Distinguished Enterprise Technology Architect

Workday • Pleasanton, CA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

Workday is seeking a Distinguished Enterprise Technology Architect to set the technical direction for its enterprise systems. This high-visibility, VP-level individual contributor role leads through influence and standards rather than people management, bridging long-term business strategy and technical execution. The architect will set standards for leveraging Cloud, Data, AI, and Business Architecture to maintain Workday’s competitive position.

The role guides architectural integrity and strategic roadmaps across infrastructure and cloud, AI architecture, data and analytics, go-to-market architecture, corporate applications, and business architecture. It defines the 3–5 year Enterprise Architecture vision, aligns enterprise and product technical strategy with Workday’s Chief Architect and technical leaders, evaluates emerging technologies and their risks and adoption paths, and mentors Principal and Staff Architects.

Workday uses a Flex Work approach: teams spend at least half of their time each quarter in the office or in the field with customers, prospects, and partners, depending on the role. The position’s primary location is Pleasanton, California, with additional U.S. locations listed for compensation purposes.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in large-scale systems architecture.
• At least 5 years in a Principal or Distinguished capacity.
• Deep expertise in Cloud, AI, and Data domains, with fluency across go-to-market and corporate systems.
• Ability to translate complex technical trade-offs into business impact for non-technical executives.
• Track record of leading architectural transformations in Fortune 500-scale environments.
• Security-first mindset, treating identity, least privilege, and data protection as design constraints and embedding them into enterprise standards, vendor selection, and acquisition integration, including for non-human identities such as AI agents.
• Active contribution to open-source communities, patent holder, or recognized speaker at major technical conferences.

Responsibilities

• Define the 3–5 year Enterprise Architecture vision and gain buy-in from C-suite stakeholders.
• Oversee architectural integrity and strategic roadmaps across infrastructure and cloud, AI architecture, data and analytics, go-to-market architecture, corporate applications, and business architecture.
• Drive the evolution of multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud strategy for scalability, resilience, and cost-efficiency.
• Design frameworks for LLM integration, agentic workflows, and the infrastructure needed to move AI from pilot to production.
• Orchestrate a modern data mesh or fabric to power real-time insights and govern enterprise data.
• Optimize the go-to-market technology stack, including MarTech, CRM, and digital commerce.
• Modernize corporate applications, including ERP, HCM, and Finance systems.
• Map technical capabilities to business value streams and ensure architectural decisions have clear ROI.
• Partner with Workday’s Chief Architect and technical leaders to align enterprise and product technical strategy, including shared standards and paved paths.
• Evaluate emerging technologies—including AI capabilities embedded in third-party SaaS, agentic automation of internal operations, and cryptographic agility for post-quantum readiness—and determine viability, risk, and adoption paths.
• Mentor Principal and Staff Architects across domains and conduct design reviews.

Benefits

• May be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.
• May be eligible for annual refresh stock grants.
• Workday offers a comprehensive benefits package; details are available through the company’s benefits information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed