Greenhouse ·
full-timePrincipal Software Engineer
Okta · San Francisco, California
Okta is a company in the identity and access management space, focused on building secure, neutral infrastructure for human and AI-driven enterprise authentication. As a Principal Software Engineer on the Okta Identity Governance team, you will take end-to-end ownership of feature development, ranging from initial technical design to deployment and post-launch monitoring. The role involves architecting and maintaining scalable, distributed systems that serve millions of users, requiring a deep focus on reliability, performance, and security. You will collaborate closely with product, design, and site reliability engineering teams to evolve access governance features, ensuring they meet the complex requirements of enterprise customers. This position is well-suited for a seasoned engineer with over a decade of experience who excels at systems thinking and technical leadership. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of building large-scale, cloud-native backend systems using languages like Java, Kotlin, or Go. You should be comfortable influencing technical strategy across multiple teams and possess a strong background in microservices, event-driven architectures, and enterprise-grade software design.
Secure Every Identity, from AI to Human Identity is the key to unlocking the potential of AI. Okta secures AI by building the trusted, neutral infrastructure that enables organizations to safely embrace this new era. This work requires a relentless drive to solve complex challenges with real-world stakes. We are looking for builders and owners who operate with speed and urgency and execute with excellence. This is an opportunity to do career-defining work. We're all in on this mission. If you are too, let's talk. Opportunity As a Principal Engineer on the OIG team, you will be involved into development, design, and maintenance of our product to serve enterprise customers at scale. You will involve the architecture and evolution of our product features — spanning the across different access governance personas — and work collaboratively across engineering, product, and design to deliver features that are secure, scalable, and delightful to use. This is a role for someone who thinks in systems, leads with craft, and is energized by the challenge of building enterprise-grade software that millions of users depend on. This is a rare opportunity to join a team where your technical decisions will directly shape how thousands of enterprises manage access governance at scale, where the technical challenges are genuinely hard, and where the work you ship will be seen and felt by real users every day. Job Duties And Responsibilities Take end-to-end ownership of feature areas — from technical design through implementation, testing, deployment, and post-launch monitoring Design, build, and ship high-quality, production-ready features across the OIG system, with a focus on correctness, reliability, and performance Quickly deliver high-quality bug fixes and handle customer-reported issues Write clean, well-tested, maintainable code and hold yourself and teammates to a high bar for engineering quality Partner with our Product Development, QA, and Site Reliability Engineering teams for scoping the development and deployment work Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 3+ years in a senior or staff-level technical leadership role Proven track record of architecting and delivering large-scale, distributed systems in production environments serving enterprise customers Deep expertise in microservices, event-driven architectures, APIs, and data modeling at scale Strong proficiency in one or more of: Java, Kotlin, Go , or equivalent JVM/cloud-native languages used in Okta's backend stack Demonstrated ability to influence without authority — driving technical alignment across multiple teams and stakeholders Experience designing systems that meet enterprise reliability, scalability, and security requirements (think: multi-tenancy, high availability, audit logging, RBAC/ABAC) Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex technical topics accessible to both engineers and non-engineers Preferred if you have experience in any of the following! Experience building identity, access management, or governance (IAM/IGA) products or platforms Familiarity with workflow engines or approval/routing systems (e.g., finite state machines, BPM-style systems) Experience with enterprise SaaS platforms serving large, complex customer organizations Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and modern observability tooling Education B.S. Computer Science or equivalent Additional requirements: There is no citizenship requirement. The Okta employee must be on US Soil, which means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or outlying areas of the United States, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 #P25914_3566727 The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between: $224,000 — $308,000 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: $200,000 — $275,000 USD The Okta Experience Supporting Your Well-Being Driving Social Impact Developing Talent and Fostering Connection + Community We are intentional about connection. Our global community, spanning over 20 offices worldwide, is united by a drive to innovate. Your journey
| Role | Principal Software Engineer |
|---|---|
| Company | Okta |
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Compensation | Not disclosed |
| Posted | 2026-09-30 |
| Deadline | Rolling |
Typical process for this type of role
A general guide — the exact steps for this specific listing may vary; check the original posting for details.
- 1ApplicationSubmit your resume through the apply link.
- 2ScreeningRecruiter reviews your background against the role.
- 3AssessmentA technical test, assignment, or coding round, depending on the role.
- 4Interview(s)One or more rounds with the hiring team.
- 5OfferOffer letter with compensation and start date.
Before you apply
0/4About Okta
Okta, Inc. is an Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) company founded in 2009 and based in San Francisco. The company provides identity and access management solutions for workforces, customers, and AI agents. Its offerings include the Okta Platform for governance and the Auth0 Platform for authentication. Okta’s services are designed to secure human and machine identities, helping organizations manage access across their digital ecosystems. The company serves a diverse client base, including major government agencies and two-thirds of the Fortune 100, supporting thousands of organizations globally in securing their business operations and digital infrastructure.
More at Okta
Other jobs at Okta
- Associate Customer Success Manager, Asia (singapore) · Singapore
- Senior Creative Operations Manager · Bellevue, Washington; San Francisco, California
- Senior Software Engineer - Advanced Threat Protection · Bengaluru
- Principal Customer Success Manager - Dedicated · Chicago, Illinois; Colorado; San Francisco, California; Texas
- Senior Product Designer - Okta For AI Agents · Bellevue, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; Washington, DC
Explore Related Placements
// similar opportunities
You might also like
Principal Software Engineer
Microsoft
Software Engineering...
Principal Software Engineer - UI
Servicenow
No description available.
Principal Software Engineer, Engine Systems
Roblox
Every day, tens of millions of people come to Roblox to explore, create, play, learn, and connect with friends in 3D immersive digital experiences– all created ...
Staff / Principal Software Engineer
Blitzy
Staff / Principal Software Engineer at Blitzy 2 candid answers 1 product Posted by Taher Ujjainwala Apply now Pune 12 - 25 yrs ₹70L - ₹120L / yr Python Kubernet...
Principal Software Engineer, Asana Platform
Asana
The Platform organization at Asana builds the services and shared experiences that every Asana product runs on. That starts with the Work Graph, where our custo...
Principal Software Engineer - Object Store
Roblox
Every day, tens of millions of people come to Roblox to explore, create, play, learn, and connect with friends in 3D immersive digital experiences– all created ...