Senior Director, R&D Finance & Operations

Okta; Bellevue, Chicago (WA, IL); On-site; USD 258,000 - 355,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Flexible spending account

Paid leave

Job summary

Okta seeks a seasoned operations leader to run the financial and workforce engine for its Product & Technology organization (ORD). The role drives budgeting, headcount governance, vendor operations, and AI-enabled finance, reporting to senior leadership in a hub-based setup across major U.S. offices.

This is a hands-on, strategic leadership position with five direct reports. The role requires deep FP&A, engineering operations, and capitalized software experience, with a track record of scaling

Qualifications

• 12+ years of work experience in tech ops, FP&A, or engineering operations.
• Proven ownership of engineering/R&D budgets at scale.
• Experience with workforce planning and headcount governance.
• Experience managing a vendor portfolio and contract renewals.
• Hands-on Capitalized Software accounting and R&D tax credits knowledge.
• Understanding of B2B SaaS cost structures.
• Track record of building high-performing ops teams.
• Ability to navigate complex data with ambiguity.
• Experience applying AI to finance and operations workflows.

Responsibilities

• Own ORD and Auth0 budget and workforce strategy in ORD.
• Oversee R&D budget governance, program spend, and reviews with executives.
• Develop and manage P&L framework for R&D lines of business.
• Model and optimize AI token spend and ROI with engineering leaders.
• Lead engineering cost modelling with FP&A and Deal Desk.
• Ensure compliance for Capitalized Software and R&D tax credits.
• Build P&T cost data platform on Snowflake for cost visibility.
• Lead workforce strategy, headcount governance, and location strategy.
• Manage contingent workforce and vendor operations end-to-end.
• Mentor and develop Directors and the broader operations team.
• Set AI-first operational standards and drive automation.

Skills

Engineering finance

Budget governance

Workforce planning

Vendor management

Capitalized Software

R&D tax credits

Data-driven decisions

AI in finance

Leadership

Education

MBA or Finance/Engineering degree

Tools

Snowflake

Self-service reporting

Job description

Okta seeks a seasoned operations leader to run the financial and workforce engine for its Product & Technology organization (ORD). The role drives budgeting, headcount governance, vendor operations, and AI-enabled finance, reporting to senior leadership in a hub-based setup across major U.S. offices.

This is a hands-on, strategic leadership position with five direct reports. The role requires deep FP&A, engineering operations, and capitalized software experience, with a track record of scaling