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Staff Software Engineer - Federal

Okta · Chicago, IL · Sec - Cyber Defense-774

Posted Sep 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a security tool or platform you built using software engineering, not just configuration.

What they are checking: Whether they bring real software skills to security, as the posting stresses.

Tell me about a time you led a security project across several teams as a senior individual contributor.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead through influence at a staff level.

How do you stay current with threats relevant to federal environments?

What they are checking: Whether they keep learning about evolving threats that affect public sector work.

What would you do

How would you manage DLP and SSPM tools so they catch real issues without flooding the team with noise?

What they are checking: Whether they can tune enterprise security tools to produce useful signal.

How would you work with Business Technology Engineering when a security control slows down their work?

What they are checking: Whether they can find solutions that protect the company without blocking other teams.

About the work

How would you build a security data platform that supports detection and response for a public sector environment?

What they are checking: Whether they can design data pipelines and storage that meet federal security needs.

What does FedRAMP mean for how you build and run security tooling?

What they are checking: Whether they understand federal compliance requirements and their impact on engineering.

How would you design log collection so detection engineers get the data they need at reasonable cost?

What they are checking: Whether they can balance coverage, retention and cost in a security data platform.

How do you secure endpoints and corporate data for a workforce supporting public sector customers?

What they are checking: Whether they understand endpoint protection and data controls for sensitive environments.

How would you automate the deployment and management of security infrastructure?

What they are checking: Whether they use infrastructure as code to make security systems reliable and repeatable.

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The full job description

As published by Okta.

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. The Team We safeguard Okta from threats and vulnerabilities that could disrupt our business or erode our customers’ trust. The Defensive Cyber Engineering organization is responsible for the Security Data Platform, infrastructure, and tooling that enable Okta’s Detection and Response capabilities. The team also manages enterprise security tools and infrastructure that support XDR, DLP, and SSPM capabilities. The Role We are expanding this team to support Okta’s Public Sector roadmap by hiring a Staff Software Engineer in the DC area. You’ll work closely with Security, Business Technology Engineering, and Product teams to implement and manage security solutions, ensuring our core infrastructure applications protect our workforce, endpoints, and corporate data. To deliver on this vision, you will build data and infrastructure platforms by leveraging your software, data, and security engineering skills. You’ll use automation, policy-as-code, and cloud-native technologies to deliver scalable, resilient, and secure solutions. What you bring: • 8+ years of strong coding and scripting experience, with a focus on building automation and custom tooling for security engineering teams.  • Experience with Python is required; proficiency in other languages (e.g., Bash, PowerShell, Go) is a plus. • Experience developing and maintaining ETL/ELT pipelines for onboarding security data into Okta’s security data lake. • Experience working with security teams to integrate log sources and ensure seamless data ingestion. • Ability to build and maintain scalable, fault-tolerant data pipelines to process security event data. • Proven track record of automating security controls and workflows using a cloud-first approach. • Experience with Terraform and other infrastructure-as-code tools to orchestrate security infrastructure. • Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines for security automation and drift management. • Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with technical staff, support teams, executive leadership, and external vendors. • 2+ years of experience building engineering solutions within highly regulated environments such as FedRAMP High, IL4, IL5, and/or IL6 is a plus. • Current or previous Secret, Top Secret (TS), or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. What you’ll be doing • Serve as a security subject matter expert (SME) for solution engineering and architecture reviews, preferably in the Detection and Response and/or enterprise security tooling space. • Lead technical efforts to evaluate, design, and implement new enterprise security systems and feature enhancements. • Build, maintain, and enhance custom automation and cloud infrastructure using Terraform or similar tools to support team workflows and enforce security controls. • Develop integrations with APIs, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), and security infrastructure to improve detection, response, and remediation. • Write and maintain scripts and automations, with an emphasis on Python-based solutions, to streamline security operations. • Establish monitoring and alerting for security posture, misconfigurations, and threats across endpoints, SaaS, and cloud workloads. • Proactively identify and remediate security gaps; stay updated on emerging threats, solutions, and tooling across the industry. And extra credit if you have experience in any of the following! • Advanced identity management technologies (MFA, SAML, OAuth, OIDC, WebAuthn) • Deep understanding of Okta's ecosystem, including advanced configuration and integrations • Experience with continuous compliance solutions (e.g., policy-as-code, automated evidence gathering) #LI-HYBRID #LI-SH1 P24527_3348076   Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington. 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 California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington is between: $161,000 — $221,000 USD The Okta Experience • Supporting Your Well-Being   • Driving Social Impact  • Developing Talent and Fostering Connection + Community 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.

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