Corporate Reputation & Crisis Communications, Senior Manager

Bellevue, WA; Chicago, IL; Toronto, ON

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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.

Corporate Reputation & Crisis Communications, Senior Manager

Okta is seeking a Senior Manager of Corporate Reputation and Crisis Communications to join our team. In this role, you will play a pivotal role in protecting and shaping Okta’s reputation during times of crisis or uncertainty. You will serve as a key representative of the Communications team, collaborating across functions to manage incidents and issues with thoughtfulness, clarity, and confidence.

To accomplish this, you are both a cross-functional leader who can facilitate a team and a hands-on comms pro who develops content and executes with precision. The core of this role is to help Okta be prepared for adverse events, understand issues by engaging the right experts, and help determine the best path forward, taking into consideration all stakeholders.

You have significant experience planning for and managing communications for a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to cybersecurity, geopolitical, societal, product, security vulnerabilities, legal, employee/HR matters, operational disruptions, and more. In complex situations, you will lead a virtual team of communications colleagues from across the business to drive consistency as they engage with their respective audiences. You will partner closely with the PR team on media strategy and engagement.

Additionally, you will continually evolve, improve upon, and mature the crisis communications program and its readiness for Okta. You will advise key business partners and the executive team on the crisis communications program and best practices, often in partnership with the wider Communications team. 

Communications is an incredibly strategic and visible function at Okta, and we’re looking for a driven, experienced, and collaborative professional who will thrive and make an impact in a dynamic environment.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Serve as a leader on the Corporate Reputation and Crisis Communications team—mentoring other communicators, advising on best practices, and providing strategic and tactical leadership in issue response and crisis communications.
  • Develop and execute strategic communications plans that properly position Okta during a crisis or incident.
  • Create and update processes, playbooks, and operational plans to keep the Crisis Communications Team aligned and efficient. 
  • Lead the training and exercise program to drive readiness, team capabilities, and continual improvement. 
  • Stay abreast of industry trends in crisis response, reputation management, crisis communications, and communications broadly to ensure the team is industry-leading in its approach and capabilities.
  • Cultivate positive relationships with Okta leaders, executive stakeholders, and internal business and communication colleagues.
  • Serve as a communications advisor to senior leaders and to the cross-functional teams assembled to address an issue and provide guidance on reputational risk in the context of issues, policies, and company decisions.
  • Build messaging and content under time constraints and ensure alignment while taking into consideration the outstanding needs of multiple stakeholders/audiences.
  • Execute and lead media listening and insights for key issues and help develop an overall media strategy to inform the communications approach.
  • Be the calm in the storm during intense or stressful situations.

Required Skills/Experience

  • BA/BS in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or Marketing preferred.
  • Minimum of 10-15 years of related experience in public relations/corporate communications, with a background in crisis communications and issues management.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communicator who can build high-quality, easy-to-understand communications, including notification materials, messaging, media statements, blogs, FAQs, and related documents.
  • Strong project management capabilities with a sharp eye for detail and the ability to navigate ambiguity while balancing competing priorities.
  • Solid interpersonal, relationship-building, influence, and collaboration skills.
  • Confident in presenting communications strategies to executives and gathering input in high-stakes scenarios.
  • Experience leading or participating in crisis response/incident management and working on related communications.
  • Ability to work with product/technology subject matter experts to distill technical information into appropriate messaging for identified stakeholders/audiences.
  • General knowledge of SaaS/cybersecurity markets, products, and technologies to help frame and contextualize communication deliverables.
  • An innate drive to work with urgency, make progress, and remain calm in high-pressure situations.

#LI-Hybrid

Below is the annual On Target Compensation (OTE) range for candidates located in California, Colorado, 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. To learn more about our Total Rewards program please visit: https://rewards.okta.com/us

The annual OTE range for this position for candidates located in California, Colorado, New York, and Washington is between:$146,000$218,000 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 OTE (On Target Earning) range for this position for candidates located in Canada is between:$132,000$198,000 CAD

What you can look forward to as a Full-Time Okta employee!

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/.

Some roles may require travel to one of our office locations for in-person onboarding.

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.

Okta is committed to complying with applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy at https://www.okta.com/privacy-policy/

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