Senior Manager, Defensive Cyber Operations - Federal

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.