Senior Director, R&D Planning & Operations

The role

This leader will run the financial and workforce operating engine for Okta's 2,000+ person R&D organization. You will manage the budget, workforce strategy, program spend, and vendor operations for the Product and Technology organization.

What you will do

• Own the budget and workforce strategy components of the R&D Operating Plan
• Direct R&D budget governance including program spend oversight and variance reporting
• Own and evolve the P&L framework for R&D lines of business
• Model, govern and optimize AI token spend
• Lead engineering cost modeling and partner with FP&A and Deal Desk
• Own financial compliance for R&D including Capitalized Software and R&D tax credit capture
• Build and own the P&T expense data platform on Snowflake
• Set the fiscal year workforce strategy in partnership with Recruiting
• Own the contingent workforce program end to end
• Own vendor operations for R&D

Required qualifications

• 12+ years of work experience
• 6+ years leading business operations, R&D / engineering operations, or FP&A functions within a technology company
• Demonstrated ownership of an engineering or R&D budget at scale
• Proven ownership of workforce planning and headcount governance
• Experience managing a vendor portfolio
• Hands-on experience with Capitalized Software accounting and R&D tax credit programs in the US and/or Canada
• Strong understanding of B2B SaaS business models and engineering cost structures
• Track record of building and developing high-performing operations teams
• Extensive experience navigating complex data sets and operating with ambiguity
• Demonstrated use of AI to do the substance of finance and operations work

Nice to have

• Experience operating across multiple product units or post-acquisition entities
• Familiarity with Snowflake, or comparable experience building financial data platforms
• Experience modeling or governing consumption-based spend
• Experience with global workforce and location strategy, including India-based engineering centers
• Understanding of the B2B enterprise technology space, specifically Enterprise Security
• Experience running an annual goal-setting or OKR process
• Prior experience in FP&A, management consulting, or a central strategy and operations function
• MBA, or an undergraduate degree with a concentration in Finance, Economics, Statistics or Engineering

Benefits

• health, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• flexible spending account
• paid leave (including PTO and parental leave)

Before you apply

• The Okta employee must be on US Soil

About the company

Okta secures AI by building the trusted, neutral infrastructure that enables organizations to safely embrace this new era.