Director Strategic Initiatives

Dayforce is a global human capital management (HCM) company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, with operations across North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), and the Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region.

Our award‑winning Cloud HCM platform offers a unified solution database and continuous calculation engine, driving efficiency, productivity and compliance for the global workforce.

Our brand promise – Makes Work Life Better™ – reflects our commitment to employees, customers, partners and communities globally.

About the opportunity

The Director, Strategic Initiatives is a senior leader within Dayforce’s Global Enterprise Transformation team, responsible for owning and driving a portfolio of enterprise‑wide strategic initiatives — including mergers and acquisitions integration and separation, enterprise transformation programs, and the operational execution of Dayforce’s Long Range Plan (LRP) goals. Guided by the strategic direction set by senior leadership, the Director translates complex, ambiguous business initiatives into structured, executable plans that deliver measurable outcomes aligned to LRP priorities.

This role emphasizes execution, analytical rigor, and hands‑on leadership. It is a coach‑player role: the Director sets direction and coaches a small team while personally building models, drafting executive materials, and driving critical workstreams across cross‑functional teams, executive sponsors, and the Board.

What you’ll get to do

• Strategic Portfolio Ownership: Own a portfolio of enterprise strategic initiatives end‑to‑end, including global M&A integration and separation programs — from deal close through full integration or clean separation.
• Enterprise Transformation: Drive transformation initiatives across Dayforce — partnering with functional and business leaders to design, mobilize, and deliver programs that modernize the operating model, scale the business, and unlock productivity.
• LRP Execution: Translate Dayforce’s Long Range Plan into sequenced initiatives, milestones, and measurable outcomes, tracking progress against revenue, margin, and operational targets.
• KPI & Performance Management: Establish and manage KPI frameworks and performance dashboards that provide real‑time visibility into program health and business outcomes.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Lead teams across HR, Finance, Technology, Legal, Operations, and Commercial to deliver integrated outcomes on time and within scope.
• Governance & Executive Alignment: Design and facilitate governance structures — steering committees, integration management offices (IMOs), and workstream cadences — and drive consistent leadership alignment on status, risks, and decisions required.
• Risk & Issue Management: Identify, elevate, and resolve risks and issues that threaten program delivery or business continuity.
• Playbooks & Methodology: Build and embed repeatable playbooks, toolkits, and methodologies across M&A, transformation, and LRP execution to accelerate future initiatives.
• Strategy Partnership: Partner with executive leadership to shape integration and transformation strategy, define the target operating model for newly acquired or separated entities, and align LRP‑linked initiatives to enterprise priorities.
• Executive Reporting: Develop and present concise, executive‑ready communications and program dashboards that make complex information accessible and actionable for C‑suite and Board audiences.

Skills and experience we value

• 8 years of professional experience, with at least 3 years leading large‑scale strategic initiatives, enterprise transformation, or M&A integration and separation programs at an enterprise level.
• Proven ability to convert complex, multi‑workstream business initiatives into clear, actionable plans — and to hold cross‑functional teams accountable to delivery.
• Experience operationalizing Long Range Plans (LRPs) or multi‑year strategic roadmaps — connecting financial and operational targets to executable workstreams, milestones, and governance.
• Deep experience designing and managing KPI frameworks, performance scorecards, and program health dashboards.
• Strong analytical rigor — comfortable working in the numbers, pressure‑testing assumptions, and independently validating results before they reach executives or the Board.
• Coach‑player orientation — equally comfortable setting strategy, coaching a small team, and personally building the model, deck, or plan when the moment calls for it.
• Strong executive presence with experience presenting to and influencing C‑suite and senior leadership stakeholders.
• Experience building and leading Integration Management Offices (IMOs) or Program Management Offices (PMOs) in an M&A context.
• Industry experience in technology, SaaS, or HCM is strongly preferred; prior exposure to high‑growth enterprise software environments is a meaningful advantage.

What would make you really stand out

• Execution Excellence — Translates complex, ambiguous initiatives into structured plans and disciplined delivery.
• Analytical Rigor — Applies data and pressure‑tested assumptions to validate results before they reach executives or the Board.
• Coach‑Player Leadership — Sets direction and coaches a small team while personally driving critical workstreams.
• Cross‑Functional Influence — Builds alignment across matrixed, global teams and influences senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Program Governance — Strong command of RAID logs, dependency mapping, milestone tracking, and change management integration.
• Executive Communication — Distills complex program detail into crisp, leadership‑ready narratives for C‑suite and Board audiences.
• Ambiguity Navigation — Builds structure where none exists and creates momentum early.

What’s in it for you

Dayforce is fueled by the diversity of our talented employees. We are an equal‑opportunity employer and consider and embrace ALL individuals and what makes them unique. We believe our employees should be happy and healthy, with peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment.

We encourage individuals to apply based on their passions.

Dayforce encourages personal and professional growth. We offer excellent time‑away‑from‑work programs, comprehensive wellness initiatives and recognition through competitive pay and benefits.

With a commitment to community impact, including volunteer days and our charity, Dayforce Cares we provide opportunities for you to thrive both in your career and personal life. Our focus is not just on your job but on supporting you to be the best version of yourself.

About the Salary Ranges

Please note that the salary range mentioned in this job description should serve simply as a guide. The final compensation offered may vary based on a variety of factors, including bonuses and/or incentives, or a candidate’s experience, skills, budget and location. Our company is committed to providing a fair, equitable, and competitive package that reflects the value an individual brings to the organization.

Proficiency in English

Proficiency in English is required for this position as this role will regularly interact with English‑speaking stakeholders, co‑workers, managers and/or clients across the world. Further, our back office support teams, including but not limited to Human Resources, are primarily English speaking. Employees need to be able to communicate with these departments in English to appropriately administer their business relationship. Due to the significant high volume of interactions with these English‑speaking co‑workers, managers, stakeholders and/or clients, which is inherent to this position, it is not possible to reorganize the company’s activities to avoid this requirement.

Artificial intelligence may be used in the screening, assessment, or selection of applicants for this position.

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