Senior Backend Architect - Distributed Systems (Java/Kotlin)

Workday; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 168,500 - 252,700; Full time

Job summary

Workday, a Fortune 500 leader in AI-powered people, money and planning, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to design and scale its Developer Platform core services. You will own end-to-end platform initiatives, architect distributed subsystems, and collaborate with PMs, designers, and engineers to deliver robust features.

The role emphasizes end-to-end ownership, modern tech stack, and collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in CS, engineering, or equivalent.
• 8+ years in software engineering with backend microservices.
• 5+ years in Java, Kotlin, or Go.
• Cloud experience with AWS/GCP/Azure and services like S3/Lambda/EC2/DynamoDB.
• Docker and Kubernetes expertise.
• 2+ years frontend with React/TypeScript.
• 1+ year with MCP and AI-augmented development.
• Strong API design and distributed systems knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Design and scale microservices and frontend experiences.
• Own major platform initiatives end-to-end.
• Promote API contracts, observability, and testing best practices.
• Use AI tools to accelerate delivery.
• Lead a small 1–3 developer team with mentorship.

Skills

Java/Kotlin/Go

Cloud platforms

Docker/Kubernetes

Frontend React/TypeScript

AI-augmented development

Distributed systems

API development

Architecture design

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/Engineering

Tools

Cursor

Claude Code

GitHub Copilot

Job description

Workday, a Fortune 500 leader in AI-powered people, money and planning, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to design and scale its Developer Platform core services. You will own end-to-end platform initiatives, architect distributed subsystems, and collaborate with PMs, designers, and engineers to deliver robust features.

The role emphasizes end-to-end ownership, modern tech stack, and collaboration across teams.