Senior Software Development Engineer

Workday, Inc.; Pleasanton (CA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Workday Bonus Plan

Stock grants

Flex Work

Job summary

Workday, Inc. is hiring a Senior Engineer in Platform Engineering to lead architecture, design, and implementation of scalable enterprise systems. You will balance hands-on coding with technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

You will mentor junior teammates, drive architectural initiatives, and contribute to a fast-paced Agile environment while ensuring reliability and performance of the Workday platform.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in Object-Oriented Design and Programming (OOD/OOP).
• Fluency in Java and strong proficiency in applying core design patterns and architecture paradigms.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Responsibilities

• Architecture & System Design: design scalable, high-performance components and define overall system architecture.
• Technical Leadership & Strategy: set direction with management and product managers.
• Execution & Delivery: support release planning with risk assessment and prioritization.
• Quality & Engineering Excellence: conduct peer reviews and CI/Testing practices.
• Innovation & Research: explore new technologies and prototypes to solve platform challenges.
• Mentorship & Advocacy: mentor juniors and promote platform capabilities.

Skills

Java

OOD/OOP

Architecture patterns

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field

Job description

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

Our mission is to scale the Workday application platform and power the next wave of growth and efficiency across the ecosystem. We deliver platform improvements that directly enhance performance, system efficiency, and developer productivity for both our enterprise applications and AI agents. You will play a critical role in evolving our core architecture to ensure AI agents interact safely, securely, and seamlessly with the Workday platform.

About the Role

As a Senior Engineer in our Platform Engineering organization, you will lead the architecture, design, and implementation of complex enterprise systems. You will serve as a technical anchor—balancing hands-on engineering with technical leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and team mentorship.

Key Responsibilities

• Architecture & System Design: Design and build scalable, high-performance software components that embed cleanly into larger frameworks. Gather requirements and define overall system architecture to ensure optimal user experience and system reliability.
• Technical Leadership & Strategy: Partner with engineering management and product managers to clarify requirements, set technical direction, and prioritize development efforts.
• Execution & Delivery: Support release planning by assessing effort, risks, and priorities. Collaborate with peers on technical designs, task estimation, and feature execution in a fast-paced Agile environment.
• Quality & Engineering Excellence: Perform thorough peer code reviews, champion continuous integration/testing practices, and maintain reliable task and bug management within every sprint.
• Innovation & Research: Stay current with emerging technologies, tools, and industry trends. Propose and execute prototype/proof-of-concept projects to solve complex platform challenges.
• Mentorship & Advocacy: Actively mentor junior and mid-level developers to grow their technical expertise. Serve as an advocate for platform technologies by communicating new capabilities across cross-functional teams.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in Object-Oriented Design and Programming (OOD/OOP).
• Fluency in Java and strong proficiency in applying core design patterns and architecture paradigms.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Preferred Qualifications & Attributes

• Architecture & Design: Demonstrated experience using a disciplined, methodical approach to building modular, layered software. Ability to effectively communicate architectural designs (e.g., via UML or clear technical documentation).
• Tooling & Engineering Practices: Hands-on experience across the complete software development lifecycle, including source control, requirement specs, unit/system testing, performance testing, and design reviews.
• Cross-team Leadership: Proven track record of leading technical initiatives that span multiple teams, delivering high-quality software on schedule in Agile environments.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of effectively partnering with Product Management to refine and focus feature scopes.

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: $190,100 USD - $285,100 USD

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $160,100 USD - $285,100 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.

Employment Eligibility and Accommodations

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.

Workday is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals during our application process, in order to perform one or more essential functions of their job, as well as regarding the use of AI tools for employment decision-making to any degree. Please see below for more details including how to request an accommodation as a qualified veteran, due to a disability or for religious reasons, or as otherwise provided under applicable law.

Workday prohibits taking adverse action against any candidate or employee for reporting a possible violation of this policy, requesting one or more work accommodations, exercising a privacy right, or cooperating in an investigation in accordance with applicable law.

Any employee who retaliates against a candidate or employee for doing so may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, to the fullest extent allowable under applicable law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, you may email [e-mail], as far in advance as possible.

Workday will never ask candidates to apply to jobs through websites that are not Workday Careers. Please be aware of sites that may ask you to input your data in connection with a job posting that appears to be from Workday but is not.

In addition, Workday will never ask candidates to pay a recruiting fee, or pay for consulting or coaching services, in order to apply for a job at Workday.

Workday is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Workday are considered without regards to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Further, pursuant to applicable local ordinances, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.