Principal, Art Director

Workday•Pleasanton, CA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

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 At workday creative we challenge preconceived notions of what B2B branding should look and feel like. We make an impact with our #1 optimistic brand using humor and intellect. At Workday, we believe in encouraging a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. It’s fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they’re doing. At Workday, we’re committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business of enterprise applications. We work hard and we’re serious about what we do. But we like to have a good time, too. In fact, we run our company with that principle in mind every day: one of our core values is fun. The Creative Design team is multi disciplined and covers many areas such as: Events, campaigns, digital, and brand design, we produce award winning creative that creatives stooping power and redefines our sector. About the Role Workday is seeking a passionate and expert Principal Art Director to report directly to our VP of Brand Creative & Design. The ideal candidate will possess an outstanding blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and an innovative approach to deliver creative solutions that resonate with our audience and support our brand objectives. You will be the direct partner to the VP, helping shape the future of creative design at Workday. This highly unique role requires a strong understanding of brand design principles, brand strategies, with a shown ability to deliver innovative and impactful experiences across multiple platforms. The Principal Art Director will be a key individual contributor, working closely with a multitude of cross-functional teams and stakeholders to bring concepts to life. A successful candidate thrives in moving from different disciplines within design, working on special use case projects directly with the VP and Global creative director, and working as key lead Art Director for our highest profile projects across the company. A critical aspect of this role involves confidently expressing creative opinions, effectively communicating with team members, and passionately protecting and promoting the Workday brand.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in design within a creative team environment.
Ability to develop and implement successful creative strategies.
Strong presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate and sell ideas to all levels of the organization.
Familiarity with generative AI tools and their application in creative solutions preferred.
Familiarity with AI inspired activations.
Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite.
Experience in production, especially in large-scale applications.
Experience with animation and video principles
Experience delivering large ideas for brand advertising and activations for smaller campaigns

Nice To Haves

Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.
Desire to continue learning and willingness to adopt new skills.
Appreciates the value of humor and having fun at work too
Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, providing clear direction and feedback.
Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously and work within tight time frames.

Responsibilities

Ability to work in, and produce creative in areas of: Events, Branding, Digital design and campaign design.
Partner with producers, internal creative and agency teams to conceptualize and implement innovative activations.
Translate broad and conceptual ideas and turn them into engaging pieces of design.
Provide art direction and design guidance to other individuals
Lead brainstorming sessions and give innovative ideas.
Expertly present and pitch creative concepts to team members, effectively communicating their value and strategic alignment.
Engage in active and productive conversations with collaborators, addressing feedback and ensuring creative vision is understood and respected.
Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring all event creative outputs are consistent with brand voice, style guidelines, and visual identity.
Collaborate with external vendors, agencies, and production teams.
Identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to optimize creative workflows.