Legal Counsel, Global Legal Services

About the Team The mission of the Global Legal Services (GLS) team is to enhance the Legal organization’s support for Workday by focusing on simplicity, speed, scale, and skills, thereby accelerating strategic growth and improving the customer experience. The team’s focus areas include developing business strategy for the Legal organization and operational alignment with larger Workday initiatives. Additionally, the team leads ground‑breaking efforts in process optimisation, resourcing, and risk management, while enabling operational efficiencies in technology management and data harmonisation. The GLS team also focuses on developing skills‑based training for the organisation and providing solutions through effective project management, strategic analytics, vendor management, and budget coordination. About the Role The Legal Compliance and Corporate Affairs organisation seeks a highly motivated Legal Counsel to join our Global Legal Services Centre of Excellence. This role will play a key part in driving transformation in the legal department through establishing contracting standards, streamlining complex processes, leveraging AI to improve department efficiency, driving change‑management communication, and enhancing, streamlining, and curating resources used by the department to operate at scale. We are looking for an innovative change agent—someone who can drive cultural shifts in how we operate while leveraging expertise to build modern, scalable contracting infrastructure. As Legal Counsel, you will navigate the intersection of legal drafting, system architecture (Salesforce/CLM), technology, and executive communication to simplify the business as we scale to a $20 billion enterprise. This role demands a unique blend of high‑energy project management, critical thinking, and the integrity to lead high‑stakes initiatives independently. Responsibilities Supporting the development and maintenance of transactional infrastructure governance policies and processes. Collaborating with cross‑functional teams in Legal, Sales, and Business Technology to implement process and technology solutions. Engaging with cross‑functional teams continuously to gather feedback for improvement to processes, templates, and tools and align contracting processes with broader business objectives. Mapping work streams and department processes, identifying complexity, effort and risk. Leveraging business expertise to implement process improvements and serve as a trusted advisor for business users. Proactively participating in organisational change and launch support processes, aiding change management and support enablement. Leading negotiations for enterprise‑level agreements (SaaS, procurement, non‑disclosure, etc.). Drafting and reviewing redlines to Workday commercial contracts, coordinating with cross‑functional teams during contract review cycles, and providing guidance on commonly requested edits, non‑standard terms, policies, copies, questions, etc. Contributing to model development and deployment of AI solutions for the legal department. About You Basic Qualifications J.D. Degree and membership in at least one state bar. 5+ years of experience as a practising attorney in a law firm or in‑house/public sector legal department. 3+ years of experience in modern contract drafting. 3+ years of experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) concepts and technology. Legal Technology & Innovation Systems architecture: Strong understanding of CLM platforms and integrations with enterprise ecosystems; hands‑on experience with Salesforce and Conga CLM is highly desirable. AI & Data literacy: A proactive interest in AI solutions. You should be able to demonstrate how AI can be applied to data analysis and be willing to contribute to model development and deployment. Process optimisation: Ability to identify, test, and leverage digital tools to streamline legal operations and drive business efficiency. Legal contracts or operations: Experience working in a legal department, particularly with customer contracts or process and operations (strongly preferred). Strategic Problem Solving Pragmatic risk management: A creative approach to legal hurdles—balancing “thinking outside the box” with a practical, business‑first approach to risk. Agile methodology: Experience working in agile environments, specifically collaborating with cross‑functional teams to meet iterative goals. Communication & Stakeholder Management Executive presence: Exceptional ability to distil complex legal information into clear, tech‑enabled presentations for large audiences. Requirement gathering: Strong active listening skills to translate ambiguous business needs into concrete legal and technical requirements. Operational Execution Self‑direction: Ability to manage high‑output workloads and multiple competing priorities independently. Adaptability: Thrives in a fast‑paced, team‑oriented environment where workflows evolve quickly. Workday Pay Transparency Statement The annualised 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. Primary Location: USA.GA.Atlanta Primary Location Base Pay Range: $140,800 USD – $211,200 USD Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $133,800 USD – $237,600 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. Equal Opportunity Employer 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. At Workday, we are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive hiring experience where all candidates can fully demonstrate their skills. If you require assistance or an accommodation at any point, please email accommodations@workday.com. #J-18808-Ljbffr