaces) and maintain a clear traceability matrix from business requirements to configuration. 
• Map and manage functional impacts and interdependencies (data, integrations, security, reporting, downstream processes), leveraging the RAID log and escalating items that affect scope, timeline, or quality. 

Own business outcomes & SOW discipline

• Hold primary ownership of business outcomes in the SOW—clarify deliverables, acceptance criteria, roles/responsibilities, change‑order handling, and performance measures; run line‑by‑line SOW reviews with Workstream Leads to eliminate ambiguity. 
• Partner with Procurement/Legal and the PMO to enforce scope control and mitigate risk of “scope creep,” ensuring milestones are met on time and on budget.

Partner with the Lead Workday Architect & PMO

• Peer with the Workday Architect on configuration governance, environment strategy (prod/sandbox/implementation tenants), and security/model decisions; ensure functional decisions translate into scalable tenant design. 
• Work hand‑in‑glove with the PMO on integrated planning, RAID (risks/ assumptions/ issues/ dependencies), resource plans, and executive reporting; uphold Workday deployment methodology across Plan/Configure/Test/Deploy. 

Lead change, communications, and adoption

• Stand up and co‑lead the change management workstream (personas, impact assessments, readiness metrics, training & enablement, communications calendar) to drive sustained adoption and measurable behavior change. 
• Champion a hybrid ways‑of‑working model to create serendipitous collaboration and effective design decisions during critical sprints, aligned to Sanofi’s modern workplace approach.

Ensure delivery excellence & value realization

• Establish definition of done and acceptance criteria for each wave; lead UAT strategy and sign‑offs; orchestrate cutover and hypercare; track KPIs (e.g., time‑to‑hire, comp cycle throughput, absence accuracy, self‑service adoption). 
• Monitor Workday release impacts and optimization backlog; prioritize enhancements based on business value and user experience, partnering with the Architect, Digital Delivery and HR Operations

Experience & expertise

• 10–15+ years in global HR transformation / HRIS, ideally including Workday HCM leadership across multiple modules; end‑to‑end deployment/optimization experience in complex, matrixed organizations. 
• Proven program leadership across functional workstreams, PMO governance, vendor/partner management, and executive stakeholder engagement. 
• Hands‑on SOW ownership and scope/change control with system integrators / implementation partners. 
• Strong change management credentials (e.g., Prosci/ACMP) and a track record of driving adoption at scale. 
• Familiarity with Workday configuration governance and environment/tenant strategies; able to peer coach technical teams (Architect/Config leads) while holding functional accountability. 

Leadership & behaviors

• Embody Sanofi’s Take the Lead behaviors—Stretch, Take action, Act for patients & customers, Think Sanofi First—and lead with clarity, speed, and integrity.
• Inclusive leader who energizes global teams, navigates ambiguity, and converts insights into outcomes.

Education & credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, HR, or related field; advanced degree a plus. Relevant Workday certifications (Workday Pro/functional domains) and/or change‑management certifications preferred

Language & travel

• Fluency in English required; additional European languages are a plus. Ability to travel (~10–20%) for design sprints, go‑live readiness, and leadership forums.

Why Choose Us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.
• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.
• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.
• Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave.

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