Senior Director, Global Employment Counsel

Get to know Okta

Okta is The World’s Identity Company. We free everyone to safely use any technology—anywhere, on any device or app. Our Workforce and Customer Identity Clouds enable secure yet flexible access, authentication, and automation that transforms how people move through the digital world, putting Identity at the heart of business security and growth. 

At Okta, we celebrate a variety of perspectives and experiences. We are not looking for someone who checks every single box - we’re looking for lifelong learners and people who can make us better with their unique experiences. 

Join our team! We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you.

Sr. Director, Global Employment Counsel

Okta is seeking an experienced and motivated employment lawyer to join Okta’s Legal team.  The Senior Director, Global Employment Counsel will be highly collaborative and entrepreneurial, embracing the opportunity to counsel on employment issues, drive strategy, and scale a global employment program, building internal relationships, anticipating evolving risk in an expanding global company, and leading a growing team of employment attorneys across the globe. This role will partner closely with a wide-range of teams, including Internal Audit, Human Resources, Employee Relations, and executive stakeholders across the company to manage and resolve issues, implement internal processes, and advise stakeholders on risk management.  

Responsibilities:

• Be a trusted legal advisor to management and the People team on sensitive and wide-ranging global employment law issues, including hiring, recruiting, employee relations, performance management, terminations, leaves of absence, accommodations, wage and hour compliance, contingent workers, compensation and benefits, D&I initiatives and other employment-related matters.
• Manage employment-related compliance policies and processes and proactively ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to determine strategy and approach on global employment-related policies, guidelines and processes, with an approach that balances pragmatism, risk and compliance.
• Draft, maintain, and review U.S. and international templates and policies for employment matters (including employment agreements, contractor agreements, separation agreements and employee handbooks).
• Partner closely with the People team, the Ethics & Compliance team, and Internal Audit on internal investigations.
• Monitor employment-related legal developments and engage proactively to drive compliance and implement risk-mitigation strategies.
• Actively manage employment disputes and litigation, including management of outside counsel, budgets, and forecasting.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to develop and conduct employment training and education programs.
• Support M&A activities involving employment matters, including overseeing employment-related diligence, assisting with employment and severance arrangements and assisting with on-boarding and integration, as needed.
• Prioritize risk areas and strategically grow the legal employment team.

Requirements:

• J.D. degree and strong academic credentials 
• 12+ years of relevant legal experience at a top firm and in-house (preferably at a high-growth tech company). 3+ years of in-house experience preferred
• 3+ years of direct people management experience
• Bar admission in good standing in California preferred
• Expert in key aspects of employment law, including matters related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation and internal investigations; with a strong understanding of California and federal employment law; international experience preferred but not required.
• Extensive experience managing and developing litigation strategies for complicated employment matters.
• Ability to work successfully in an entrepreneurial, fast moving environment across different functional groups, time zones and cultures.
• Highly responsive, service-oriented attitude with impeccable integrity, excellent interpersonal skills and team-first attitude.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with cross-functional partners.
• Sound judgment that balances legal requirements with practical business needs.
• Strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills and ability to manage many cross-functional projects simultaneously with minimal supervision.
• Desire to learn new areas of practice, develop skills and expand responsibilities.
• Experience managing diverse teams in a growing global company. 
• Sense of humor!  

Okta’s Top 5 Core Leadership Competencies are part of the deeply ingrained principles that guide all of our company’s actions. They also align strongly to our cultural cornerstones, our Okta values: love our customers, empower our people, never stop innovating, act with integrity, and maintain transparency. It’s our expectation that our managers and leaders embody these core competencies:

• Builds Effective Teams: Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.          
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness (EQ): Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Develops Talent: Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.
• Drives Results: Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Strategic Mindset: Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.

Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California, Colorado, 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, New York, and Washington is between:$230,000—$345,000 USD The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between: $256,000—$384,000 USD

What you can look forward to as an Okta employee!

• Amazing Benefits
• Making Social Impact
• Fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Okta 

Okta cultivates a dynamic work environment, providing the best tools, technology and benefits to empower our employees to work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs. Each organization is unique in the degree of flexibility and mobility in which they work so that all employees are enabled to be their most creative and successful versions of themselves, regardless of where they live. Find your place at Okta today! https://www.okta.com/company/careers/.

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 participate in the job application or interview process, please use this Form to request an accommodation.

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