WillHireSenior Principal Security Engineer
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
Workday’s Cybersecurity & Trust organization exists to inspire confidence and trust in Workday. We safeguard the personal information of 60+ million people and the financial information of some of the largest companies in the world. Cybersecurity is woven into the fabric of Workday and is core to everything we do. We nurture a security first mentality and believe that moving with speed and velocity is enabled by building security into the foundation. Build the future of Cybersecurity at Workday by applying innovative technology to a customer-centric platform!
About the Role
The Senior Principal Security Engineer is the strategic "Front Door" and primary technical contact for our Enterprise Security organization. This is a high-visibility, individual contributor role designed for an experienced authority who can bridge the gap between high-level security strategy and hands-on technical execution. They will be the primary interface between Enterprise Security, broader Technology teams, and specialized Cybersecurity units, ensuring that our initiatives are not only technically sound but also seamlessly integrated across the organization. As the "second in command" to leadership, they will provide the technical connective tissue that ensures our security posture is proactive, scalable, and aligned with the speed of the business!
In this role, you will:
Act as the Strategic Interface by serving as the primary point of awareness for all technical inquiries, project intakes, and multi-functional collaborations involving Enterprise Security.
Mentor and Influence by providing deep technical mentorship to engineers across the team while influencing senior partners on critical security investments and architectural pivots.
Bridge Silos and partner with Infrastructure, Engineering, and specialized Cyber teams (e.g., SOC, GRC, AppSec) to ensure unified execution of the security roadmap.
Tackle "Impossible" Problems and be responsible for the most sophisticated, high-impact security challenges that require a "big picture" view of the entire technology stack.
Advise Leadership by acting as a trusted technical advisor to the head of Enterprise Security, translating complex technical risks into actionable business strategies.
About You
This is the ideal role for a multidisciplinary security veteran that has spent years in the trenches but has evolved into a strategic problem solver. They won't just find holes in a system; they build the roadmap to fix them at scale. Are you comfortable in the "gray space" between departments and do you possess the emotional intelligence to lead through influence rather than authority?
Basic Qualifications:
Experience: 12+ years of experience in Cybersecurity, with at least 5 years in a Lead, Principal, or Staff-level capacity within a large-scale enterprise environment with deep technical proficiency across multiple domains, including Cloud Security (AWS/Azure/GCP), Identity and Access Management (IAM), Network Security, and Zero Trust architectures.
The "Front Door" Mentality: Consistent record of leading complex multi-functional relationships and serving as a liaison between technical and non-technical teams.
Strategic Execution: Experience developing and driving security strategies quickly and accurately.
Security Engineering Mastery: Expert-level understanding of secure SDLC, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/CloudFormation), and automation-first security operations.
Security Tool Familiarity: Experience with best-of-breed security solutions across the landscape such as SASE, SSPM, DSPM, CSPM, DLP, IDP, EDR, and EDM.
Education/Certification: A Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience); advanced certifications (CISSP-ISSAP, CCSP, or similar) are preferred but secondary to your consistent record of delivery.
Other Qualifications
Master facilitator driving creative technical decisions while considering conflicting viewpoints
Practical experience of Security threat modeling, risk analysis, and control definition
Proven results in working with key partners and executives from engineering organizations to automate and integrate security into their workflows and promote security practices
Good knowledge of common vulnerabilities in applications and infrastructure with strong knowledge of how to defend against these vulnerabilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, building positive relationships with partners internal and external to the Security organization
Communication Mastery: The ability to distill highly technical concepts into clear, executive-level briefings while maintaining credibility with deep-subject-matter experts.
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: USA.GA.Atlanta
Primary Location Base Pay Range: $205,600 USD - $308,400 USD
Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $195,400 USD - $348,000 USD
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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