VP, Design & Research

Get to know Okta

Okta is The World’s Identity Company. We free everyone to safely use any technology, anywhere, on any device or app. Our flexible and neutral products, Okta Platform and Auth0 Platform, provide secure access, authentication, and automation, placing identity at the core of business security and growth.

At Okta, we celebrate a variety of perspectives and experiences. We are not looking for someone who checks every single box - we’re looking for lifelong learners and people who can make us better with their unique experiences.

Join our team! We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you.

Get to know Okta

Okta is The World’s Identity Company. We free everyone to safely use any technology, anywhere, on any device or app. Our flexible and neutral products, Okta Platform and Auth0 Platform, provide secure access, authentication, and automation, placing identity at the core of business security and growth.

At Okta, we celebrate a variety of perspectives and experiences. We are not looking for someone who checks every single box - we’re looking for lifelong learners and people who can make us better with their unique experiences.

Join our team! We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you.

The Team

The

Design and Research team

at Okta works cross-functionally to drive world-class customer experiences. The team encompasses

Product Design

,

UX Research

,

Content Design

, and

Design Operations (ResearchOps/DesignOps)

. We own complex, technical product areas and ensure the most seamless customer experience is also the safest one.

The Role

We’re looking for a strategic, people-first leader to

grow, elevate, and unify the entire Product Design function

(including UX Research, Product Design, Visual Design, and Content Design). This leader will strengthen the influence of user experience and design excellence across all levels of Okta and deepen collaboration with Product and Engineering. This role reports directly to the Chief Product Officer.

What You’ll Do

Lead And Grow The Entire Organization

Manage and develop managers and ICs across all disciplines (Product Design, UX Research, Content Design, Design Ops & Research Ops) within Okta’s Workforce and Personal product portfolios.

Be A People-first Leader

Foster well-being, belonging, and professional growth across all roles in the Design and Research team.

Champion Inclusion

Build and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team culture, ensuring inclusive and secure-by-design practices are embedded into the product development lifecycle.

Expand Strategic Impact

Partner with Product, Engineering, and executive leaders to

embed a cohesive design strategy

and user-centered decision-making into product planning, execution, and outcomes.

Shape Team Culture And Vision

Define and uphold the Design & Research team’s values, direction, and operational excellence, ensuring seamless collaboration between all disciplines.

Drive Scalability And Efficiency

Identify and address organizational or process gaps to support the growth and efficiency of the end-to-end design process, including DesignOps and ResearchOps.

Represent Design And Research Internally And Externally

Advocate for world-class user-centered design and innovation across Okta and serve as a visible thought leader for the design and research communities.

Drive Design AI Evolution

: Lead the evolution of the Design organization's skill set as Design embeds AI tooling and thinking in the product development process.

Systems Thinking

Apply advanced systems thinking to map complex customer journeys and product ecosystems, ensuring all design initiatives are holistically integrated, scalable across multiple platforms, and contribute to a unified, cohesive brand experience.

What You’ll Bring

Proven Leadership

5+ years managing and developing managers and teams

across multiple product design disciplines

(e.g., UX/Product Design, UX Research, Content Design).

Deep Product Design Expertise

10+ years conducting, leading, or directing high-impact, multi-method product design and research work with measurable product and business impact.

Team Builder

Experience Hiring, Developing, And Retaining High-performing, Values-driven Design And Research Teams.

Strategic Mindset

Skilled in defining the

holistic product design strategy

and translating customer insights and design specifications into business and product outcomes.

Influential Communicator

Exceptional storytelling and executive communication skills, with the ability to connect

design excellence and research findings

to business value.

Collaborative Operator

Proven success partnering cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and GTM teams to deliver unified product experiences.

Adaptability

Comfortable leading through growth, transformation, and change.

Leadership Competencies

At Okta, our leaders embody our five core competencies:

Builds Effective Teams

– Creates strong, diverse teams that deliver shared results.

Demonstrates Self-Awareness

– Reflects, listens, and grows from feedback.

Develops Talent

– Invests in people’s growth and career goals.

Drives Results

– Achieves outcomes, even in challenging environments.

Strategic Mindset

– Anticipates future needs and shapes breakthrough strategies.

Aligned with Okta’s values — Love our customers, Empower our people, Never stop innovating, Act with integrity, and Maintain transparency — this role is pivotal in shaping the future of design and research at Okta.

The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between:

$331,000

—

$497,000 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:

$296,000

—

$444,000 USD

What you can look forward to as a Full-Time Okta employee!

Amazing

Benefits

Making

Social Impact

Developing

Talent and Fostering Connection + Community 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/

.

Some roles may require travel to one of our office locations for in-person onboarding.

Okta is an Equal Opportunity 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 complete any part of the job application, interview process, or onboarding 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 Personnel and Job Candidate Privacy Notice at

https://www.okta.com/legal/personnel-policy/.