Senior Project Manager / Time & Attendance SME

Position Summary
This Level 4 role is a strategic leadership position responsible for driving the end-to-end transformation of Time & Attendance systems within a highly complex, unionized environment. The role combines program leadership, deep functional expertise, and systems acumen to ensure accurate time capture, compliant pay calculation, and seamless integration into payroll operations. This individual will serve as both a Project Manager and Functional SME, accountable for delivery, design integrity, and alignment to business and labor requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Program & Project Leadership
- Lead large-scale Time & Attendance transformation initiatives - Own governance, timelines, risks, and executive reporting - Partner with system integrators and internal stakeholders - Drive Agile delivery including sprint planning and execution
Union Payroll & Timekeeping SME
- Interpret and operationalize Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) - Configure and validate rules including: • Daily/weekly overtime • 6th/7th day premiums • Meal penalties • Shift differentials and premiums • Guarantees and minimum calls • Turnaround/rest rules - Ensure compliance with union and regulatory requirements
Requirements & Functional Design
- Lead requirements workshops with SMEs and functional leaders - Document detailed functional requirements and process flows - Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and automation opportunities
- Translate business needs into system configurations
Systems & Integration
- Provide expertise across Time, Payroll, and HCM platforms - Support integration design between systems - Validate data flows and ensure system alignment
Data, Testing & Reconciliation
- Analyze payroll/time data for accuracy and completeness - Define testing strategies including parallel validation - Perform reconciliation between time and payroll outputs - Ensure audit readiness and data integrity
Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead stakeholder communication and alignment - Support training and adoption strategies - Act as trusted advisor to leadership
Qualifications
- 10+ years in payroll, time & attendance, and system implementations - Deep union environment experience - Experience with UKG Pro, Workday, Infor or similar systems - Strong analytical and data skills - Proven leadership in large-scale transformations
Preferred Qualifications
- Entertainment or highly unionized industry experience - Agile methodology experience - Experience with system integrators - Payroll audit and compliance expertise
Key Competencies
- Strategic leadership - Functional and systems expertise - Analytical rigor - Stakeholder influence - Execution excellence