Workday Financials & Adaptive Planning Architect

Job Description:

Position Overview 

RMI is seeking a Workday Financials & Adaptive Planning Architect to lead the design, integration, and governance of RMI’s financial systems. This strategic role serves as the technical and architectural authority for both Workday Financials and Workday Adaptive Planning, ensuring scalability, automation, and data consistency across RMI’s finance ecosystem. 

The Architect will partner closely with the VP of Finance, Finance leadership, IT, and Operations to drive system re-architecture, strengthen data governance, and enable real-time financial insights that empower better decision-making across the organization. 

We warmly welcome applications from individuals of all diverse backgrounds and cultures! 

Key Responsibilities 

Systems Strategy & Architecture 

• Define and own the strategic architecture for Workday Financials and Adaptive Planning. 

• Develop and maintain the finance systems roadmap, aligning technology with RMI’s strategic and operational needs. 

• Lead system design to support cost allocations, project/grant accounting, payroll, planning, and reporting. 

• Ensure scalability, automation, and performance through best-practice system configuration and integration. 

• Establish and maintain architectural standards and design principles for all finance systems. 

Implementation & Governance 

• Serve as the primary system administrator for Adaptive Planning, owning model integrity, user roles, version control, account hierarchies, and technical documentation. 

• Lead system enhancement and release cycles from design through deployment. 

• Establish governance for system changes, testing, and version control. 

• Manage external implementation partners, translating business needs into technical scope and ensuring delivery aligns with timelines, cost, and architectural standards. 

• Maintain clear documentation of configurations, integrations, and system changes. 

Data & Integration Management 

• Own the design and integrity of integrations between Workday, Adaptive, and other core systems (HR, CRM, procurement, etc.). 

• Define and enforce data governance standards, master data management, and security models in partnership with the security team. 

• Ensure a single source of truth across financial and operational data. 

• Collaborate with the Reporting and Analytics team across the institute to align system data models with BI and dashboard needs. 

Leadership & Collaboration 

• Serve as the finance systems subject-matter expert and advisor to the Finance and leadership team. 

• Partner with Org Finance, IT, Development, and Operations to ensure system design supports end-to-end process improvement. 

• Communicate system strategy, roadmap, and key decisions to senior stakeholders and the Executive Council. 

• Foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration, governance, and continuous improvement.  

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or related field. 

• 8+ years of experience in finance systems strategy, architecture, or transformation. 

• Proven leadership experience in Workday Financials and Workday Adaptive Planning (implementation, optimization, or re-architecture). 

• Deep understanding of finance processes: accounting, cost allocations, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting. 

• Strong technical and data governance expertise, including integrations. 

• Demonstrated success leading large-scale system initiatives from planning through execution. 

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills. 

• Relevant Workday or Adaptive Planning Pro-Certifications are a plus, but not required. 

• Mission-driven mindset and alignment with RMI’s values of collaboration, innovation, and impact. 

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. This role can be located from anywhere in the continental United States.

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies.

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Compensation

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity across similar roles. The salary range of this position is $107,430-$132,402. New hires typically start toward the lower end of the range, depending on experience and alignment with the role’s scope. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 10% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance.

Benefits

We offer an array of benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance

• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting

• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability

• Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans

• Health savings or flexible spending accounts

• Fertility and hormonal health support

• Mental health and wellness support

• Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave)

• Generous paid time off and sick leave

• Paid sabbatical leave

• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography

• Work from home and home technology allowances

• Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)

• Potential for bonuses and merit increases

• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)

• Hybrid / remote work options

• Team retreats and geographic meetups

• Rewards and recognition programs

Diversity

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law.

RMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.