Dayforce Practice Leader

Align HCM is looking for an experienced Dayforce Practice Leader to lead and grow our Dayforce consulting practice. In this senior leadership role, you will manage a team of Dayforce consultants, overseeing a portfolio of client implementations across the full Dayforce HCM suite. Working in close partnership with project managers, solution architects, client executives, and other stakeholders, the Dayforce Practice Leader drives excellence in service delivery, client satisfaction, team performance, and practice profitability.

Primary Duties and Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

• Manage a project portfolio of Dayforce client implementations, ensuring quality, on-time, and on-budget delivery across all HCM modules.
• Partner with project managers and solution architects to resolve issues, manage risks, and achieve project objectives throughout the full Dayforce implementation lifecycle.
• Execute day-to-day administrative tasks related to project and practice KPI reporting, including utilization tracking, margin analysis, and delivery health metrics.
• Monitor project health across the portfolio and act decisively when delivery targets or financial metrics are at risk.
• Track and follow up on client satisfaction metrics to ensure consistently high-quality Dayforce delivery outcomes.

Client Management

• Manage executive-level client relationships across the Dayforce portfolio, serving as a trusted advisor on HCM strategy, Dayforce capabilities, and implementation best practices.
• Actively engage as project sponsor, including participation in steering committee meetings, executive touchpoints, and other key governance activities.
• Serve as the primary escalation contact for client engagements, handling escalations professionally and resolving issues with minimal disruption to the client relationship.
• Teach communication skills and model effective client interactions for your team, building a culture of client-centric delivery.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Dayforce consultants and solution architects, driving a high-performance culture aligned with Align’s values and objectives.
• Know each team member’s development plan and take an active role in helping them achieve their goals, providing prompt, specific, and constructive task and behavioural feedback.
• Manage team utilization to the optimal range, adjusting resourcing and staffing as needed to maximize productivity and client coverage.
• Manage team financials, including revenue, margin, and utilization targets, and act decisively when targets are at risk or missed.
• Monitor team morale and well-being, addressing concerns early before they affect performance, engagement, or client delivery.
• Collaborate with other practice leaders and HR on performance management, workforce planning, feedback cycles, and plan execution.
• Conduct regular project reviews with project managers and lead consultants to ensure client satisfaction and overall project health.
• Optimize resources and staffing for efficiency, collaborating across practices to enable resource sharing and maintain key performance metrics.

Practice Development & Strategy

• Understand Align’s strategic objectives and translate them into clear priorities and focus areas for the Dayforce practice team.
• Communicate vision to the team and role-model the behaviours expected during periods of change and growth.
• Proactively surface ideas, client insights, and feedback to inform practice-level decisions and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Dayforce product teams and Align’s business development function to identify market opportunities, surface client needs, and contribute to the growth of the Dayforce practice.
• Support pre-sales activities including scoping, solution presentations, and effort estimation for Dayforce engagements in partnership with solution architects.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• 5+ years of experience leading an implementation organization that works directly with clients and Dayforce deliveries space across a variety of verticals.
• 5+ years of experience leading sizeable Dayforce implementations with employee counts over 1,500.
• Demonstrated experience with the Dayforce HCM platform, including functional knowledge across core modules such as Payroll, Benefits, Time & Attendance, Workforce Management, Recruiting, Onboarding, and/or Learning.
• Proven track record of managing team financials, utilization, and delivery KPIs in a consulting or professional services environment.
• Experience leading virtual, distributed teams across multiple concurrent client engagements.
• Strong consulting, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate difficult conversations with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain a high-performance team culture through coaching, feedback, and active development of team members.

Nice to Have

• Business leadership experience, including creating and articulating a vision that inspires and aligns others to action.
• Active comfort using generative AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) in day-to-day professional work for productivity, documentation, or analysis.
• Prior experience building and scaling a consulting practice or functional team within an HCM services organization.
• Dayforce certification or equivalent platform credentialing.
• Experience working across multiple HCM platforms or in a multi-product professional services environment.

Why Align HCM?  

• Impact: Help organizations simplify pay and HR processes for thousands of employees.
• Growth: Continuous learning opportunities and the chance to deepen your UKG / Dayforce expertise.
• Flexibility: Remote-first culture with the tools and support you need to succeed from anywhere.
• Collaboration: Work with a team of experienced consultants who genuinely enjoy solving problems together.
• Variety: Every client is different—no two implementations are the same.

Benefits: 

Align HCM provides professional development, ongoing training, and benefits to our outstanding remote team:

• Base Salary plus Incentive Pay
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life Insurance & Disability Coverages
• Health Savings Account
• 401k Match Program
• Unlimited Vacation Time

Schedule:
This position follows US Eastern Time business hours, Monday through Friday. 

Location:
Remote (US, Canada) 

Align HCM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We celebrate the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our Aligners and are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Employment decisions at Align HCM are made without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical or mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, or any other characteristic that makes our people unique.  

We believe diversity fuels innovation and helps create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. If you're excited about this role but don’t meet every qualification, we still encourage you to apply.