Forward Deployment Engineer, AI

Role / Responsibilities

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDEs) you will operate at the intersection of product engineering and customer impact.

As an FDE, you will be embedded within some of Okta's most strategic customers, working side‑by‑side with their engineering teams to build and deploy solutions using our platform. Unlike traditional Solutions Architects or Solutions Consultants, you will write production code, shape technical architecture, and directly influence how Okta's products are used at massive scale as we are on our mission to Secure AI.

In this role, you will be the key liaison as both a technical extension of understanding our customers needs, and knowing what our engineering teams can build at scale - helping us win the Agentic Security market!

• "Builder" Innovation: Lead the development of Lab/Demo assets and AI prototyping. Create "The Engine" for sales velocity by ensuring pricing strategies and technical execution are aligned with field reality.
• Asset Creation & Scaling: Develop reference architectures, whitepapers, and standardized POC guides
  . Create the "Backbone" of knowledge-centralized hubs and reporting dashboards-to scale AI expertise globally.
• Field Enablement & "The Loop": Provide strategic guidance to SEs, TAMs, and Professional Services. Act as the feedback loop, funneling field insights back to Product to close technical gaps and ensure the solution fits complex customer environments.
• Market Influence: Represent Okta's AI strategy at conferences and analyst briefings while building alliances with cloud and AI partners to accelerate innovation.
• Technical Leadership & Roadmap Influence: Act as the executive AI authority for Okta's portfolio. Partner with the CPO, CISO, and Engineering to influence roadmaps with "AI-first" innovations and modular, repeatable solution patterns
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• Full‑Lifecycle Strategic Engagement: Serve as a trusted advisor to CISOs and CIOs. Lead high‑impact POCs to secure "The Win", and remain engaged through outcome mapping to ensure the technical delivery matches the initial vision.
• Expansion & Churn Prevention: Identify technical upsell opportunities through successful usage. Partner with Post‑Sales teams to develop runbooks and implementation guides that reduce manual effort and increase customer adoption.

• Domain Expertise: 10+ years in identity, cybersecurity, AI, or Data Science.
• Full‑Lifecycle Perspective: Experience driving technical customer success beyond the initial sale, including implementation, health monitoring, and expansion.
• Technical Depth: Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies (anomaly detection, LLMs) and Agentic Frameworks (A2A, MCP, and relevant protocols).
• Executive Presence: Strong credibility with enterprise CISOs and boards, with a proven track record of shaping cybersecurity strategy.
• Operational Mindset: Ability to create repeatable playbooks and "backbone" assets that allow a sales organization to scale.
• Leadership Background: Prior experience as a CTO, Field CTO, or Distinguished Architect in a cybersecurity or SaaS company.
• Education: Advanced degree in a technical or business‑related field.

OTE range for San Francisco Bay Area: $255,000 — $383,000 USD. OTE range for California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington: $206,000 — $342,000 USD.

Below is the annual On Target Compensation (OTE) range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington. Your actual OTE, which is inclusive of base salary and incentive compensation, will depend on factors such as your skills, qualifications, experience, and work location. In addition, Okta offers equity (where applicable) 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.

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Okta is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex,…