About the role
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. Director/Senior Director, Chief of Staff – Global People Team Reports to: Chief People Officer Location: SF Bay Area (SF HQ a minimum of 2x week) Role Overview The Director/Senior Director, Chief of Staff is a highly visible, strategic, and highly operational leadership role designed to serve as the critical "glue" that makes everything fit together across Okta's Global People & Places organization. Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer (CPO), you will act as a true strategic thought partner and operational proxy for the CPO, building deep, trust-based relationships across the People Leadership Team (PLT) and the broader business. This role requires a rare and sophisticated dual capability: you must be deeply strategic with a commanding executive presence, yet remain relentlessly operational in execution. Crucially, you possess the business acumen and discernment to ensure we focus on the right priorities. You will bring a vibrant, high-energy presence to
the team, serving as the connective tissue that bridges functional silos, coordinates global efforts, and drives high-velocity execution in our fast-paced, AI-driven landscape.
What You'll Do Executive Proxy and Strategic Thought Partnership CPO Proxy & Advisor: Serve as a trusted advisor, strategic thought partner, and proxy for the Chief People Officer, representing the Office of the CPO in key leadership forums and decision-making bodies. The Connective "Glue": Cultivate deep, authentic relationships across the People Leadership Team (PLT)—including PBPs, L&D, Recruiting, People Ops, Total Rewards, and Workplace—ensuring all separate programs align and fit together seamlessly. Strategic Filtering: Evaluate operational requests and initiatives with critical rigor, acting as a gatekeeper to ensure we do not waste organizational energy over-engineering or operationalizing the wrong processes. Special & High-Impact Initiatives: Lead high-stakes, cross-group special projects from concept to completion, ensuring precise work-back schedules, clear ownership, and definitive output. High-Velocity Operations and Program Integration Central Program "Hub": Manage and synchronize all global People & Places program timelines, including product launch dates, program releases, and policy effective dates. Planning and Resource Optimization: Lead the People organization through annual and quarterly business planning (QBRs), streamlining headcount allocation, and optimizing global resources. Process Simplification: Identify systemic friction points and redesign complex corporate workflows into elegant, simple, and highly scalable processes. Operational Risk Management: Monitor global HR operational risks and strategic opportunities, delivering clear recommendations to navigate ambiguity and protect our high talent density. Financial Stewardship and Budget Management Budget Oversight: Manage and oversee the global People & Places organization budget in close partnership with the Chief People Officer and Finance. Resource Prioritization: Work with functional People leaders to build, manage, and audit program-specific budgets, ensuring financial resources are directly mapped to our most critical strategic priorities. What Success Looks Like Commanding Partnership: You are recognized as a trusted, seamless proxy for the CPO, highly capable of driving alignment and making high-velocity decisions on their behalf. Cohesive Alignment ("The Glue"): The People Leadership Team operates with flawless synchronicity; major launches, system releases, and policy rollouts are integrated into a single global roadmap. Strategic Operational Discipline: The organization avoids low-leverage work; execution cycles are spent only on high-value initiatives, and over-engineered, low-value processes are actively dismantled. Fiscal Optimization: The global People budget is meticulously managed with zero unexpected variances and clear ROI on talent programs. Vibrant Team Connection: Your high-energy presence has successfully fostered a highly connected, transparent, and collaborative community across our global workforce. Leadership Expectations Deeply Strategic with Strong Executive Presence: You command respect at the C-suite and board levels, articulating complex operational and talent concepts with clarity, confidence, and authority. Highly Operational & Discriminating Operator: You possess a relentless bias toward action, measuring success by concrete outcomes and delivered projects rather than mere activity or busywork. Detail-obsessed yet highly strategic, you possess the critical judgment to balance strategy with execution, serving as a strategic filter to ensure