Associate Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) - Multicloud Platform

About Workday

Workday is a Fortune 500 enterprise and a leading AI-driven platform dedicated to people, finance, and operational management. We are deeply committed to fostering a workplace culture grounded in integrity, empathy, and enthusiasm, encouraging innovation and collaboration to build smarter solutions and a sense of belonging among employees. At Workday, employees are empowered to take risks, gain new skills, and receive strong support for long-term growth.

Team Overview

The Cloud Platform Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team based in New Zealand is part of a global network including counterparts in the US and Ireland. Our goal is to maintain the reliability and availability of Workday’s cloud platform which hosts engineering and customer environments. We focus on enhancing platform reliability, observability, and operational effectiveness at scale. Our tech stack includes Kubernetes, Istio, OPA, GoLang, Prometheus, and Grafana. We operate in agile two-week sprints and maintain a follow-the-sun on-call model across three time zones (NZT, GMT, PT).

Role Overview

As an Associate Site Reliability Engineer within the Cloud Platform team, you will help scale global operations by addressing challenges in distributed systems involving cloud-native configurations, Linux OS, and networking. Your responsibilities will include maintaining Kubernetes-based infrastructures on public clouds such as AWS and GCP, striving for automated solutions to reduce manual interventions, and supporting customer success by ensuring platform stability.

Key Responsibilities

• Detect, troubleshoot, and resolve performance and reliability issues across distributed cloud-based systems including Kubernetes clusters.
• Create automation tools to increase operational efficiency and reduce manual workloads for scalable system management.
• Develop and deploy Service Level Indicators (SLIs) to monitor Service Level Objectives (SLOs), design extensible observability frameworks, automate runbook workflows, and establish new operational procedures.
• Collaborate with platform service teams to establish and implement SRE standards, performance benchmarks, and production readiness automation.
• Work closely with global SRE teams across different geographies to share insights, adopt best practices, and ensure consistent operational standards.
• Engage in incident management including response, root cause analysis, and documentation to enhance system reliability and knowledge sharing.
• Support continuous uptime of cloud platform infrastructure catering to engineering and customer needs.
• Participate in an around-the-clock on-call rotation aligned with a global follow-the-sun model to ensure prompt incident resolution.

Candidate Profile

• Exposure to site reliability engineering, DevOps, or cloud infrastructure through internships, projects, bootcamps, certifications, or relevant roles.
• Basic practical experience with one or more public clouds (AWS, GCP, Azure) obtained through coursework, personal projects, certifications, or professional work.
• A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience through alternative education paths or self-study with demonstrable project involvement.
• Familiarity with cloud-native technologies and eagerness to deepen expertise in CNCF ecosystems.
• Experience or foundational knowledge of Kubernetes and related tools such as Istio, OPA, Prometheus, and Grafana.
• Comfortable with Git and GitOps workflows; experience with GitOps tooling like ArgoCD is advantageous.
• Working knowledge of Linux/Unix systems, basic administration, and command-line proficiency.
• Experience or willingness to write code or scripts for automation using languages such as Go, Python, or Ruby.
• Understanding of agile development, CI/CD pipelines, and testing practices with interest in contributing to software and pipeline development.
• Strong communication skills for clear documentation and collaboration within a distributed team environment.
• Able to function independently and as part of a diverse, global team across multiple time zones.

Work Arrangement and Culture

Workday offers a flexible work model blending remote and in-person collaboration, aiming to spend at least 50% of time quarterly in the office or with customers. This flexibility supports individual schedules while fostering community and strong team connections. Reasonable accommodations are provided throughout the hiring process and employment to ensure equity for qualified individuals.

Compliance and Integrity

Workday adheres to strict data security and ethical recruitment practices, forbidding any fees or third-party websites in its hiring process. Retaliation for policy or accommodation requests is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action against offenders.