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
Workday's Global Strategic Delivery Office is the driving force behind our marketing projects, programs, campaigns, events, and digital experiences. Our mission is to introduce and maintain a consistent approach to carrying out projects, as well as look for opportunities to streamline processes and scale. Our team oversees the cross-functional planning, scoping, and execution of marketing projects to ensure support of best practices, standards, methodologies, and tools. We are a highly collaborative team that thrives on solving complex, multi-faceted challenges.
About the Role
The Principal Program Manager, Events, reports into the Strategic Delivery Office (Global Events) and is a critical leader responsible for orchestrating a portfolio of interconnected event projects and work streams. This role ensures the cohesive delivery of Workday’s corporate events, to achieve overarching business objectives and maximize value. Leveraging a deep understanding of business-to-business marketing and event strategy, this individual will provide strategic oversight, drive integrated execution, and champion best practices across multiple event initiatives.
About You
About You
You are a seasoned program management professional with a proven track record of leading complex, high-impact programs. You possess exceptional strategic thinking, leadership, and communication skills, enabling you to influence senior stakeholders and guide cross-functional teams towards shared goals. You are adept at navigating ambiguity, proactively identifying and mitigating risks, and driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Program Leadership: Structure effective delivery strategies for event programs aligned with Workday's OKRs and Marketing imperatives. Work with program sponsors to define success criteria and KPIs, and own vendor relationships and contracts for the event program portfolio.
Cross-Functional Influence & Collaboration: Build and maintain robust relationships with senior-level cross-functional leaders, project managers, and work stream leads to effectively communicate, influence, and escalate issues. Serve as a trusted advisor, facilitating conflict resolution and driving issue management at the program level.
Integrated Execution & Risk Management: Develop and oversee the executional design for event programs, managing comprehensive milestone schedules and critical paths across interdependent projects. Proactively identify and mitigate program-level risks, and champion a formalized change control process.
Communication & Governance Excellence: Develop and implement comprehensive communication plans for event programs, including strategic updates to senior management. Synthesize project information across all work streams to clearly communicate project strategy, progress updates, and risks/issues across multiple teams within the organization and at all levels within the org (from individual contributors to executive leadership). Drive post-mortem sessions to capture lessons learned and continuously identify, develop, and recommend best practices, tools, and templates for the Global Strategic Delivery Office.
Basic Qualifications
10+ years of progressive experience in program management, with a significant focus on large-scale events or marketing programs.
Bachelor’s degree required; Master's degree or PMP/PgMP certification highly preferred.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs with multiple interdependent projects.
Proven ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior leadership and diverse stakeholder groups.
Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, with a track record of driving process improvements.
Expert proficiency in project and program management tools (e.g., Workfront, Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, etc.).
Other Qualifications
Deep understanding of SaaS and/or enterprise software marketing.
Extensive experience and passion for event management, including corporate, executive, and industry events.
Strong understanding of design concepts, file types, and execution requirements within a marketing context.
Experience in leveraging AI and AI-powered solutions to increase program management efficiency, optimize scheduling, resource allocation, budget management, and risk mitigation.
Agency experience is a plus.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and ambiguous environment.
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.CA.Pleasanton
Primary Location Base Pay Range: $164,000 USD - $246,000 USD
Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $138,500 USD - $246,000 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.
Are you being referred to one of our roles? If so, ask your connection at Workday about our Employee Referral process!
