Sr Software Development Engineer, SRE (US Federal)

Workday; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Workday Government seeks a Sr Software Development Engineer to guide our Kubernetes platform on AWS GovCloud, building automation and secure deployment pipelines for federal contracts. You will lead infrastructure automation, CI/CD improvements, and observability tools while collaborating across security, engineering, and customer teams.

The role requires US citizenship, the ability to obtain TS/SCI clearance, and on-site work in the DC/MD/VA area, focusing on reliable, scalable systems and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience building, scaling, and maintaining production cloud infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or platform engineering systems.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to federal government contract requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance with CI Polygraph; an active TS/SCI w/ CI Poly is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Platform & Workload Management: Run, manage, and scale complex containerized workloads on Kubernetes clusters deployed in AWS GovCloud environments.
• Infrastructure Automation: Provision and automate infrastructure, configurations, and deployment pipelines using Terraform, Terragrunt, Docker, AWS, and Argo CD.
• Air-Gapped & Secure Deployments: Design, implement, and maintain air-gapped deployment methodologies to support strict security, compliance, and isolation requirements.
• Observability & Reliability: Build, maintain, and optimize comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerting systems to ensure high availability and visibility into our managed services.
• Distributed Systems Troubleshooting: Apply deep expertise in troubleshooting distributed systems to quickly diagnose and resolve complex platform, infrastructure, and network issues.
• Collaboration & Results: Work closely with peer development teams, security leaders, and cross-functional partners across multiple locations to deliver reliable, high-impact outcomes.
• Security & Compliance: Implement and maintain enterprise security standards for the platform, ensuring full compliance with federal industry standards.
• Knowledge Sharing & Documentation: Author clear technical documentation, participate in architectural reviews, and actively mentor team members to foster a culture of continuous learning.

Skills

Kubernetes

Terraform

Docker

AWS GovCloud

CI/CD

Observability

Security & Compliance

Tools

Terragrunt

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 the 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, reliable systems that our customers can depend on. We are looking for driven engineers who take genuine pride in their craft, value strong collaboration across teams, 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 Software Development Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in guiding Workday's efforts to build, deploy, and scale solutions for our Kubernetes platform in AWS GovCloud. You will lead infrastructure automation, enhance CI/CD pipelines, build robust observability tools, and drive air-gapped deployment methodologies.

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:

• Platform & Workload Management: Run, manage, and scale complex containerized workloads on Kubernetes clusters deployed in AWS GovCloud environments.
• Infrastructure Automation: Provision and automate infrastructure, configurations, and deployment pipelines using Terraform, Terragrunt, Docker, AWS, and Argo CD.
• Air-Gapped & Secure Deployments: Design, implement, and maintain air-gapped deployment methodologies to support strict security, compliance, and isolation requirements.
• Observability & Reliability: Build, maintain, and optimize comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerting systems to ensure high availability and visibility into our managed services.
• Distributed Systems Troubleshooting: Apply deep expertise in troubleshooting distributed systems to quickly diagnose and resolve complex platform, infrastructure, and network issues.
• Collaboration & Results: Work closely with peer development teams, security leaders, and cross-functional partners across multiple locations to deliver reliable, high-impact outcomes.
• Security & Compliance: Implement and maintain enterprise security standards for the platform, ensuring full compliance with federal industry standards.
• Knowledge Sharing & Documentation: Author clear technical documentation, participate in architectural reviews, and actively mentor team members to foster a culture of continuous learning.

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.

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