Senior Software Development Engineer - US Federal

Workday; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 264,000; Full time

Job summary

Workday is seeking a senior software engineer to design, build, and operate the Observability data platform with real-time and batch processing capabilities. You will work across Kubernetes-based environments, implement metrics, logging, and alerting, and help ensure data quality and reliability for federal contracts.

Role requires strong coding skills in Java/Python, extensive experience in data ingestion, and the ability to collaborate with security teams to maintain compliance.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Strong software engineering background with a track record at scale.
• Excellent coding skills in Java and Python; Go is a plus.
• Solid understanding of high-performance data capture and delivery.
• Experience with Time-Series Databases and log collection/management.
• Kubernetes knowledge and hands-on experience.
• 10+ years building high-performance data ingestion software.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and enhance Observability services (Monitoring, Logging, Alerting, Tracing).
• Develop data capture and collection services across diverse environments (Kubernetes, OpenStack, Bare Metal).
• Design core software modules for real-time and batch data processing.
• Construct metrics ingestion pipelines and dashboards; automate lifecycle management.
• Build and deploy production infrastructure components.
• Champion observability with data quality, integrity and availability.
• Evaluate and adopt new open-source and cloud-native tools as needed.
• Participate in on-call rotation to support the observability platform.
• Collaborate with federal cybersecurity teams to ensure governance and security health.

Skills

Java

Python

Go

Kubernetes

Linux

Data ingestion

APIs

Concurrency

Communication

Security

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

MS in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Prometheus Ecosystem

Elastic Search

Grafana

InfluxData (InfluxDB)

Kubernetes

Helm

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

The Data Platform and Observability team, located in Pleasanton, CA; Boston, MA; Boulder, CO, Atlanta, GA, and Dublin, Ireland, empowers real-time insights across Workday’s platforms, infrastructure, and applications. Our mission is to develop and operate a large-scale distributed data platform that fuels critically important Workday applications. We provide software solutions for the collection, ingestion, storage, and visualization of critical data assets. We manage hundreds of terabytes of data, encompassing billions of messages generated daily by Workday applications and underlying services. If you’re passionate about crafting efficient software or optimizing and scaling large distributed systems, you’ll find a fulfilling home with us.

About The Role

This role will support one or more direct or indirect contracts with the U.S. Federal Government which, due to federal government security requirements, mandates that all Workday personnel working on the contracts be United States citizens (naturalized or native).

Are you eager to use Workday’s vast computing resources and extensive datasets? Do you want to collaborate with extraordinary engineers to build and evolve our Observability data platform? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Role & Responsibilities

• Design, build, and enhance critical Observability services, including Monitoring, Logging, Alerting, and Tracing.
• Develop data capture and collection services using pioneering technologies across diverse infrastructure environments (Kubernetes, OpenStack, Bare Metal, etc.).
• Design and develop core software modules for real-time and batch data processing.
• Construct Metrics ingestion pipelines, Alert definitions, and automation for Dashboard lifecycle management.
• Build and deploy infrastructure components in production environments.
• Champion all aspects of observability with a focus on data quality, integrity, and availability.
• Evaluate and implement new open-source and cloud-native tools and technologies as needed.
• Participate in the on-call rotation to support the observability platform.
• Manage and optimize Workday within the air-gapped U.S. AWS cloud regions, forming the core of the team responsible for this mission. Collaborate closely with our commercial software engineering teams responsible for the overall Workday platform.
• Partner with the Workday Federal Cyber Defense team to ensure security operations, cybersecurity posture, governance, risk, compliance, and platform security health.

About You

This role may require a security clearance at the TS/SCI w/CI Poly level. Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance. An active TS/SCI w/CI Poly is preferred.

Employees may be required to be on site at client locations in the DC, MD, and VA (DMV) area.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Strong software engineering background with a consistent track record of delivering high-quality products at scale.
• Exceptional coding skills (Java, Python; Go is a plus) and the ability to design systems that meet business needs.
• Solid understanding of high-performance data capture and collection systems, API design, and reliable data delivery.
• Good understanding of Time-Series Databases and Log collection and management.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Kubernetes.
• 10+ years of experience building high-performance data ingestion software, addressing concurrency, latency, and efficiency challenges.
• Excellent interpersonal, technical, and communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluency in Linux.
• Experience with Infrastructure Automation (Ansible, Chef, Terraform).

Other Qualifications:

• Demonstrable experience with the Prometheus Ecosystem, Elastic Search, Grafana and InfluxData stack.
• Experience with PromQL and InfluxQL.
• Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes and Helm.
• Preferred DoD 8570/8140 compliant with at least IAT Level Il certification, including a current Computing Environment (CE) credential and one approved specialty certification (e.g., CompTIA CySA+, GICSP, CASP+).

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.VA.Reston

Primary Location Base Pay Range: $163,800 USD - $245,800 USD

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $148,200 USD - $264,000 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.

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.

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