Director of Enterprise Applications (Southfield)

Job Summary

Director of Enterprise Applications – senior Technology Services (IT) leadership role responsible for the strategy, delivery, operations, and continuous improvement of the firm’s enterprise applications portfolio, including core platforms supporting HR, Finance, Marketing, and other services.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, roadmap, delivery, support, and continuous evolution of the enterprise applications portfolio, including Workday and other core platforms.
• Own the end‑to‑end lifecycle for enterprise applications – from planning and investment prioritization through design, implementation, enhancement, release management, support, and sustainment.
• Partner with firm services leaders and business owners to translate needs into clear roadmaps, priorities, and measurable outcomes.
• Serve as the senior IT relationship leader for enterprise functions, building trusted advisory partnerships and shaping demand.
• Develop and maintain a multi‑year enterprise applications strategy and roadmap aligned to firm priorities, technology strategy, architecture standards, and business needs.
• Lead portfolio management with a firm‑wide perspective, evaluating capabilities, identifying gaps, and recommending enhancements or retirements to improve value and total cost of ownership.
• Ensure operational excellence across supported platforms through robust service management, issue resolution, release/change discipline, and performance against defined service levels.
• Establish and mature governance, intake, prioritization, and planning processes for transparent decision making.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture, Data, Security, Infrastructure, and delivery teams to ensure applications are secure, integrated, and compliant with enterprise standards.
• Provide financial leadership for enterprise applications, including investment planning, resource forecasting, budget oversight, vendor spend management, and business cases for major initiatives.
• Manage strategic vendor and partner relationships, including performance management, roadmap alignment, contracts, licensing, and value realization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred (technology, information systems, engineering, or business).
• 15+ years of progressive experience in technology/enterprise applications/ERP (or related), with substantial leadership overseeing delivery, support, and transformation at scale.
• Proven domain experience managing enterprise application portfolios that support multiple corporate functions such as Finance, HR, Marketing, Operations, or other internal services.
• Experience with Workday and/or other enterprise SaaS platforms, including strategy, implementation, enhancements, operations, release/change management, and vendor partnership.
• Strong partnership experience with senior business leaders to define roadmaps, prioritize investments, resolve competing demands, and ensure technology initiatives drive measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrated success building and leading high‑performing teams, fostering accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and talent development.
• Experience with enterprise operating models including governance, intake/prioritization, portfolio and change management, service management, and disciplined execution.
• Strong understanding of integration architecture, information/data architecture, controls, and security considerations for enterprise systems.
• Experience with vendor management and building strategic partnerships with software providers, implementation firms, and managed service partners.
• Excellent analytical, conceptual, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and hands‑on execution.
• Exceptional verbal, written, interpersonal, and executive communication skills, including the ability to facilitate complex discussions, influence decisions, and represent IT credibly with senior leadership.
• Experience working in professional services or similarly complex, matrixed, multi‑stakeholder environments is strongly preferred.

Compensation and Benefits (Highlights)

Salary range: $160,000–$250,000. Eligible staff receive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; Flexible Time Off; 401(k) plan; business‑related travel expense, lodging, and meal reimbursement; and potential discretionary bonus. Benefits vary based on hours worked per week.

Employment Conditions

This is an exempt position and may require work beyond the standard 40‑hour week.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Plante Moran is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All staff have equitable and fair opportunities to succeed in an inclusive environment. The company maintains a drug‑free workplace. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, with the exception of qualified bilingual candidates in certain languages.