Vice President, Global Affairs

About Global Affairs at Okta:

Okta’s Global Affairs organization is a newly consolidated, highly strategic function designed to drive business growth, navigate and shape regulatory landscapes, and advance our mission to build a more secure, inclusive, and sustainable world. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, this unified Global Affairs team brings together Government Affairs, Sustainability & Responsible Technology, and Social Impact & Nonprofit Go-To-Market (Okta for Good). 

We operate at the critical intersection of public policy, trust, commercial strategy, and social good. Together, this team ensures Okta meets and promotes rigorous AI governance, sustainability, and compliance requirements of our largest enterprise and public sector customers, while advocating for public policy that advances Okta’s business and maintaining Okta’s strong brand reputation and cultural impact. 

Role Overview:

We are seeking a Vice President of Global Affairs: a commercially-minded executive with a strong background in government affairs and public policy, coupled with a demonstrated ability to champion a corporate impact function. The ideal candidate is a strategic operator, a compelling storyteller, passionate about technology’s ability to lift communities, and a seasoned leader capable of navigating complex ecosystems—from public sector leaders and regulators to enterprise customers and global nonprofit partners.

This leader will report directly to the Chief Legal Officer and serve as a vital bridge between Okta’s legal and compliance frameworks, our responsible stewardship programs and our Go-To-Market (GTM) machinery. You will provide executive-level air cover for our durable business growth and success while relying on highly seasoned, domain-expert leaders to run the day-to-day operations of the team. You will be a thoughtful, courageous and publicly vocal proponent of Okta’s Global Affairs efforts.

This leader will oversee three critical pillars of Okta's business:

Government Affairs & Public Sector Growth

• Lead Okta’s global Government Affairs strategy, navigating and shaping regulatory environments and advancing Okta’s public policy priorities through thought leadership and advocacy.
• Partner directly with Okta’s GTM and public sector sales leaders to accelerate pipeline and unlock new commercial opportunities.
• Help expand Okta’s thought leadership in critical technology domains, helping us fulfill our vision to free everyone to safely use any technology.
• Expand the capacity and reach of the Government Affairs function by leveraging cross-trained talent across the Global Affairs organization.

Sustainability & Responsible Technology

• Oversee Okta’s sustainability strategy, disclosures, and compliance with escalating customer and regulatory requirements (including protecting and accelerating deal flow).
• Drive the successful reset and Board approval of Okta’s Science-Based Targets for emissions reductions.
• Champion a robust, centralized Responsible AI governance program across the business and our customers.

Social Impact & Okta for Good

• Oversee Okta’s nonprofit business and product donation commitment, partnering with GTM to drive growth while balancing social impact.
• Oversee Okta’s donor-advised fund, including the execution of our current $50M philanthropic commitment and the development of a future funding strategy.
• Champion Okta’s award-winning culture of giving, sustaining high employee engagement and brand value.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Set a unified, bold strategy for Global Affairs that directly supports Okta’s commercial growth in large enterprise and public sector markets.
• Serve as an executive champion for trust, responsible AI, and mission-aligned growth.
• Represent Okta with senior external stakeholders, including government officials, regulators, enterprise customers, nonprofit partners, and investors.
• Present vision and operations to employees, executives and board members on an ongoing basis.

Go-To-Market (GTM) Integration

• Operate a powerful overlay model across GTM to drive revenue via Okta’s compliance readiness, sustainability commitments, and nonprofit product offerings.
• Ensure Okta is positioned as a trusted partner to the public sector and our most highly regulated customers.

Operational Excellence & Team Leadership

• Manage and develop a high-performing leadership team acting as a leader and champion of leaders.
• Foster a culture of cross-pollination, allowing team members to expand their domain expertise across government affairs, ESG, and social impact.
• Strengthen cross-functional relationships with GTM, Sales, Product, Marketing, Security, and the broader Legal organization.

What We’re Looking For:

Experience and Technical Expertise

• 15+ years of experience spanning Government Affairs, Public Policy, Global Affairs, Social Impact, and/or Corporate Strategy. 
• Strong, demonstrated background in Government Affairs and public sector engagement is required.
• Executive-level experience in fast-paced, complex organizations (enterprise SaaS or technology experience highly preferred).
• While deep day-one expertise in Government Affairs, ESG or Philanthropy is not strictly required, you must possess a demonstrated ability and passion for championing policy, cultural, brand, and social impact functions.
• Senior-level financial oversight experience, including managing large operating and/or philanthropic budgets.

Competencies

• Commercial Acumen: A deep understanding of how public policy, sustainability, and social impact directly drive revenue and mitigate enterprise risk.
• Storytelling & Advocacy: Exceptional communicator and storyteller, with proven external speaking and public advocacy experience in high stakes settings.
• Leadership Presence: Calm, grounded leadership presence with the ability to influence C-level executives and the Board of Directors.
• Systems Thinking: Strong systems thinking and the ability to manage ambiguity with confidence, uniting disparate functions into a cohesive strategy.
• Talent Development: A track record of empowering seasoned domain experts while providing the executive air cover they need to scale their impact. 

Bonus Skills

• Experience in cybersecurity, identity, trust, or AI governance.
• Existing relationships with key policymakers, regulators, and industry coalitions relevant to Okta’s business.
  
  
  

PID: P26307_3609594
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