Director Strategy and Operations - Data Cloud, Chief of Staff

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

The Data Cloud organization is at the forefront of Workday’s next major wave of innovation, driven by a bold mandate to build the industry’s first true Platform for Agents. We are a high-energy, ambitious team that balances Workday's deep foundational expertise with fresh, forward-thinking perspectives to accelerate our pace of delivery and unlock massive new commercial value. By leveraging Workday’s unique business context, trusted data, and identity guardrails, we are building the critical engine that will power the future of AI and agentic workflows across the enterprise. As a team, we value organizational clarity, deep cross-functional collaboration, and rapid execution, working together to evolve our architecture and aggressively scale our impact in the market.

The Data Cloud organization is seeking an experienced, high-velocity individual with expertise in business operations, product strategy, and commercial growth. This individual will work alongside the SVP & GM of Data Cloud to drive the execution of key strategic initiatives within a newly forming, high-growth organization. This role involves extending the efficiency of both the SVP and the broader leadership team by creating streamlined operational rhythms, ensuring absolute organizational clarity, bridging the gap between product engineering and go-to-market teams, and driving the strategic pivot toward building the industry's first Agentic Data Platform. The Director of Strategy and Operations will also act as a trusted advisor and right-hand to the SVP & GM, helping leaders focus their teams to accelerate delivery, navigate complex organizational transformations, and scale the business to unprecedented heights.

About the Role

In this role, you will own the operational rhythm of the Data Cloud business unit. You will look around corners, bridge gaps between product strategy and market execution, and enable executive decision-making through synthesis, prioritization, and deep business insight.

Strategic Alignment & Executive Enablement:

• P&T Leadership Partner: Act as a critical partner to the SVP & GM of Data Cloud you will seamlessly drive strategic priorities, tracking, and execution across a global product and technology organization.
• Operating Cadence: Establish, own, and continually optimize the operating cadence, planning cycles, and alignment frameworks across multiple teams and cross-functional organizations.
• Strategy into Execution: Translate high-level vision and business strategy into rigorous operational execution, ensuring absolute organizational clarity, focus, and measurable business outcomes.
• Executive Decision-Making: Synthesize complex data, competitive intelligence, and engineering/product updates into clear recommendations that enable swift, high-impact decision-making for the SVP and senior executive leadership.

Business Operations & GM Execution:

• Run the GM Function: Own the day-to-day operational cadence of the Data Cloud business unit, including leadership staff meetings, quarterly execution reviews, operational dashboards, and town halls.
• OKR Ownership: Drive, own, and track the adoption and execution of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) across the Data Cloud organization, ensuring alignment with broader corporate goals.
• Operational Excellence: Identify and implement opportunities to optimize systems, resource allocation, and processes to increase agility and delivery speed across the organization.

Product Strategy & Cross-Functional Interlocks:

• Strategy Orchestration: Coordinate and facilitate the definition, refinement, and execution of the Data Cloud product and business strategy in close partnership with the SVP and product leadership.
• Go-To-Market & Field Alignment: Serve as the primary connective tissue between Data Cloud and partner functions, ensuring seamless execution across Sales, Marketing, and Partnerships.
• Analyst & Market Relations: Collaborate with Product Marketing and Analyst Relations to ensure our strategic narrative is clear, consistent, and impactful for industry analysts and the market.
• Corporate Function Liaison: Serve as the primary point of contact and liaison for Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development (M&A), Finance, and People & Purpose (HR).

Special Initiatives & Strategic Projects:

• High-Impact Projects: Lead critical, cross-functional strategic initiatives—such as evaluating new market opportunities, partnership frameworks, or business model innovations.
• Executive Storyboarding: Develop strategic presentations, business reviews, and board-level materials that translate complex technical and business metrics into compelling narratives.
• Trusted Advisor: Act as a strategic sounding board to the SVP, providing objective feedback, guiding leadership alignment, and managing sensitive or confidential organizational matters with high discretion.

About You

Basic Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in business operations, strategy, consulting, or equivalent.
• Experience as a Chief of Staff or senior operator leading executive operations and strategy
• BA, BS, or equivalent degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field or equivalent experience

Other Qualifications:

• Prior experience in management or strategy consulting (e.g., McKinsey, Bain, BCG) highly preferred
• Deep experience in an enterprise SaaS environment
• Cybersecurity focused experience or experience working closely with functional and cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing communications strategies for internal and external partners
• Ability to collaborate across teams to create strategic storyboards and quarterly board materials for relevant parties
• Ability to learn quickly within a fast-paced team, including highly technical topics
• Ability to handle interpersonal relationships with a high degree of emotional intelligence and self-awareness

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.PleasantonPrimary Location Base Pay Range: $207,300 USD - $310,900 USDAdditional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $175,000 USD - $310,900 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.

Workday is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals during our application process, in order to perform one or more essential functions of their job, as well as regarding the use of AI tools for employment decision-making to any degree. Please see below for more details including how to request an accommodation as a qualified veteran, due to a disability or for religious reasons, or as otherwise provided under applicable law.

Workday prohibits taking adverse action against any candidate or employee for reporting a possible violation of this policy, requesting one or more work accommodations, exercising a privacy right, or cooperating in an investigation in accordance with applicable law. Any employee who retaliates against a candidate or employee for doing so may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, to the fullest extent allowable under applicable law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, you may email [email protected], as far in advance as possible.

Are you being referred to one of our roles? If so, ask your connection at Workday about our Employee Referral process!

At Workday, we value our candidates’ privacy and data security.  Workday will never ask candidates to apply to jobs through websites that are not Workday Careers. 

Please be aware of sites that may ask for you to input your data in connection with a job posting that appears to be from Workday but is not.

In addition, Workday will never ask candidates to pay a recruiting fee, or pay for consulting or coaching services, in order to apply for a job at Workday.