📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Site Reliability Engineer, Federal
Company: Okta
Location: United States
Job Type: Hybrid
Category: Site Reliability Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-06-25
Experience Level: 10+
Remote Status: Hybrid (1 day per week in San Francisco, CA HQ or Chicago office)

🚀 Role Summary

Lead the navigation of a significant replatforming initiative, moving critical components between container orchestration systems with zero downtime or customer impact.
Drive what's next for the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), ideating, onboarding, operating, and scaling microservices and features in a secure, performant, always-on manner.
Collaborate with stakeholders across the group to understand component boundaries and dependencies, acting as a guide and coach for teammates.
Support a 24x7 online environment as part of a global on-call rotation, advocating best practices for scalable, reliable, and resilient systems and services across all of WIC engineering.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a deep understanding of complex SaaS platforms, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support. The candidate should be comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and have strong leadership skills to guide and coach teammates.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role involves working with sensitive data and may require an active U.S. Government Security Clearance. Candidates without an active clearance may still be considered depending on qualifications and eligibility to obtain one.

💡 Key Responsibilities

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires strong technical skills in various domains, including cloud services, Kubernetes, networking, datastores, and automation tools. The candidate should also have excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with stakeholders and teammates.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role involves working with critical systems and requires a high level of responsibility and accountability. The candidate should be able to make critical decisions under pressure and maintain a high level of performance in a fast-paced environment.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a strong commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The candidate should be eager to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices in site reliability engineering.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field is preferred. However, relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: Candidates should have over 9 years of experience in site reliability or platform engineering, with a strong background in Kubernetes and cloud services. Familiarity with automation tools and a solid understanding of networking and datastores is also required.

Required Skills:

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a broad range of technical skills, including experience with large-scale containerized deployments, both microservice and monolithic. The candidate should also have strong skills in multiple operational tooling languages such as Python, Rust, or Go.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a strong understanding of both relational and non-relational datastores, including replication and clustering strategies. The candidate should also have knowledge of CI/CD principles, Linux fundamentals, OS hardening, networking concepts, and Internet protocols.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires experience in architecting and running complex AWS or other cloud networking infrastructure resources, leveraging tools such as Ansible, Chef, or Terraform to automate and manage expansive platforms.

Preferred Skills:

📝 Enhancement Note: While not required, experience with federal government or public sector environments would be beneficial for this role. Additionally, any experience with classified or sensitive data handling would be a plus.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

📝 Enhancement Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the role, a portfolio should focus on demonstrating technical skills and problem-solving abilities rather than showcasing specific projects. Include case studies that highlight your experience with large-scale systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

Technical Documentation:

📝 Enhancement Note: Technical documentation should emphasize your understanding of complex systems, your approach to problem-solving, and your ability to collaborate with stakeholders. Include examples of your code quality, documentation standards, and your experience with version control, deployment processes, and server configuration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The annual base salary range for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between $217,000 - $325,000 USD. For candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, New York, and Washington, the annual base salary range is between $174,000 - $262,000 USD.

Benefits:

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k)
Flexible Spending Account
Paid Leave
Parental Leave

Working Hours: Full-time position with a hybrid work arrangement, requiring in-person onboarding and travel to either the San Francisco, CA HQ office or the Chicago office during the first week of employment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on Okta's official pay transparency statement. However, it's essential to verify the information directly with the hiring organization, as salary ranges can vary depending on factors such as skills, experience, and market conditions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta fosters a dynamic work environment, providing the best tools, technology, and benefits to empower employees to work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs. The company values diversity, inclusion, and collaboration, encouraging employees to bring their unique experiences and perspectives to the table.
📝 Enhancement Note: Okta is committed to social impact, providing employees with opportunities to make a positive difference through its Okta for Good initiative. The company also offers various benefits, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k), flexible spending account, and paid leave.

Team Structure:

📝 Enhancement Note: The team structure for this role is not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a Principal Site Reliability Engineer, the candidate would likely be part of the Technical Operations team, working closely with other site reliability engineers, platform engineers, and other technical stakeholders.

Development Methodology:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's development methodology is not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a leading cloud-based identity management company, Okta is likely to employ Agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, for software development. The candidate should be comfortable working in an Agile environment and have experience with Agile principles and practices.

Company Website: Okta

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's company website provides an overview of the company's products, services, and culture. The candidate should review the website to gain a better understanding of the company's mission, values, and the role of the Principal Site Reliability Engineer within the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Principal Site Reliability Engineer roles are senior-level positions that require a high degree of technical expertise and leadership skills. The candidate should have a deep understanding of complex SaaS platforms, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Site Reliability Engineer may report directly to the Head of Site Reliability Engineering or another senior technical leader within the organization. The role may also involve managing and mentoring other site reliability engineers and platform engineers.

