Sr Principal AI Architect

Your work days are brighter here.

At Workday, it all began with a conversation over breakfast. When our founders met at a sunny California diner, they came up with an idea to revolutionize the enterprise software market. And when we began to rise, one thing that really set us apart was our culture. A culture which was driven by our value of putting our people first. And ever since, the happiness, development, and contribution of every Workmate is central to who we are. Our Workmates believe a healthy employee-centric, collaborative culture is the essential mix of ingredients for success in business. That’s why we look after our people, communities and the planet while still being profitable. Feel encouraged to shine, however that manifests: you don’t need to hide who you are. You can feel the energy and the passion, it's what makes us unique. Inspired to make a brighter work day for all and transform with us to the next stage of our growth journey? Bring your brightest version of you and have a brighter work day here.

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About the Team

The Enterprise Data and AI Technologies & Architecture (EDATA) organization is a dynamic and evolving team that is spearheading Workday’s growth through trusted data excellence, innovation, and architectural thought leadership. Equipped with an array of skills in data & AI platforms and architecture, data science, engineering, machine learning and AI strategy & product management, this team orchestrates the flow of data across our growing company while ensuring data accessibility, accuracy, and security. With a relentless focus on innovation and efficiency, Workmates in EDATA enable the transformation of complex data sets into actionable insights that fuel strategic decisions and position Workday at the forefront of the technology industry.


EDATA is a global team distributed across the U.S., Canada and India.

About the Role

About the Role

Join a pioneering organization at the forefront of technological advancement, dedicated to leveraging data-driven insights to transform industries and drive innovation. 

Workday is seeking a Senior Principal AI Architect within EDATA who will be a recognized thought leader and a driving force in shaping and executing our enterprise-wide Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy. You will partner with executive leadership, Platform Engineering, Data Science, Data Engineering, AI Product Management, and key business stakeholders to define the long-term architectural vision for AI, spearheading the design and implementation of highly complex, scalable, secure, and impactful AI solutions leveraging our extensive data assets and advanced platforms.

This is a unique opportunity to exert significant influence on Workday's enterprise AI capabilities, ensuring deep alignment with our overarching data and analytics architecture, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation, and directly contributing to Workday's competitive advantage.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will be responsible for (but not limited to) the following:

• Visionary Leadership: Define and evangelize the long-term AI architectural vision, strategy, and roadmap for Workday, proactively anticipating future needs and aligning with executive business priorities and the broader technology landscape.

• Enterprise-Scale Solution Architecture: Architect highly complex, enterprise-grade AI solutions, including advanced machine learning models, sophisticated natural language processing (NLP) systems, agentic capabilities, and innovative AI technologies, ensuring unparalleled scalability, performance, resilience, and security.

• Deep Platform Integration Strategy: Define the strategic direction for the seamless and optimized integration of AI solutions with our core data platforms (Snowflake and Databricks), establishing architectural patterns and guidelines for leveraging their advanced capabilities.

• Emerging Technology Foresight: Proactively research, evaluate, and strategically recommend disruptive and emerging AI technologies, tools, and frameworks, positioning Workday as an industry leader in AI innovation.

• Architectural Governance and Standards: Establish and govern enterprise-wide architectural principles, patterns, and best practices for the full lifecycle of AI solution development and deployment within EDATA, ensuring consistency, quality, and maintainability.

• Executive Collaboration and Influence: Collaborate strategically and influence executive leadership, Data Science and Engineering leadership, and key business stakeholders to drive alignment on the AI architectural vision, advocate for strategic investments, and ensure successful adoption of AI initiatives.

• Risk Management and Compliance Architecture: Define and implement robust architectural frameworks to proactively address data governance, security, ethical considerations, and regulatory compliance requirements for AI systems at an enterprise scale.

• Performance Engineering and Optimization Strategy: Lead the development of strategic approaches for identifying and resolving critical architectural bottlenecks and performance limitations in complex AI systems, ensuring optimal resource utilization and exceptional user experiences for AI-powered products and services.

• Technical Mentorship and Talent Development: Provide strategic technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to Principal Architects, architects, and engineering leaders across the organization, fostering a culture of technical excellence and developing future AI architectural talent.

Strategic Innovation and Incubation: Drive strategic innovation by identifying and championing transformative AI use cases and technologies, leading high-impact proof-of-concept initiatives and incubating new AI capabilities with significant potential for business disruption and growth.

About You

Business Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in data and analytics, with a significant and demonstrable track record of architecting and delivering highly complex AI/ML solutions at enterprise scale (with AI infrastructure, application deployment and operations taken into consideration).

• 7+ years experience with advanced machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling techniques, deep learning architectures, natural language processing (NLP), and other cutting-edge AI methodologies.

• 7+ year experience with architecting solutions on cloud-based data platforms, with mastery of Snowflake and Databricks and a strong understanding of their advanced features and capabilities for AI/ML workloads.

Other Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree (PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.

• Proven ability to architect and oversee the implementation of highly scalable, resilient, and secure data pipelines and end-to-end MLOps workflows for deploying and managing AI models in production environments at scale.

• Comprehensive understanding of enterprise data governance frameworks, security architectures, ethical considerations in AI, and regulatory compliance requirements relevant to AI systems.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and influencing skills, with the proven ability to articulate complex technical visions and strategies to executive leadership and diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, and influence senior technical leaders and cross-functional teams across a large organization.

• Extensive experience with advanced MLOps platforms and practices for automating, monitoring, and governing the AI lifecycle at scale.

• Significant experience in a SaaS environment, with a strong understanding of the unique architectural challenges and considerations.

What Sets You Apart

• Recognized as a thought leader in the AI/ML domain with a deep understanding of emerging trends, disruptive technologies, and their potential impact on enterprise businesses.

• Proven experience in defining and driving transformative enterprise-wide AI strategies that have resulted in significant business outcomes and competitive advantage.

• Exceptional track record of successfully architecting and delivering highly complex and innovative AI solutions that have had a measurable and significant impact on the business.

• Strategic thinker with exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills, capable of navigating ambiguity and driving clarity in complex technical landscapes.

• A passion for pushing the boundaries of AI innovation and a demonstrated ability to translate emerging technologies into tangible business value.

• Strong network and presence within the AI/ML research and industry communities.

If you are a visionary and highly accomplished AI Architect with a passion for shaping the future of enterprise AI and driving transformative impact at scale, we invite you to join our leadership team at Workday. This is an unparalleled opportunity to lead and influence the direction of AI within a world-class technology organization.

Workday Pay Transparency Statement 

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below.  Workday pay ranges vary based on work location. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Recruiters can share more detail during the hiring process. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, job duties, and business need, among other things. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please click here.

Primary Location: CAN.ON.Toronto

Primary CAN Base Pay Range: $204,700 - $307,100 CAD

Additional CAN Location(s) Base Pay Range: $204,700 - $307,100 CAD

Our Approach to Flexible Work
 

With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in-person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in-office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you'll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote "home office" roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter.

Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

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