Principal, Global Security Operations Center at Okta in Washington, DC

Job description

• 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.
• 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.
• Reporting to the Director, Global Security & Safety, this role will serve as the lead operational driver and technical subject matter expert for Okta’s global security operations center.
• Transitioning from traditional database management to proactive, automated security solutions, this role is responsible for driving the operational deployment, optimization, and day-to-day leveraging of complex physical security technologies. You will autonomously lead global programs with minimal oversight, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and advanced analytics within our operations to help create a highly efficient, future-proof GSOC environment. This role focuses on high-level operational execution, integration, and performance optimization, with a critical emphasis on identifying and leveraging world-class technologies—both internal platforms and external cutting-edge solutions—to deliver the highest level of protection, responsiveness, and support for Okta globally.

Responsibilities

• Strategic GSOC Leadership: Assume full operational responsibility for the Global Security Operations Center, driving the transition from legacy systems and procedures to advanced, AI-integrated security frameworks.
• AI Integration & Optimization: Architect and deploy artificial intelligence and automation solutions to enhance threat intelligence, triage workflows, and operational efficiency across the GSOC program.
• Executive Incident Management: Serve as a key operational liaison, delivering high-level communication briefs and strategic incident summaries to executive leadership during critical security events.
• Vendor and Global Program Management: Provide oversight for multi-regional security operations, managing diverse global vendor teams and driving a unified, performance-driven culture across international markets.
• Operational Excellence & Compliance: Establish and monitor performance metrics (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Ensure all physical security protocols and data logging maintain strict adherence to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance standards.
• Technological Oversight: Advise and optimize the deployment of critical physical security infrastructure, including advanced access control systems and video analytics, to ensure a hardened global security posture.
• Policy, SOPs, & Training Exercises: Review high-level global physical security and safety policy documents, translate them into actionable, team-wide standard operating procedures (SOPs), and conduct robust internal and external training exercises to ensure operational readiness.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Act as an operational liaison between Workplace Security Operations and key partners during an emergency, including Business Technology, Real Estate, Travel, Legal, and external vendors.
• System Compliance & Investigations: Serve as the operational lead for complex security investigations. Oversee and ensure compliance for administrative system processes, including onboarding/termination access audits and automated reporting.

Requirements

• Strategic Leadership & Global Operations
• 8+ years of progressive experience in physical security operations, global systems integration, and GSOC leadership supporting fast paced global business operations in dynamic environments
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing large, diverse security teams from multiple third-party vendors across different global regions
• Demonstrated ability to operate with proactive independence, leading global enterprise-wide operational programs with minimal oversight
• Strong background in vendor strategy, contract optimization, and managing large-scale service providers
• Excellent project management skills with a track record of successfully implementing and scaling physical security operations programs
• Technical Expertise & AI Integration
• Demonstrated experience identifying, adapting, and developing AI use cases and automated tools (such as generative AI or workflow automation platforms) specifically to optimize GSOC team efficiency
• Proven experience evaluating, deploying, and utilizing AI-driven physical security tools and advanced video analytics within a security environment.
• Advanced cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex operational requirements to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
• Incident Management, Risk & Compliance
• Excellent executive presence with a track record of communicating clearly and briefing C-suite and VP-level executives during high-pressure, rapid-onset global incidents.
• Demonstrated experience establishing, monitoring, and reporting on quantitative performance metrics (KPIs) and managing global vendor SLA compliance.
• Direct experience aligning global GSOC workflows and physical security auditing with international compliance standards such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2.
• Strong analytical experience assessing global geopolitical events, evaluating high-risk travel profiles, and conducting ongoing threat evaluations to safeguard company offices, assets, and employees.
• Demonstrated ability to review high-level policy documents, draft comprehensive team-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and coordinate or facilitate internal and external operational training exercises.
• Experience with incident alerting and mass notification platforms.
• Exceptional analytical problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound, rapid decisions under pressure during critical incidents.

Skills

Required

• Project management
• Cross-functional communication
• Executive presence and communication
• KPI and SLA management
• ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance
• Geopolitical risk assessment
• Policy review and SOP development
• Analytical problem-solving

Benefits

• Amazing Benefits
• Making Social Impact
• Fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging 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/.
• Okta is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action 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 participate in the job application or interview process, 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 Privacy Policy at https://www.okta.com/privacy-policy/.
• ir 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/.
• Okta is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action 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 participate in the job application or interview process, 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 Privacy Policy at https://www.okta.com/privacy-policy/.
• 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 begins with an immersive, in-person onboarding experience designed to accelerate your impact and connect you to our mission and team from day one.
• 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:$138,000—$189,200 USD