Technical Impact: The Principal Site Reliability Engineer will have a significant impact on the reliability, performance, and security of Okta's critical SaaS platforms. The role requires a strong understanding of complex systems, the ability to navigate replatforming initiatives, and the skills to support a 24x7 online environment.

Growth Opportunities:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta offers various growth opportunities for its employees, including career progression paths, technical skill development, and leadership development programs. The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role provides an excellent opportunity for candidates to grow their technical skills, gain leadership experience, and advance their careers within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Okta's headquarters are located in San Francisco, CA, and Chicago, IL. The company offers a hybrid work arrangement, with employees working remotely for most of the week and visiting the office for in-person collaboration and meetings.

Office Location(s): Okta's offices are located in San Francisco, CA, and Chicago, IL. The company offers a hybrid work arrangement, with employees working remotely for most of the week and visiting the office for in-person collaboration and meetings.

Workspace Context:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's work environment is designed to be collaborative, innovative, and inclusive. The company provides its employees with the best tools, technology, and benefits to empower them to work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs. The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role would likely involve working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills.

Work Schedule: Full-time position with a hybrid work arrangement, requiring in-person onboarding and travel to either the San Francisco, CA HQ office or the Chicago office during the first week of employment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's work schedule is designed to be flexible, allowing employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance while still meeting the demands of their roles. The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role may require working outside of standard business hours to support a 24x7 online environment.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's interview process is not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a leading cloud-based identity management company, Okta is likely to employ a multi-stage interview process, including phone screens, technical assessments, and on-site interviews. The candidate should be prepared to demonstrate their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit throughout the interview process.

Portfolio Review Tips:

📝 Enhancement Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the role, a portfolio should focus on demonstrating technical skills and problem-solving abilities rather than showcasing specific projects. Include case studies that highlight your experience with large-scale systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's technical challenge preparation is not explicitly stated in the job description. However, the candidate should be prepared to demonstrate their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and their understanding of complex systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: Not applicable to this role.

Backend & Server Technologies:

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role requires a strong understanding of various backend and server technologies, including cloud services, Kubernetes, networking, datastores, and automation tools. The candidate should have experience with large-scale containerized deployments, both microservice and monolithic, and strong skills in multiple operational tooling languages such as Python, Rust, or Go.

Development & DevOps Tools:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's development and DevOps tools are not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a leading cloud-based identity management company, Okta is likely to employ a range of development and DevOps tools to support its Agile development methodology and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. The candidate should be comfortable working with various development and DevOps tools and have experience with CI/CD principles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's web development values are not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a leading cloud-based identity management company, Okta is likely to prioritize values such as user-centric design, security, scalability, and performance optimization in its web development processes.

Collaboration Style:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's collaboration style is not explicitly stated in the job description. However, as a leading cloud-based identity management company, Okta is likely to prioritize collaboration, communication, and cross-functional teamwork in its web development processes. The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role would require strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with stakeholders and teammates.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role presents various technical challenges, including navigating a significant replatforming initiative, supporting a 24x7 online environment, and maintaining the reliability, performance, and security of Okta's critical SaaS platforms. The candidate should be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and have strong problem-solving skills to overcome these challenges.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta offers various learning and development opportunities for its employees, including career progression paths, technical skill development, and leadership development programs. The Principal Site Reliability Engineer role provides an excellent opportunity for candidates to grow their technical skills, gain leadership experience, and advance their careers within the organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's technical interview questions are not explicitly stated in the job description. However, the candidate should be prepared to demonstrate their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and their understanding of complex systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

Company & Culture Questions:

📝 Enhancement Note: Okta's company and culture interview questions are not explicitly stated in the job description. However, the candidate should be prepared to demonstrate their cultural fit, their understanding of Okta's mission and values, and their alignment with the company's goals and objectives.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

📝 Enhancement Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the role, a portfolio should focus on demonstrating technical skills and problem-solving abilities rather than showcasing specific projects. Include case studies that highlight your experience with large-scale systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Site Reliability Engineer, Federal position:

Submit your application through the application link provided in the job description.
Prepare a portfolio that focuses on demonstrating technical skills and problem-solving abilities rather than showcasing specific projects. Include case studies that highlight your experience with large-scale systems, replatforming initiatives, and global on-call support.
Optimize your resume for the Principal Site Reliability Engineer role, highlighting your technical skills, experience, and accomplishments relevant to the position.
Prepare for the technical interview process by reviewing the job description, researching Okta's technology stack, and practicing common site reliability engineering interview questions.
Research Okta's company culture, mission, and values to ensure a strong cultural fit and alignment with the company's goals and objectives.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.