Manager, Product Acceleration

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. About the Role As the Manager of Product Acceleration, you will lead a high-performing team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in our Bengaluru office. You will be responsible for managing, coaching, and expanding a team that serves as the bridge between Okta Research and Development (ORD) and our most strategic customers. You will oversee the Okta ORD Lab, ensuring it remains a premier environment for validating complex Identity use cases and supporting the adoption of New Product Introduction (NPIs) at scale for our Global 2000 (G2K) customer base. Key Responsibilities People Leadership: Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Senior Product Acceleration Specialists. Provide daily direction, support career development, and manage hiring for the expanding India team. NPI Adoption & G2K Support: Partner with Product Management and Go-To-Market (GTM) teams to ensure the lab and the team are prepared to support the adoption of new innovations within the G2K segment. Lab Strategy & Oversight: Manage the Bangalore ORD Lab as a strategic asset for the global PAT organization. Ensure the environment is maintained to demonstrate integration patterns and strategic use cases that drive the product roadmap. Operational Excellence: Help determine budgeting for lab equipment, cloud services, and software. Ensure the team maintains and upgrades hardware/software to prevent obsolescence. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Facilitate effective team interaction across global offices (e.g., USA and India). Note: To maintain alignment with North American (NA) leadership and global stakeholders, this role requires working within the NA timezone for at least 40% of the work week. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Facilitate effective team interaction across global offices (e.g., USA and India). Timezone Alignment: To maintain alignment with North American (NA) leadership and global stakeholders, this role requires working within the NA timezone for at least 40% of the work week. Office Presence: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 2 days per week on-site at the Okta Bangalore office to manage lab operations and provide in-person team leadership. Player-Coach Mentality: Conduct high-level technical troubleshooting and architectural reviews when needed, while focusing primarily on unblocking the team and providing clear priorities. What You’ll Bring to the Role Experience: 8+ years of technical experience in Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Cyber Security. 3–5 years in direct people management. 2+ years of experience within a Go-To-Market (GTM) organization (e.g., Sales Engineering, Professional Services, or Technical Account Management), supporting large enterprise customers. Identity Expertise: Strong foundational knowledge of Identity protocols (SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, SCIM) and Okta product offerings. AI & Operational Efficiency: Proven ability to leverage AI tooling and LLMs to drive team efficiencies, such as automating script generation (Python, PowerShell), accelerating technical documentation, or troubleshooting complex log data. Forward-thinking approach to using AI for predictive lab maintenance and streamlining NPI (New Product Introduction) workflows. Infrastructure & Lab Knowledge: Familiarity with managing on-prem and cloud networks, including Subnets, VPNs, Firewalls, and Cloud VPCs (AWS, GCP, Azure). Experience installing and configuring various operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux) on both physical hardware and virtual machines. Strategic Mindset: Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and release programs while maintaining focus on business goals and customer satisfaction. Communication: Skilled at presenting complex technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences and using active listening to understand business priorities. Education: A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline. #Li -Hybrid # P18170_3344130 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. Okta is committed to complying with applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations. For more information, please see our Personnel and Job Candidate Privacy Notice at https://www.okta.com/legal/personnel-policy/.