diff --git a/client/jobs.go b/client/jobs.go
index 7899d3c4..9c541fd9 100644
--- a/client/jobs.go
+++ b/client/jobs.go
@@ -160,9 +160,6 @@ func (c *GRPCClient) ScheduleJobAlpha1(ctx context.Context, job *Job) error {
 	if job.Name == "" {
 		return errors.New("job name is required")
 	}
-	if job.Data == nil {
-		return errors.New("job data is required")
-	}
 
 	jobRequest := &runtimepb.Job{
 		Name:     job.Name,
diff --git a/workflow/context.go b/workflow/context.go
index 7c293514..67071a75 100644
--- a/workflow/context.go
+++ b/workflow/context.go
@@ -94,7 +94,16 @@ func (wfc *WorkflowContext) CallChildWorkflow(workflow interface{}, opts ...call
 // The value passed to the Await method must be a pointer or can be nil to ignore the returned value.
 // Alternatively, tasks can be awaited using the task.WhenAll or task.WhenAny methods, allowing the workflow
 // to block and wait for multiple tasks at the same time.
-func (wfc *WorkflowContext) CreateTimer(duration time.Duration) task.Task {
+func (wfc *WorkflowContext) CreateTimer(duration time.Duration, opts ...createTimerOption) task.Task {
+	options := new(createTimerOptions)
+	for _, configure := range opts {
+		if err := configure(options); err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	if options.name != nil {
+		return wfc.orchestrationContext.CreateTimer(duration, task.WithTimerName(*options.name))
+	}
 	return wfc.orchestrationContext.CreateTimer(duration)
 }
 
diff --git a/workflow/workflow.go b/workflow/workflow.go
index b40ba4c8..a0bfd09e 100644
--- a/workflow/workflow.go
+++ b/workflow/workflow.go
@@ -148,3 +148,16 @@ func NewTaskSlice(length int) []task.Task {
 	taskSlice := make([]task.Task, length)
 	return taskSlice
 }
+
+type createTimerOption func(*createTimerOptions) error
+
+type createTimerOptions struct {
+	name *string
+}
+
+func WithTimerName(name string) createTimerOption {
+	return func(opt *createTimerOptions) error {
+		opt.name = &name
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/workflow/workflow_test.go b/workflow/workflow_test.go
index 3def77cb..983b8622 100644
--- a/workflow/workflow_test.go
+++ b/workflow/workflow_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/dapr/durabletask-go/api/protos"
 	"github.com/dapr/durabletask-go/task"
@@ -76,3 +77,21 @@ func TestNewTaskSlice(t *testing.T) {
 	tasks := NewTaskSlice(10)
 	assert.Len(t, tasks, 10)
 }
+
+func TestCreateTimerOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("create timer options - valid", func(t *testing.T) {
+		opts := returnCreateTimerOptions(WithTimerName("test"))
+		require.NotNil(t, opts.name)
+		require.Equal(t, "test", *opts.name)
+	})
+}
+
+func returnCreateTimerOptions(opts ...createTimerOption) createTimerOptions {
+	options := new(createTimerOptions)
+	for _, configure := range opts {
+		if err := configure(options); err != nil {
+			return *options
+		}
+	}
+	return *options
+}