Staff Backend Engineer, Identity Threat Protection

The Identity Threat Protection Team

Identity Threat Protection (ITP), powered by cutting-edge Okta AI, shatters the mold of traditional login security. We deliver real-time, surgical defense against the most sophisticated and rapidly evolving threats. By deeply integrating with existing security infrastructure, ITP relentlessly analyzes user behavior and system data to proactively hunt down and neutralize risks before they impact our customers.

Join an elite team of full-stack engineers, visionary data scientists, and pioneering ML engineers. We are not just redefining cloud authentication—we are engineering the next-gen security platform that continuously evaluates global threats and constructs a comprehensive, dynamic risk. ITP stands as the uncompromising guardian of trust and security, placing decisive risk prioritization at the core of every authentication and authorization decision.

Identity Threat Protection with Okta AI

The Staff Software Engineer Opportunity

Okta is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to be a driving force on the ITP engineering team. This is your chance to dive into the deep end and solve the most critical and complex security challenges facing enterprises today. We seek a candidate who has not just experience, but a proven record of designing, building, launching, and scaling world-class security products—from concept to global deployment.

You will be a technical cornerstone of a team that lives and breathes elegant solutions and uncompromising quality. Our philosophy is rooted in relentless automated testing, rigorous code reviews, and the design of systems for massive, planetary-scale operations. As a Staff Engineer, you are a player-coach and a standard-setter, demonstrating absolute excellence in software engineering.Our environment is high-speed, fiercely innovative, and highly autonomous, utilizing agile cycles where individual ownership is paramount. If you crave stimulating, mission-critical security projects, pioneering emerging technologies, and conquering complex security and Machine Learning challenges, this is your defining career opportunity.

What you’ll be doing

• Architect and Lead: Command the design, development, delivery, and supportability of cloud-native security products—leading the charge from initial concept to final, production-ready implementation.
• Drive Collaboration: Build solid, cross-group partnerships and demonstrate exceptional interpersonal communication, working closely with engineering, product management, design, support, and documentation teams.
• Uphold Excellence: Commit to the highest programming standards through rigorous code reviews and the creation of comprehensive unit and functional tests.
• Lead Remote Teams: Excel at working with remote teams and individuals while relentlessly ensuring product quality, agility, and velocity.
• Mentor and Empower: Act as a player-coach to mentor, groom, and educate junior engineers.

What you’ll bring to the role

• 8+ years of professional software development experience, with a demonstrated history of technical leadership and mentorship.
• Deep expertise in Java, including a strong understanding of object-oriented design, multithreading, and building high-performance services.
• Proven experience designing, building, and operating complex, large-scale distributed systems in a cloud environment (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure).
• A strong grasp of architectural patterns for scalability, reliability, and security, with the ability to lead technical design discussions and make informed trade-offs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to independently debug and remediate issues in complex, unfamiliar codebases and systems.
• A proactive and ownership-driven mindset, with the ability to manage your own priorities and spot areas for future work.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a history of working effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful products.
• A powerful security background and a proven track record of championing best practices.

And extra credit if you have experience in any of the following!

• Experience building anomaly detection systems or risk systems is a monumental advantage.
• Expertise in cloud security, identity, and/or authentication protocols.
• Experience with modern frontend frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js) is a plus.

#LI-Hybrid

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