Strategic Initiatives Lead

Workday, Inc.; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 196,000 - 294,000; Full time

Job summary

Workday, Inc. in Pleasanton, CA, is seeking a Principal Product Strategist to define the Data Cloud product strategy and guide investment decisions. You will bridge AI platform development with global go-to-market, designing the operating rhythm and leading cross-functional initiatives.

You will align Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance and Legal to drive commercialization, pricing, monetization, and performance scorecards, while communicating a clear product vision to executives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Product Strategy, Product Operations, Strategy & Operations, or Management Consulting within an enterprise product, platform, or SaaS organization.
• Demonstrated experience defining, operationalizing, and executing multi-year enterprise product or platform strategies at scale.
• Proven track record of designing and running enterprise-wide product operating rhythms, GTM frameworks, and commercialization programs from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Define, evangelize, and maintain a unified product strategy for the Data Cloud organization.
• Translate high-level technical goals into commercialization plans, launch sequences, and global market expansion strategies.
• Identify and assess new market opportunities and inform strategic decision-making with finance and leadership.
• Design and orchestrate the Product Operating Rhythm and QBRs, roadmapping cadences, and annual planning cycles.
• Drive cross-functional pricing, packaging, monetization, and go-to-market initiatives from assessment to post-launch.
• Build product performance scorecards and align engineering, product adoption, PLG signals, and revenue outcomes.

Skills

Product Strategy

Product Operations

Strategy & Ops

Management Consulting

SaaS

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 Cloud organization is at the forefront of Workday’s next major wave of innovation, driven by a bold mandate to build the industry’s first true Platform for Agents. We are a high-energy, ambitious team building the critical intelligence, semantic, and context engine that will power the future of AI and agentic workflows across enterprise HR and Finance. Operating with a 0-to-1 startup inside an enterprise mindset, we value organizational clarity, deep cross-functional collaboration, and rapid execution. We are establishing the strategic and operational foundation needed to scale our architecture, accelerate market delivery, and capture massive new commercial value.

About the Role

We are seeking a high-caliber Principal Product Strategist to partner across Workday to define the Data Cloud organization’s product strategy, guide product investment decisions, and operationalize our commercial vision. Reporting directly to the GM of Data Cloud, you will serve as a chief product strategy and execution partner. In this role, you will bridge the gap between technical AI platform development and global market execution. You will design the product operating rhythm, drive cross‑functional go‑to‑market (GTM) strategies, and lead complex 0-to-1 commercialization initiatives. You will sit at the center of organizational execution—aligning Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Legal. If you thrive in fast‑paced environments, excel at translating technical product capabilities into commercial outcomes, and have a proven track record of operationalizing enterprise product strategies, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Commercialization: Partner across Workday to define, evangelize, and maintain a unified product strategy for the Data Cloud organization. Translate high‑level technical goals into structured commercialization plans, launch sequences, and global market expansion strategies.
• Investment & Market Assessment: Identify and assess new market, customer, and business opportunities to inform strategic decision‑making. Partner with Finance and Product leadership to define investment principles, monitor success metrics, and ensure resources align with strategic priorities.
• Product Operating Rhythm: Design, implement, and orchestrate the rhythm of the business (ROB) for the product organization. Own the execution of Product Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), roadmap alignment cadences, and annual strategic planning cycles.
• Cross‑Functional GTM Execution: Drive our most critical, multi‑million‑dollar cross‑functional product initiatives (including defining pricing, packaging, monetization, and go‑to‑market strategies) from initial assessment through to post‑launch execution.
• Commercial Metrics & PLG Architecture: Build and monitor product performance scorecards. Ensure tight alignment between engineering outputs, product adoption metrics, Product‑Led Growth (PLG) signals, and revenue outcomes.
• Executive Alignment & Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to Data Cloud leadership on product vision, investment priorities, and emerging AI trends. Represent the Data Cloud organization in strategic cross‑functional forums to ensure alignment with Workday’s overall strategy.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Product Strategy, Product Operations, Strategy & Operations, or Management Consulting within an enterprise product, platform, or SaaS organization.
• Demonstrated experience defining, operationalizing, and executing multi‑year enterprise product or platform strategies at scale.
• Proven track record of designing and running enterprise‑wide product operating rhythms, GTM frameworks, and commercialization programs from the ground up.

Other Qualifications

• Commercial Execution Master: A relentless focus on market outcomes with a proven ability to take unstructured product directives and rapidly translate them into structured GTM plans, RACI matrices, and actionable workstreams.
• High Technical & Business Acumen: Strong technical fluency with the ability to engage deeply with engineering teams on platform architecture while connecting technical decisions directly to P&L impacts, monetization strategies, and customer adoption metrics.
• Process Efficiency Mindset: Pragmatic approach to operations—knows how to implement the 80/20 rule, eliminate redundant meetings, and establish lightweight cadences that product and engineering teams actually want to use.
• Trusted Strategic Advisor: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a proven ability to build strong relationships, influence without authority, and collaborate across all executive levels.
• Experience in top‑tier management consulting (e.g., Deloitte, PwC, Booz Allen) combined with in‑house technology Product Strategy or BizOps experience is a strong plus.

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

• Primary Location: USA.CA.Pleasanton
• Primary Location Base Pay Range: $196,000 USD - $294,000 USD
• Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $167,200 USD - $294,000 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.

Fair Chance Law and Equal Opportunity

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.

If you are being referred to one of our roles, ask your connection at Workday about our Employee Referral process! At Workday, we value our candidates’ privacy and data security. 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 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. We do not accept resumes from headhunters, placement agencies, or other suppliers that have not signed a formal agreement with us. You may view the Workday's Pay Transparency Policy, and Know Your Rights Notice, by clicking on their corresponding links.

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.