Staff Data Engineer, Federal

The Technology, Data, and Intelligence Team 

Okta is the leading independent identity provider. The Technology, Data, and Intelligence (TDI) organization is the engine that powers Okta's global workforce, providing the technology and systems that enable our employees to do their best work.

The Staff Data Engineer Opportunity

Okta’s Data Engineering team is on a mission to accelerate Okta’s scale and growth by building platforms that are utilized across the organization. As a Staff Data Engineer on the Federal platform team, you will be a key technical leader responsible for architecting, building, and maintaining our most critical and scalable data solutions within a high-security environment. This role involves leading complex projects and collaborating closely with other engineers and analysts to ensure data availability, integrity, and security across the enterprise. You will have a proven ability to tie engineering initiatives to business impact.

What you'll be doing 

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of highly scalable data platforms using AWS, Snowflake, dbt (Core and Cloud), and Airflow.
• Own and manage the team's infrastructure as code (IaC) strategy using Terraform, ensuring consistent, secure, and reproducible environments.
• Architect, develop, and maintain robust CI/CD pipelines for data platform applications using GitHub and GitLab.
• Containerize applications and services using Docker to ensure portability and scalability across all environments.
• Mentor other engineers and drive technical strategy for troubleshooting and resolving complex issues related to data infrastructure, security, and workflows.
• Define and enforce data security and compliance standards, leading initiatives for vulnerability scanning (e.g., Nessus, Qualys) and patch management.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, staying updated with the latest trends and technologies in data engineering to guide the team’s technical direction.

What you'll bring to the role

• Experience: 8+ years in a data engineering role, with proven experience in a senior or lead capacity. Experience with Federal government compliance and security requirements is highly desirable.
• Technical Expertise: Expert-level experience with SQL, ETL/ELT tools (Airflow, dbt), and MPP databases (Snowflake, Redshift). Extensive hands-on experience with AWS services (S3, Lambda, EMR, ECR, EKS).
• Modern Architectures: Deep experience designing and working with lakehouse architectures (Databricks) and modern file formats (Iceberg, Delta).
• Infrastructure & Automation: Mastery of Terraform for IaC and a strong track record of implementing best practices for CI/CD (GitHub/GitLab) and containerization (Docker).
• Security Acumen: In-depth knowledge of vulnerability scanning tools (Splunk, Nessus, Qualys, Falco) and best practices for securing data platforms.

What success looks like

• A well-architected and highly scalable data platform that meets the stringent requirements of federal environments.
• A fully automated, secure, and reproducible infrastructure managed entirely through your IaC strategy.
• Robust, efficient CI/CD pipelines that accelerate secure software delivery for the entire team.
• Demonstrable technical growth and improved output from engineers you have mentored.
• A measurable improvement in the platform's security posture and compliance adherence.

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.