Greenhouse · Posted 23 Oct 2026

contract

Software Architect, AI Systems And Platform

Okta · San Francisco, California

Okta is a company specializing in identity and access management solutions. This contract role for a Software Architect focuses on the development of Digital Workers, a new suite of autonomous agents designed for identity operations and security. The position involves working closely with company leadership to build and scale infrastructure that integrates AI capabilities into existing identity frameworks. Day-to-day responsibilities include defining shared architectural contracts, designing integrations with large language model APIs, and establishing data architectures for transactional and analytics layers. The architect will be expected to remain hands-on, writing production-grade code while guiding cross-functional teams through technical decision-making and production rollouts. Candidates should possess a strong background in distributed systems, API design, and cloud security, with specific expertise in either AI agent frameworks or backend platform reliability. This role is well-suited for experienced engineers who can balance high-level system design with practical implementation, thrive in fast-paced environments, and demonstrate a track record of leading technical delivery across multiple engineering teams.

software architectai systemsidentity managementdistributed systemsbackend engineeringautonomous agentscloud infrastructureapi designdata architecture

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 Software Architect Opportunity The team that built Jeeva AI is building Digital Workers, a new suite of autonomous agents for identity operations and security inside Okta. The team works directly with Todd McKinnon, Okta's co-founder and CEO, with the opportunity to bring this product to Okta's 20,000+ customers. You will help shape the product with the ownership and pace of a startup and the resources of a public company. We are hiring two hands-on architects. One will lead agent execution, harnesses and evaluations. The other will lead backend services, integrations, data and platform reliability. You will write critical code, resolve cross-team decisions and work with engineers through production rollout. About You Hands-on builder: You still write production code and test important decisions through implementation. Practical architect: You choose a small, clear design and make it easy to extend when the product grows. Trusted partner: You earn confidence through useful code, clear feedback and customer understanding. What you will be doing Define and implement shared contracts for tasks, events, permissions, approvals, evidence and usage. Set clear boundaries between model reasoning, agent harnesses, durable workflows and services that enforce authorization. Select a harness through representative identity tasks, failure tests and operational evidence. Keep model providers and harness components replaceable. Design integrations with OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, including data boundaries, latency, cost, version changes and measured release quality. Build reference services for tenant isolation, scoped tool execution, idempotency, long approval waits and verified results. Define the transactional and analytics data architecture. Keep PostgreSQL application state separate from the planned ClickHouse or BigQuery analytics layer. Connect Product, Applied AI and Platform engineers through clear ownership and practical APIs. Resolve dependencies that slow delivery. Write critical implementations, review recovery and security, and guide technical leads through production rollout and customer expansion. What you will bring to the role A record of leading architecture and delivery across multiple engineering teams, with recent production code you personally implemented. Deep knowledge of distributed services, API design, data consistency, cloud security and production operations. Experience making systems simpler while improving reliability, security or delivery speed. The ability to explain design tradeoffs, guide senior engineers and remain accountable through implementation. Depth in at least one of the two role areas below, plus the ability to work across the full product. Role focus AI systems architect: Build and evaluate agent harnesses, context management, model integrations and quality controls. Relevant experience includes Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Codex SDK, Strands Agents, LangChain Deep Agents, LangGraph or a comparable custom runtime. Platform architect: Lead backend, connector, security, data and workflow architecture. Bring deep production systems experience and practical knowledge of integrating model-driven workflows. Our stack Python FastAPI, React and TypeScript, AWS Amplify, Step Functions, Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, Lambda, SQS, EventBridge and API Gateway. Storage uses RDS PostgreSQL, pgvector and S3. Security and operations include KMS, Secrets Manager, CloudWatch and CloudTrail. We are adding OpenAI and Anthropic model API integrations. An agent harness and a dedicated analytics layer using ClickHouse or BigQuery are planned. You will help choose and implement them. And extra credit for Enterprise identity, security products, OAuth, OIDC, SAML, SCIM or complex customer integrations. ClickHouse, BigQuery, agent evaluations, post-training systems or open-source infrastructure. Building a new product within a larger enterprise and keeping technical decisions reversible. P26077_3596436 #LI-Inperson #LI- RW1 Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in San Francisco Bay Area. 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

Role	Software Architect, AI Systems And Platform
Company	Okta
Location	San Francisco, California
Type	contract
Compensation	Not disclosed
Posted	2026-10-23
Deadline	Rolling

Typical process for this type of role

A general guide — the exact steps for this specific listing may vary; check the original posting for details.

1ApplicationSubmit your resume through the apply link.
2ScreeningRecruiter reviews your background against the role.
3AssessmentA technical test, assignment, or coding round, depending on the role.
4Interview(s)One or more rounds with the hiring team.
5OfferOffer letter with compensation and start date.

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About Okta

Okta, Inc. is an Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) company founded in 2009 and based in San Francisco. The company provides identity and access management solutions for workforces, customers, and AI agents. Its offerings include the Okta Platform for governance and the Auth0 Platform for authentication. Okta’s services are designed to secure human and machine identities, helping organizations manage access across their digital ecosystems. The company serves a diverse client base, including major government agencies and two-thirds of the Fortune 100, supporting thousands of organizations globally in securing their business operations and digital infrastructure.

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