Principal Software Engineer, AI (Web & Data)

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. Role Overview We are seeking an accomplished Principal Engineer to lead the technical architecture and evolution of our hybrid digital ecosystem. In this pivotal role, you will drive the strategic integration of multi-modal AI into our core infrastructure while architecting an omnichannel platform capable of supporting complex customer journeys. You will balance the adoption of proven third-party AI solutions (OpenAI, Anthropic) with the development of proprietary optimizations where they deliver a competitive advantage. As a technical leader, you will champion a vendor-agnostic, ethically grounded, and Privacy by Design approach to AI implementation. Key Responsibilities Infrastructure Modernization: Lead the roadmap for migrating legacy data pipelines to AI-native architectures. You will design modern data orchestration solutions utilizing Apache Airflow, dbt, and Kafka to replace outdated batch processing with real-time, event-driven flows. AI-Native Web Transformation: Define the web infrastructure required for a high-agility ecosystem. Architect the evolution of our Headless CMS environments (AEM, Contentful) and modern frontend frameworks to enable automated page assembly and AI-driven UI components. Agentic Pipeline Development: Design and build autonomous pipelines that bridge the gap between design systems, automated component development, and publishing workflows. ML & Data Engineering Leadership: Establish standards for RAG, vector databases, and LLM orchestration. Provide architectural guidance for the seamless integration of AI capabilities across headless and omnichannel systems while ensuring consistency, performance, and security. Engineering Productivity: Champion the use of AI-assisted coding and engineering productivity tools such as Claude Code and Cursor to accelerate development cycles and optimize architectural decision-making. Required Qualifications Experience: 8–10 years in software engineering, specializing in SaaS platform architecture and distributed systems design. Leadership & Advocacy: Excellence in technical diplomacy and stakeholder influence. Proven ability to translate complex AI/Data roadmaps into business value while mentoring senior teams and advocating for architectural best practices. Data Orchestration: Strong hands-on experience with Apache Airflow (or similar), Kafka, and dbt to support real-time AI applications. AI & Web Convergence: Proven expertise integrating LLMs into production web environments with a focus on agentic workflows and autonomous UI generation. Architectural Vision: Deep understanding of headless CMS, composable, and event-driven patterns that allow for programmatic content and UI generation. Modern Delivery: Experience with cloud-native technologies (AWS/GCP, Docker, Kubernetes) and a deep expertise in data privacy frameworks and AI ethics. #LI-Hybrid #P24079_3413893 Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, 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, Illinois, New York, and Washington is between: $152,000 — $209,000 USD Below is the annual salary range for candidates located in Canada. Your actual salary will depend on factors such as your skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Okta offers equity (where applicable), bonus, and benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, RRSP with a match, healthcare spending, telemedicine, 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/can . The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in Canada is between: $140,000 — $192,500 CAD 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.