Senior Director, Software Development Application - HCM & WFM Development

Workday•Pleasanton, CA

1d•$231,800 - $422,400•Hybrid

About The Position

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, we live our core values every day: Employees, Customer Service, Innovation, Integrity and Fun. We work hard, and we’re serious about what we do. But we like to have fun, too. We put people first, celebrate diversity, drive innovation, and do good in the communities where we live and work. We help the world’s largest organizations adapt to what’s next by bringing finance, HR, and planning into a single enterprise cloud. The mission for HCM is to reinvent how workers, managers and administrators interact with Workday. We are turning Workday's unmatched global data footprint into a living intelligence layer. HCM is the heartbeat of Workday with revenue in excess of $3B and over 6,000 customers. •. Transparency, for the candidate who can see accurate pay ranges when they're looking for new opportunities. •. Engagement, for the employee who wants to interact with a holistic rewards experience. •. Insight, for the manager looking to make fair and informed comp decisions. •. Flexibility, for the business leader who's keeping pace with changing world Come be a part of this transformation of HCM and help shape the future of Workday! About the Role As the Senior Director of HCM Engineering, you will lead and serve a 100+ organization of software engineers and engineering leaders who are building the future of Workday HCM. You will set the technical and organizational direction for this team as it delivers on the vision to reinvent how workers, managers and administrators interact with Workday. You will be joining a leadership team that embodies Workday's values and leadership principles, and you will play a central role in shaping how this product area evolves.

Requirements

8+ years of experience leading and developing large software development engineering organizations, including managing Directors and Senior Managers
10+ years of experience managing software development engineering teams, building high-performing teams, and driving software development outcomes
15+ years of experience in software development engineering, defining and implementing technical strategies for complex software products and platforms
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; Master's degree preferred, or equivalent practical experience
Mastery of Decision Making in the context of leading global engineering organizations — you evaluate complex, high-impact options with clarity, balancing risk assessment and long-term technical strategy to drive sound organizational decisions
Recognized expertise in Engineering Leadership, with the ability to provide visionary direction and inspire innovation across a large engineering organization — you set the tone for technical excellence and foster an environment where teams do their best work
Exceptional Influencing Skills, with experience driving organizational transformation and strategic technical adoption across senior leadership, cross-functional partners, and engineering teams — you build alignment through trust, clarity, and credibility
Mastery of People Management principles, with a demonstrated ability to build and scale inclusive, high-performing software development organizations — you know how to motivate teams, develop engineering leaders, resolve challenges constructively, and foster a culture of continuous learning
Deep expertise in Software Development and its strategic application, with experience guiding the architecture and delivery of complex, enterprise-scale platforms — you understand how to translate business and product goals into sound engineering strategies that drive innovation and results
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to deliver clear, compelling presentations to executive leadership and external partners and to adapt your style to different audiences

Responsibilities

Develop and communicate a strategic roadmap for HCM Engineering, aligned with business goals and the broader HCM product vision
Lead and grow an organization of high-performing engineering teams responsible for delivering and supporting Workday HCM.
Collaborate with product management, Agent Factory, platform and customer support teams to define product requirements and ensure timely, high-quality delivery of features and enhancements
Champion the product vision and partner with product management and other key teams to deliver on product goals
Coordinate delivery across multiple teams, providing estimates and assessments for proposed development efforts and ensuring on-time, high-quality outcomes
Build and maintain relationships with customers, partners, and industry experts to stay informed about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in HCM.
Grow and develop your teams — supporting workmates in building their careers, leveraging their strengths, and achieving their aspirations