Senior Manager, Defensive Cyber Operations - Federal

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Okta is The World’s Identity Company. We free everyone to safely use any technology, anywhere, on any device or app. Our flexible and neutral products, Okta Platform and Auth0 Platform, provide secure access, authentication, and automation, placing identity at the core of business security and growth.

At Okta, we celebrate a variety of perspectives and experiences. We are not looking for someone who checks every single box - we’re looking for lifelong learners and people who can make us better with their unique experiences.

Join our team! We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you.

Job Description: Senior Manager Defensive Cyber Operations

You are more than an incident commander; you are a talent architect. Your primary mission is to lead a world-class team of security professionals in the AMER region, fostering a culture of "operational empathy" and technical excellence. You will balance the high-stakes demands of defending a global identity leader with a deep commitment to the growth, mentorship, and well-being of your team.

Leadership & People Growth

• Talent Development: Embody Okta’s core competency of "Develops Talent" by creating clear career pathways for your team, ranging from junior analysts to staff-level engineers.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Conduct regular 1:1s focused on long-term professional aspirations, technical skill-up (e.g., Okta Certifications), and leadership readiness.

• Building Effective Teams: Foster an inclusive environment that prizes diverse perspectives, ensuring every team member feels a sense of belonging and ownership over the mission.

• Operational Empathy: Lead with an understanding of the "human" side of security—managing burnout during high-pressure incidents and promoting Okta’s Dynamic Work flexibility.

Okta Defensive Operations

• Strategic Oversight: Align defensive strategies with the Okta Secure Identity Commitment, prioritizing the hardening of corporate infrastructure against modern identity attacks.

• Incident Command & Escalation: Serve as the senior leader during AMER-based security events, empowering your team to lead investigations while providing the air cover and strategic guidance they need to succeed.

• Process Excellence: Continuously refine playbooks and SOPs, not just for efficiency, but to provide clarity and structure for your team during complex assignments.

Federal & FedRAMP Stewardship

• Mandate Oversight: Ensure your team understands and executes the specific controls required for FedRAMP High and DoD IL4/5, maintaining the high bar of "Always Secure. Always On.".

• Compliance Culture: Turn compliance into a team strength by integrating FedRAMP requirements into standard corporate workflows, ensuring audit-readiness is a "second nature" behavior rather than a periodic fire drill.

Leadership Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship or Green Card: Required for oversight of federal environments.

• Experience: 10+ years in cybersecurity, with 5+ years of proven people management experience in a high-growth environment.

• Competencies: Demonstrated mastery of Okta's leadership pillars: Builds Effective Teams, Develops Talent, and Strategic Mindset.

• Philosophy: A "team-first" mentality with a track record of successfully mentoring employees into promoted roles or specialized security domains.

Additional requirements:

• This position requires the ability to access federal environments and/or have access to protected federal data. As a condition of employment for this position, the successful candidate must be able to submit documentation establishing U.S. Person status (e.g. a U.S. Citizen, National, Lawful Permanent Resident, Refugee, or Asylee. 22 CFR 120.15) upon hire.

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The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between:
$216,000—$324,000 USD

Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington. Your actual base salary will depend on factors such as your skills, qualifications, experience, and work location. In addition, Okta offers equity (where applicable), bonus, and benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), flexible spending account, and paid leave (including PTO and parental leave) in accordance with our applicable plans and policies. To learn more about our Total Rewards program please visit: https://rewards.okta.com/us.

The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington is between:
$193,000—$289,000 USD

What you can look forward to as a Full-Time Okta employee!

• Amazing Benefits

• Making Social Impact

• Developing Talent and Fostering Connection + Community at Okta

Okta cultivates a dynamic work environment, providing the best tools, technology and benefits to empower our employees to work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs. Each organization is unique in the degree of flexibility and mobility in which they work so that all employees are enabled to be their most creative and successful versions of themselves, regardless of where they live. Find your place at Okta today! https://www.okta.com/company/careers/.

Some roles may require travel to one of our office locations for in-person onboarding.

Okta is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, or status as a protected veteran. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and convictions records, consistent with applicable laws.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to complete any part of the job application, interview process, or onboarding please use this Form to request an accommodation.

Okta is committed to complying with applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations. For more information, please see our Personnel and Job Candidate Privacy Notice at https://www.okta.com/legal/personnel-policy/.