Principal Network Architect

Workday•Pleasanton, CA

5d•$157,900 - $280,600•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Network Architect will lead the strategic design, modernization, and governance of our global network and cloud infrastructure. This role represents a strategic position focused on infrastructure evolution. While historical efforts focused on operational engineering and stability, Workday’s rapid expansion and modern infrastructure demands require a strategic, design-first architect. The modern network operates at the intersection of hybrid cloud connectivity, security enforcement, and automated operations. Reporting directly to the Sr. Director of Cloud & Network Infrastructure, the Principal Network Architect will act as the technical authority for Workday's global enterprise network. The architect will drive major transformations, including Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), micro-segmentation, AIOps/network automation, and Branch Office 2.0 (SD-WAN).

Requirements

12+ years of network leadership in a large-scale global network engineering environment.
5+ years serving in a Principal or Enterprise Network Architect roles within a global enterprise environment.
5+ years of professional experience within the software as a service industry.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to deliver messaging to varying business groups.
Experience deploying ZTNA, SSE, micro-segmentation, and posture-based access policies (Zscaler Private Access/Internet Access, Palo Alto Networks, Okta integrations).
Advanced design expertise in AWS cloud networking architectures (Transit Gateways, Cloud WAN, GWLB, VPC peering, Direct Connect) and multi-cloud interconnects.
Deep knowledge of WAN edge architectures, enterprise SD-WAN solutions, BGP routing, multihoming, and WAN optimization.
Expertise in next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto Networks PanOS/Panorama), VM bootstrapping, intrusion prevention, and secure web gateways.
Experience with network automation frameworks (Python, Ansible, Terraform, NetBox/Nautobot), CI/CD pipelines, and AI-assisted network observability tools.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent industry experience.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the strategic network architecture roadmap that integrates zero-trust access controls, cloud-native networking, and automated infrastructure pipeline tools.
Lead the network evolution from legacy transit topologies to managed cloud backbones (e.g., AWS Cloud WAN, GWLB firewalls, multi-region peering).
Serve as the security champion for the Network & Cloud Tower, ensuring all network designs align with modern enterprise security postures and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles.
Design standard logical and physical architecture frameworks for Branch Office 2.0 (SD-WAN), wireless networks, campus switching, and Virtual Clean Room (VCR) environments.
Establish enterprise-wide micro-segmentation architectures (e.g., Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks) to eliminate implicit trust within internal networks.
Represent the Network & Cloud domain in the Architecture Review Board (ARB) to ensure all new cloud and network infrastructure projects conform to established standards.
Formulate standards for RFPs, vendor evaluation, and Proof-of-Concept (PoC) activities across campus, WiFi, and cloud networking tooling.
Drive the implementation of ZTNA and Security Service Edge (SSE) frameworks, integrating posture-based routing, identity controls (Okta), and cloud security enforcement.
Lead next-generation SD-WAN architecture to standardize global office connectivity, optimize direct-to-cloud pathing, and partner with REWS on workplace technology deployments.
Lead the shift toward Intent-Based Networking (IBN) and AIOps by introducing single-source-of-truth architectures (e.g., Network to Code pilot), automated bootstrapping, and CI/CD policy deployment pipelines.
Oversee the migration of legacy Transit Gateway VPCs and bandwidth-constrained SD-WAN tunnels to high-throughput Gateway Load Balancers (GWLB) and Cloud WAN.
Modernize the architectural intake and review process to transition the team from reactive ticket-based requests to proactive, design-led project execution.
Track and actively reduce technical debt across core infrastructure, firewall rule bases, and legacy transit configurations.
Mentor senior network engineers and solution architects, fostering architectural rigor and standard diagramming methodologies across the organization.