Principal, Software Development Engineer

Your work days are brighter here.

We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too.

About the Team

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to lead the development of our internal suite of AI-native infrastructure tools and automation frameworks. This role requires a unique combination of experience in distributed systems and the technical ability to bridge the gap between AI strategy and robust software execution.
As a Principal Software Engineer, focused around AI tooling and strategy, you will help define how our infrastructure is structured, analyzed, and automated using AI tools. You will act as a primary link between our AI initiatives and core Engineering teams, transforming conceptual ideas into indispensable platform capabilities.

About the Role

As a Principal Software Engineer within Infrastructure Engineering, you will be the strategic leader delivering complex services in a dynamic, evolving environment. Your mission is to evolve our infrastructure from "human-led" to "AI-led, human-governed," using your technical background to automate complex lifecycles and improve system resolution times.

About You

Core Responsibilities

AI-Native Engineering & Innovation

• Shape AI Development: Lead the creation of frameworks that utilize AI and ML-driven telemetry to automate infrastructure.

• Technology Vision: Stay current with industry trends to drive the adoption of AI-native engineering and impact future business direction.

• Creative Problem Solving: Apply original thinking to overcome technical roadblocks during major transitions.

Software Excellence & Product Delivery

• Scalable Leadership: Champion an "API-first" approach and guide cross-functional teams in adopting modern software patterns like IaC,  microservices, and use of MCP.

• Architectural Initiative: Design large-scale, cross-team features and set the technical product vision for the organization.

• Strategic Trade-offs: Balance design choices to optimize customer value while maintaining high quality for committed delivery dates.

Operational Transformation & Service Ownership

• Monitoring Strategy: Define and drive a comprehensive monitoring strategy that supports an AI-led operational model.

• Platform Improvement: Proactively identify bottlenecks across the platform to enhance the overall customer experience.

• Project Accountability: Take responsibility for project quality and team performance across all deployments.

Leadership & Influence

• Strategic Alliance Builder: Proactively build alliances with cross-functional technical peers and leaders to move initiatives forward.

• Mentorship: Grow the technical bar by mentoring experienced staff and other principal engineers.

• Technical Advisor: Serve as a respected advisor with deep functional domain knowledge, influencing technology selections across the company.

• Change Agent: Confidently drive decisions through ambiguity and facilitate technical discussions when there are conflicting viewpoints.

Basic Qualifications

• Experience: Extensive professional software engineering experience with a proven track record of delivering complex, end-to-end services.

• Technical Domain: Deep experience in large-scale platform architecture, distributed systems, and implementing AI/ML analytics in production environments.

• Infrastructure Expertise: Strong technical background in IaaS, PaaS, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), container orchestration, and automation.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Other Qualifications

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to deliver on a long-term vision by understanding the big picture and owning business outcomes. Previous experience as a people manager is a bonus. 

• Collaboration: Exceptional at building relationships across teams and facilitating discussions to reach technical consensus.

• Resilience: Experience leading effectively through uncertainty and high-impact challenges with a positive attitude.

• Engineering Standards: Demonstrated ability to set and influence team standards for software design, patterns, and code reviews.

Workday Pay Transparency Statement

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below.  Workday pay ranges vary based on work location. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Recruiters can share more detail during the hiring process. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, job duties, and business need, among other things. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please click here.

Primary Location: USA.CA.Pleasanton

 

Primary Location Base Pay Range: $206,400 USD - $309,600 USD

 

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $173,300 USD - $309,600 USD

Our Approach to Flexible Work
 

With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in-person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in-office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you'll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote "home office" roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter.

Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

At Workday, we are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive hiring experience where all candidates can fully demonstrate their skills. If you require assistance or an accommodation at any point, please email [email protected].

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