Back to jobs

Principal Classified Systems Architect, Okta Federal

Washington, DC

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.

Okta Federal, Inc. is seeking a seasoned Classified Systems Architect to join our Technology, Data & Intelligence (TDI) Team. This team is tasked with building and maintaining a robust, compliant, and scalable "High Side" developer platform that empowers our product teams to deliver Okta’s world-class Identity capabilities to the U.S. Government’s most sensitive missions.

As part of the TDI Team, this individual will serve as the technical authority for the design, development, and evolution of our development platform for US Classified environments. This position’s mandate is to define the architectural vision for our air-gapped infrastructure, select and validate hardened tooling (e.g., Big Bang, Iron Bank, etc), and bridge the gap between strict DoD compliance requirements and modern DevOps velocity.

You will partner closely with stakeholders across TDI, Product Engineering, Vulnerability Management, and Security Compliance to ensure that every component of the system—from the Kubernetes substrate to the application layer—is implemented as planned, secure by design, and optimized for user experience. Strong preference will be given to those with a bias for action and the ability to solve complex "air gap" challenges outside the box.

What you’ll be doing

  • Act as the central point for defining and evolving the architecture of Okta Federal’s SIPR/JWICS environments, ensuring alignment with DoD reference designs while tailoring them to Okta’s specific product needs.
  • Design resilient, scalable infrastructure-as-code (IaC) and blueprints for air-gapped environments, solving unique challenges related to disconnected operations, cross-domain solutions (CDS), and "sneaker-net" patch management.
  • Collaborate closely with Product Engineering (ORD), Site Reliability Engineers (SREs), Business Application teams, Collaboration Engineering teams, and Security teams to translate complex compliance controls (DISA STIGs, RMF) into automated technical implementations that minimize friction for developers.
  • Guide the selection and integration of "High Side" tools and technologies, prioritizing compliant, maintainable, and low-vulnerability solutions (e.g., utilizing Iron Bank hardened containers) that deliver a superior user experience for internal engineering teams.
  • Review and approve architectural changes and major system upgrades across the classified boundary, ensuring that operational drift does not introduce security risks or break compliance postures.
  • Measure success through a combination of quantitative metrics (platform uptime, ATO velocity, patch latency, vulnerability resolution time) and qualitative feedback (developer satisfaction, ease of deployment).
  • Establish the technical strategy for "High Side" observability and continuous monitoring, designing architectures that satisfy strict auditing requirements without sacrificing operational visibility.

What you’ll bring to the role

  • 12+ years of experience in systems architecture, DevSecOps engineering, or a similar role, with at least 5 years focused on DoD Classified environments (IL6/Secret or higher).
  • Deep expertise in the DoD software ecosystem, specifically with Platform One/Cloud One, Big Bang, and Iron Bank. You should understand how to deploy, configure, and maintain these platforms in disconnected environments.
  • Strong understanding of Kubernetes (EKS/RKE2) and container orchestration in air-gapped setups, including the nuances of managing container registries, Helm charts, and sidecars without internet access.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience architecting solutions that meet strict federal compliance frameworks, specifically DoD CC SRG IL6, NIST 800-53, and FIPS 140-3 cryptography standards.
  • Proven experience working with Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) and architecting secure data transfer workflows between Low Side (IL5) and High Side (SIPR/JWICS) networks.
  • Experience implementing Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles in legacy or restrictive network environments.
  • Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to summarize and explain complex "High Side" constraints to uncleared Commercial stakeholders and influence decision-making across various business units.

Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance (Secret or Top Secret) to the extent required by U.S. Government contracts.

The selected candidate may be subject to drug testing to the extent required by U.S. Government contracts.

#LI-MK1

#LI-onsite 

P24627_3360214

Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in San Francisco Bay Area. 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 the San Francisco Bay area is between:

$224,000 - $308,000 USD

The Okta Experience

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.

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.

Notice for New York City Applicants & Employees: Okta may use Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDT), as defined by New York City Local Law 144, that use artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other automated processes to assist in our recruitment and hiring process. In accordance with NYC Local Law 144, if you are an applicant or employee residing in New York City, please click here to view our full NYC AEDT Notice.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
I acknowledge and agree to the processing of my personal data in accordance with Okta's privacy policy and personnel privacy policy (see below). *

Okta may use AI with this application. If you prefer to opt-out of ADMT/AEDT, please do not apply here; instead submit an ADMT/AEDT Opt Out form here.

Personnel Notice

(California residents, click here)

By checking this box, you consent to Okta using your data to evaluate your candidacy for this role and any other current or future roles that may be a fit for your profile. You may request the removal of your data at any time by contacting greenhouse@okta.com.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Okta’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 07/31/2029

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.