# Staff Backend Engineer, Passwordless

**Company:** [Okta](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/okta)
**Location:** Toronto, Canada
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** CA$160k – CA$220k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Java, Object-Oriented Design, Multithreading, Distributed Systems, AWS, GCP, Microsoft Azure, Passkeys, Fido2, Webauthn, OAuth, OIDC, SAML, React, Angular
**Posted:** 2026-08-19

> Staff backend engineer leading the design, delivery, and operation of highly scalable passwordless authentication systems. The role requires deep Java and distributed-systems expertise, technical leadership, and experience with passkeys, FIDO2/WebAuthn, and identity protocols.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Partner with product, design, and cross-functional stakeholders to define customer solutions.
- Own major features end to end, from conception and design through deployment and monitoring.
- Solve ambiguous technical problems and make strategic trade-offs.
- Lead design discussions and influence the technical roadmap.
- Mentor engineers through code reviews and knowledge sharing.
- Use telemetry and observability tools to troubleshoot production incidents and guide decisions.

## Requirements
- 8+ years of professional software development experience, including technical leadership and mentorship.
- Deep expertise in Java, object-oriented design, multithreading, and high-performance services.
- Experience designing, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems in a cloud environment.
- Knowledge of scalable, reliable, and secure architectural patterns.
- Strong debugging, problem-solving, ownership, communication, and collaboration skills.
- Knowledge of phishing-resistant authentication methods, including Passkeys, FIDO2, or WebAuthn.
- Experience with identity and access management, including OAuth, OIDC, and SAML.

## Nice-to-haves
- Experience with modern frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.js.

## Compensation and benefits
- Annual base salary range in Canada: **$160,000–$220,000 CAD**.
- