Program and Change Manager, Payroll Transformation (Contract)

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We are a purpose-driven, dynamic and sustainable pension plan. An industry leading global investor with teams in Toronto to London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe. We embody the values of our 665,000 members, placing their best interests at the heart of everything we do.

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We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Program and Change Manager to lead the next phase of OMERS’ global payroll transformation. Reporting to the Associate Director, Payroll & Global Mobility, this role will oversee a multi-workstream program including international payroll implementation, Workday payroll enhancements, and finance integrations.

The successful candidate will partner with a global managed service payroll provider and lead end-to-end program delivery, ensuring seamless system and process integration across Payroll, HR Technology, Finance, and Technology teams. This role is accountable for establishing program governance, managing risks and dependencies, and delivering executive-level reporting.

In addition, the Program and Change Manager will drive enterprise-wide change, define the future-state payroll operating model, and ensure successful adoption and transition to business-as-usual across all regions.

As a member of this team, you will:

Program Management and Delivery:

• Lead and manage the payroll transformation program completion, ensuring the project is delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Oversee multiple workstreams, including:
  • International payroll implementation (Deel managed service model)
  • Post–go-live Workday enhancements and optimization backlog
  • Payroll accounting integration
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the system implementation partner, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and smooth execution.
• Monitor and track project progress, identify risks and issues, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure project success.

• Establish and manage program governance frameworks, including:
  • Steering Committee (SteerCo) and executive reporting
  • Decision logs, program dashboards, and status reporting
  • Provide clear, concise insights to leadership to support decision-making and risk mitigation

Change Management:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive change management strategy to support the deployment of new payroll technology.
• Conduct change impact assessments and stakeholder analyses to identify areas of resistance and develop appropriate interventions.
• Design and deliver training programs and communication plans to ensure successful adoption and utilization of the new payroll system.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and support end-users through the transition period.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external project stakeholders.
• Facilitate regular communication and collaboration between all parties involved in the project.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the system implementation partner, ensuring clear and effective communication.

Quality Assurance:

• Ensure that all project deliverables meet the highest quality standards and align with business requirements.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits to assess project performance and compliance with established standards and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance project outcomes and operational efficiency.

To succeed in this role, you have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in program and change management, preferably within the payroll, Workday or HR technology domain.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, multi-country payroll transformation projects.
• Excellent project management skills with a track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget.
• Exceptional change management skills, with experience in designing and implementing change strategies.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficiency in project management tools and software.
• PMP, Prosci, or similar certifications are highly desirable.

You may also be eligible to receive an annual Incentive Award pursuant to our Short-term Incentive plan and our Long-Term Incentive plan (if applicable), and to participate in our group benefits and retirement plans – details on these elements of compensation are included within OMERS & Oxford offer letters.

As one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, our people-first culture is at its best when our workforce reflects the communities where we live and work — and the members we proudly serve.

From hire to retire, we are an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process that extends all the way through your employee experience. This sense of belonging and connection is cultivated up, down and across our global organization thanks to our vast network of Employee Resource Groups with executive leader sponsorship, our Purpose@Work committee and employee recognition programs.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are used to support certain stages of the OMERS recruitment process. While AI assists us in our process, human judgment and decision-making remain central to our candidate experience.