Distinguished Enterprise Technology Architect

About the Team

The Enterprise AI & Architecture (EAIA) organization is a dynamic and evolving team that is spearheading Workday’s growth through trusted AI engineering and operational excellence, innovation, and architectural thought leadership. Equipped with an array of skills in AI/ML platforms and architecture, data science, engineering, machine learning, AI strategy & product management, enterprise architecture, and AI trust, this team is dedicated to building the robust infrastructure and intelligent systems and AI solutions that power our enterprise.Our mission is to bridge the gap between complex data landscapes and actionable intelligence.

We build the foundation. We secure the perimeter. We scale the intelligence. By providing the platforms and the strategy, we empower Workday to lead in the age of AI.

EAIA is a global team distributed across the U.S., Canada and India.

About the Role

We are seeking a Distinguished Enterprise Technology Architect to set the technical direction for Workday's enterprise systems. This is a high-visibility, VP-level individual contributor role for an architect who leads through influence and standards rather than people management.

As the primary architect for the enterprise, you will bridge the gap between long-term business strategy and technical execution. You will not just follow trends; you will set the standard for how we leverage Cloud, Data, AI, and Business Architecture to maintain our competitive edge.

Scope of Influence

You will oversee the architectural integrity and strategic roadmap across six critical domains:

• Infrastructure & Cloud: Driving the evolution of our multi-cloud/hybrid-cloud strategy, ensuring extreme scalability, resilience, and cost-efficiency.
• AI Architecture: Designing the framework for LLM integration, agentic workflows, and the infrastructure required to move AI from pilot to production.
• Data & Analytics: Orchestrating a modern data mesh/fabric that powers real-time insights and governs our most valuable asset.
• Go-to-Market (GTM) Architecture: Optimizing the tech stack that touches our customers—from MarTech and CRM to frictionless digital commerce.
• Corporate Applications: Modernizing our internal ecosystem (ERP, HCM, Finance) to ensure a seamless employee experience and operational excellence.
• Business Architecture: Mapping technical capabilities directly to business value streams, ensuring every architectural decision has a clear ROI.

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Roadmap: Define the 3–5 year Enterprise Architecture vision and gain buy-in from C-suite stakeholders.
• Enterprise–Product Alignment: Partner with Workday's Chief Architect and technical leaders across the business to align enterprise and product technical strategy, including shared standards and paved paths
• Innovation & R&D: Evaluate emerging technologies against concrete enterprise decisions, including AI capabilities embedded in third-party SaaS, agentic automation of internal operations, and cryptographic agility for post-quantum readiness, and determine their viability, risk, and adoption path.
• Technical Mentorship: Grow Principal and Staff Architects across domains through mentorship and design review, building judgment that holds up without this role in the room.

About You

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in large-scale systems architecture, with at least 5 years in a "Principal" or "Distinguished" capacity.
• Breadth & Depth: Deep expertise in Cloud, AI and Data domains combined with fluency across GTM and Corporate systems.
• Business Acumen: Ability to translate complex technical trade-offs into business impact for non-technical executives.
• Proven Impact: A track record of leading architectural transformations for Fortune 500-scale environments.
• Security-First Mindset: Identity, least privilege, and data protection are treated  as design constraints, and have embedded them into enterprise standards, vendor selection, and acquisition integration, including for non-human identities such as AI agents.
• Industry Influence: Active contributor to open-source communities, patent holder, or a recognized speaker at major technical conferences (AWS Re:Invent, Google Next, etc.).

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 .

Primary Location: USA.CA.PleasantonPrimary Location Base Pay Range: $261,900 USD - $392,900 USD

 

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $221,200 USD - $392,900 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.