Director of Strategic Initiatives - (US Federal)

Workday • Reston, VA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Workday’s General Manager for Government is seeking an experienced leader to drive critical initiatives, ensure operational excellence, and strengthen communication within Workday and with its Federal customer base. The role supports one or more direct or indirect contracts with the U.S. Federal Government. Federal security requirements for these contracts require all Workday personnel working on them to be United States citizens, either naturalized or native.

The Director defines and communicates the strategic direction of Workday’s Federal Government initiatives, advocates for customer needs within product organizations, and coordinates Federal-specific commitments, risks, and dependencies across the customer lifecycle. The role partners with Engineering and Technical Product leadership to embed Federal compliance, security, and mission requirements in roadmap and architecture decisions, and supports Federal product and compliance strategy, customer advisory councils, and analyst relations.

The Director owns budget planning and tracking for strategic initiatives, advises on Federal growth plans, develops strategic alternatives in response to market changes, and supports governance of Federal-specific product capabilities through their lifecycle. The role also oversees portfolio-level prioritization, execution tracking, and reporting; aligns Federal partners on strategy and delivery expectations; coordinates meetings across the Federal industry vertical; and owns internal communications for the Product team and Government vertical. Success requires strong cross-functional leadership and the ability to build alignment across Workday teams, customers, and external partners.

Requirements

• 10+ years of proven success in a strategic, operational, or enablement capacity.
• Experience with large-scale cloud SaaS product, engineering, compliance, and platform teams.
• Deep understanding of product lifecycle, security, and infrastructure platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with customers, Customer Success, Implementation teams, and external partners to manage delivery commitments and resolve cross-functional issues.
• Proven ability to bring products to market on time with high customer satisfaction.
• Experience owning or supporting budget planning and financial tracking for a business unit, program, or initiative portfolio.
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills and ability to listen and partner across organizations to drive alignment on Government product roadmaps.
• Experience partnering with Engineering and Technical Product organizations on product lifecycle management and portfolio prioritization.
• United States citizenship (naturalized or native) is required for personnel working on the supported Federal Government contracts.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with product lifecycle management and portfolio prioritization in a regulated or Federal/Government context.
• A track record of building strong, cohesive matrixed teams.
• Experience leading collaboration across Engineering, Technical Product teams, Customer Success, Implementation, and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with Workday Parent, customers, Customer Success, and Implementation teams to ensure Federal-specific commitments, risks, and dependencies are visible and managed throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Partner with Engineering and Technical Product leadership to incorporate Federal compliance, security, and mission requirements into technical roadmap and architecture decisions.
• Define and communicate the strategic direction of Workday’s Federal Government industry initiatives.
• Represent customer needs within Workday product organizations and engage directly with customers to help shape future growth priorities.
• Partner with Federal Product & Compliance and Industry Strategy teams as a Federal subject-matter authority; support sales, plan and operate Federal customer advisory councils, and support analyst relations.
• Own budget planning and tracking for Federal strategic initiatives, including building the annual budget with Finance and the GM, monitoring spend, and reallocating resources as priorities change.
• Advise on and co-define Federal growth initiatives through strategic planning forums and financial reviews.
• Develop alternative strategic options for the Federal team in response to changing market dynamics.
• Support governance of Federal-specific product capabilities from intake and prioritization through general availability and sunset, embedding compliance, security, and customer requirements at each stage.
• Partner with Workday’s Partner organization to align Federal systems integrators, resellers, and implementation partners on strategy, enablement, and delivery expectations.
• Maintain portfolio-level visibility across Federal strategic initiatives by prioritizing investments, tracking milestones, and reporting status and risk to the GM and senior leadership.
• Coordinate and run Federal Industry vertical meetings, including staff meetings, stand-ups, leadership offsites, and town halls.
• Establish and own internal communications for the Product team and Government vertical across Workday and with external partners.
• Build relationships with senior leaders across Engineering, Technical Product Management, Product & Technology, Product Delivery, Customer Experience, Marketing, and Sales to align on shared business objectives.
• Deliver results on schedule with a strong focus on customer satisfaction and help inspire teams around a shared vision.
• Build and support strong, collaborative matrixed teams and drive alignment on Government product roadmaps.

Benefits

• May be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.
• May be eligible for annual refresh stock grants.
• Comprehensive benefits are referenced, but specific benefits are not listed in the posting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director