R&D FinOps & Workforce Director (AI-First)

Okta; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 290,000 - 398,000; Full time

Job summary

Okta is seeking a seasoned operations leader to run the financial and workforce engine for its 2,000+ person R&D organization (ORD & Auth0). You will own budgeting, workforce strategy, vendor operations, and cost modeling across multiple product lines with a strong emphasis on AI-driven analytics.

The role sits in Okta's R&D organization, reporting to the Head of Strategy & Operations. It requires proximity to hub offices (SF/Seattle/Chicago) and regular in-office presence for collaboration.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of work experience with 6+ years in operations, R&D/engineering operations, or FP&A in tech.
• Ownership of engineering or R&D budgets at scale, including annual planning and governance.
• Workforce planning and headcount governance with Recruiting and Finance.
• Vendor portfolio management including contracts and SLAs.
• Capitalized Software accounting and US/Canada R&D tax credits experience.
• Strong understanding of B2B SaaS cost structures and data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Own the budget and workforce strategy for ORD and Auth0, translating strategy into a fully resourced annual plan.
• Direct R&D budget governance for 2,000+ person organization, including variance reporting and executive reviews.
• Own and evolve the P&L framework for R&D lines of business with cost and investment data.
• Model AI token spend, establish baselines and forecasting, drive efficiency as usage scales.
• Lead engineering cost modeling and partner with FP&A on margin analysis for pricing decisions.
• Own capitalized software compliance and maximize US/Canada R&D tax credits.

Skills

Finance ops

R&D budgeting

Budget governance

Headcount planning

Vendor management

AI in finance

Education

MBA preferred

Job description

Okta is seeking a seasoned operations leader to run the financial and workforce engine for its 2,000+ person R&D organization (ORD & Auth0). You will own budgeting, workforce strategy, vendor operations, and cost modeling across multiple product lines with a strong emphasis on AI-driven analytics.

The role sits in Okta's R&D organization, reporting to the Head of Strategy & Operations. It requires proximity to hub offices (SF/Seattle/Chicago) and regular in-office presence for collaboration.