Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat.

Perempuan itu can be translated as that woman or the woman, depending on context.
Indonesian doesn’t have a separate word for the, so itu often plays that role when you’re referring to a specific thing/person already known in the context.
It always comes after the noun: perempuan itu, not itu perempuan (the latter is possible but sounds more like you’re pointing: “that woman over there”).

What’s the difference between perempuan and wanita?

Both mean woman, but there are some nuances:

Perempuan is very common in everyday speech and is considered neutral or slightly more natural in many contexts.
Wanita is often used in more formal or institutional contexts: hak wanita (women’s rights), organisasi wanita, etc.
In modern usage, many style guides prefer perempuan for general use because wanita historically can sound a bit more objectifying in some contexts.
In this sentence, perempuan is perfectly normal and natural.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate word for is/are/am before verbs.

English: The woman is working at the head office.
Indonesian: Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat. (no separate is)
The verb bekerja already carries the meaning “to work / is working,” so adding a word like adalah here would be wrong (Perempuan itu adalah bekerja… is incorrect).

What’s the difference between bekerja and kerja?

Both relate to work, but the usage is slightly different:

bekerja is the standard verb form: Dia bekerja di bank. (She works at a bank.)
kerja is originally a noun (work, job), but in casual speech it’s often used as a verb: Dia kerja di bank.
In a neutral or written sentence like Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat, bekerja is more standard and slightly more formal.

What does di mean here, and how is it different from other uses of di-?

In bekerja di kantor pusat, di is a preposition meaning at / in / on, showing location:

di kantor pusat = at the head office.

Be careful: di- can also be a prefix for passive verbs, as in dibaca (is read), dibeli (is bought).

Preposition: written separately (di kantor, di rumah).
Passive prefix: written together with the verb (dibaca, dibeli).

In this sentence, it’s clearly the preposition because it’s followed by a noun phrase kantor pusat.

How is kantor pusat structured? Which word means what?

Kantor pusat is a noun phrase:

kantor = office
pusat = center / central / main

So kantor pusat literally means central office, usually translated as head office / headquarters.
In Indonesian, the main noun comes first (kantor), and the describing word comes after (pusat), unlike English head office.

How do I say The women work at the head office (plural)?

Indonesian often leaves plurals unmarked if the meaning is clear from context, so you can still say:

Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat.
This can mean The woman works… or The women work…, depending on context.

If you really want to emphasize the plural, you have options:

Perempuan-perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat.
Para perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat. (more formal)

Does this sentence mean is working right now, or works in general?

By itself, Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat is time-neutral. It can mean:

That woman works at the head office (in general, her job).
That woman is working at the head office (current or temporary situation).

To make the meaning more specific, Indonesians add time markers:

Perempuan itu sedang bekerja di kantor pusat. = is currently working.
Perempuan itu biasanya bekerja di kantor pusat. = usually works.

How would I say That woman is currently working at the head office more clearly?

Add sedang before the verb to show a current, ongoing action:

Perempuan itu sedang bekerja di kantor pusat.

Here:

sedang bekerja ≈ is working / is currently working.

Can I drop itu and just say Perempuan bekerja di kantor pusat?

You can, but the meaning changes:

Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat. = A specific woman that we both know: That woman / the woman works at the head office.
Perempuan bekerja di kantor pusat. sounds more like a general statement: Women work at the head office (or more abstractly, “Women work in head offices”).

Without itu, you lose the idea of a particular, known woman.

Is this sentence formal or informal? How would it sound in casual speech?

Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat. is neutral, fine in both spoken and written Indonesian.

In more casual everyday speech, you might hear:

Cewek itu kerja di kantor pusat.
- cewek = girl/woman (very informal, colloquial)
- kerja used instead of bekerja

But for learners and for neutral politeness, Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat is a good standard form.