Senior Software Development Engineer (US Federal)

Workday, Inc.; Reston, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 264,000; Full time

Job summary

Workday, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Performance Engineer to optimize Kubernetes platforms and AWS GovCloud infrastructure, lead deep‑dive performance triage, and drive capacity forecasting. The role focuses on cost‑effective, scalable, and secure solutions for federal‑contract workloads.

You will collaborate across teams to set performance benchmarks, build telemetry, and mentor engineers while delivering high‑impact results in air‑gapped environments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience building, scaling, and maintaining production cloud infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or platform engineering systems.
• 3+ years with infrastructure automation tools such as Terraform or Terragrunt.
• 3+ years managing CI/CD pipelines with Argo CD, Jenkins, or GitLab CI.
• 3+ years of modern programming in Go or Python.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose, profile, and resolve performance bottlenecks across Kubernetes workloads in AWS GovCloud.
• Build predictive capacity models and run stress tests to ensure scalability during peak workloads.
• Track cloud resource utilization and implement FinOps strategies to optimize spend.
• Develop telemetry, tracing, and capacity alerting frameworks for proactive performance.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning and deployment with Terraform, Terragrunt, Docker, AWS, and Argo CD.

Skills

Kubernetes

AWS GovCloud

Terraform

Terragrunt

Argo CD

Go or Python

CI/CD

Leadership

Education

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

Tools

Argo CD

Jenkins

GitLab CI

Docker

Prometheus

Grafana

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

Your work matters here. At Workday Government, we focus on outcomes that serve a larger mission. Our work supports U.S. federal agencies as they modernize and transform their full employee lifecycle experience and finance operations. You will join a highly motivated, collaborative engineering team that thrives on teamwork, open communication, and shared problem‑solving. Working with modern technologies like Kubernetes, Terraform, and Docker, our goal is to partner closely to build resilient, ultra‑performant systems that our customers can depend on. In this role, you will lead efforts in troubleshooting complex performance issues, analyzing capacity forecasting needs, and driving cloud cost management and optimization. We are looking for driven engineers who take genuine pride in their craft, value cross‑team collaboration, take ownership of initiatives, and consistently deliver impactful outcomes. The work isn’t theoretical. It’s operational. It’s high‑impact. And it demands technical rigor, strong teamwork, and long‑term thinking.

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). Location Note: May be required to be on site at client locations in the DC, MD, and VA (DMV) area. Role Overview: As a Sr. Performance Engineer (Sr. Software Development Engineer), you will play a pivotal role in optimizing Workday’s Kubernetes platform and cloud infrastructure in AWS GovCloud. You will lead deep‑divе performance troubleshooting, drive capacity forecasting models, and manage cloud infrastructure cost optimization. By establishing robust performance telemetry and load testing strategies, you will ensure our systems remain fast, scalable, cost‑efficient, and resilient in air‑gapped environments. You have a growth mindset and thrive in a collaborative, outcome‑driven environment where cross‑team partnership is key. You will be part of a team promoting a diverse and inclusive culture where you and your teammates are energized, engaged, and excited to solve complex engineering challenges together every day.

Responsibilities

• Performance Engineering & Troubleshooting: Apply deep expertise in distributed systems to diagnose, profile, and resolve complex performance bottlenecks, latency spikes, and resource constraints across Kubernetes workloads in AWS GovCloud.
• Capacity Forecasting & Planning: Build predictive capacity models, analyze system usage trends, and execute stress and load testing to ensure platforms scale seamlessly under peak federal workloads.
• Cloud Cost Management & Optimization: Track cloud resource utilization, right‑size infrastructure, and implement FinOps strategies using AWS and Kubernetes tools to optimize infrastructure spend without compromising performance or security.
• Performance Telemetry & Observability: Build, maintain, and optimize APM tools, distributed tracing, and capacity alerting frameworks to detect performance degradations before they impact end users.
• Infrastructure & Automation: Utilize Terraform, Terragrunt, Docker, AWS, and Argo CD to automate infrastructure provisioning, auto‑scaling policies, and continuous delivery pipelines.
• Air‑Gapped Systems Optimization: Conduct performance testing, tuning, and capacity planning tailored specifically to air‑gapped deployment methodologies and isolated cloud environments.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Work closely with software developers, security leaders, and platform engineers to establish performance benchmarks, conduct design reviews, and foster performance‑aware architecture across teams.
• Knowledge Sharing & Mentorship: Author technical performance reports, share capacity forecasting insights, and mentor team members on performance profiling and troubleshooting techniques.

About You Clearance & Eligibility Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship: Required due to federal government contract requirements.
• Security Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government TS/SCI security clearance with CI Polygraph. An active TS/SCI w/ CI Poly is strongly preferred.

Basic Qualifications (Senior/ P4)

• Experience: 5+ years of hands‑on experience building, scaling, and maintaining production cloud infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or platform engineering systems.
• Infrastructure as Code: Proven proficiency (3+ years) with infrastructure automation tools such as Terraform or Terragrunt.
• CI/CD & GitOps: Hands‑on experience (3+ years) managing continuous delivery pipelines using tools like Argo CD, Jenkins, or GitLab CI.
• Software Development: Proficiency in (3+ years) modern scripting or programming languages, with a preference for Go or Python.
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability (3+ years) to independently lead technical initiatives, troubleshoot distributed systems, and mentor junior engineers.

Basic Qualifications (Mid‑Level/ P3)

• Experience: 3+ years of hands‑on experience building, scaling, and maintaining production cloud infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or platform engineering systems.
• Infrastructure as Code: Proven proficiency (2+ years) with infrastructure automation tools such as Terraform or Terragrunt.
• CI/CD & GitOps: Hands‑on experience (2+ years) managing continuous delivery pipelines using tools like Argo CD, Jenkins, or GitLab CI.
• Software Development: Proficiency in (2+ years) modern scripting or programming languages, with a preference for Go or Python.
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability (1+ years) to independently lead technical initiatives, troubleshoot distributed systems, and mentor junior engineers.

Other Qualifications (preferred)

• Kubernetes & AWS: Deep production experience managing containerized workloads in AWS (ideally AWS GovCloud) using Kubernetes and Docker.
• Air‑Gapped Systems: Practical experience implementing or managing air‑gapped deployment methodologies and isolated cloud architectures.
• Observability & Telemetry: Background in building robust monitoring, logging, and alerting systems for distributed platforms (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, etc).
• Security & Compliance: Familiarity with federal security frameworks (e.g., FedRAMP, NIST 800‑53, Zero Trust architecture).
• Certifications: DoD 8570/8140 compliance at IAT Level II or higher (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CySA+, CASP+) along with a current Computing Environment credential.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent military / practical engineering experience in lieu of a degree).

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. 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.

Equal Opportunity & Accommodation

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.

We do not accept resumes from headhunters, placement agencies, or other suppliers that have not signed a formal agreement with us.

Workday is a proud 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.

Workday will never ask candidates to apply to jobs through websites that are not Workday Careers. Please be aware of sites that may ask for 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 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.

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.