Staff Backend Engineer (Java)

TL;DR

Staff Backend Engineer (Java): Building and optimizing high-scale resiliency systems for the Workforce Identity Cloud with an accent on service availability and distributed systems. Focus on designing fault-tolerant microservices, optimizing cloud-native environments, and integrating AI-driven developer tooling.

Location: San Francisco, California (Hybrid). Must be a U.S. Person (Citizen, Permanent Resident, or National); working on a U.S. visa does NOT qualify.

Salary: $194,000 — $243,000 USD

Company

Okta is the world's leading Identity as a Service company, securing billions of global logins and providing neutral infrastructure for AI and human identity.

What you will do

• Design and deliver cloud-based infrastructure projects to solve complex reliability and scaling issues.
• Implement robust backend frameworks, microservices, and library components for organizational use at scale.
• Champion fault-tolerant system design and advise other teams on resilient solutions.
• Integrate AI-driven developer tools, automated diagnostics, and predictive monitoring for system optimization.
• Lead incident Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to identify systemic weaknesses and build mitigation strategies.
• Mentor new engineering hires and interns while conducting rigorous design and code reviews.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or U.S. national.
• 8+ years of professional software development experience with expert-level knowledge of Java.
• Deep expertise in architecting global cloud software, microservices, and container ecosystems (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, preferably AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Proven track record of solving scaling and performance bottlenecks in high-availability multi-tenant SaaS environments.
• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent industry experience.

Nice to have

• Experience with Golang.
• Practical experience leveraging generative AI utilities for development productivity.
• Previous experience in dedicated platform reliability or core infrastructure roles.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan and flexible spending accounts.
• Paid time off (PTO) and parental leave.
• Immersive in-person onboarding experience.
• Global community across 20+ offices with a focus on innovation and social impact.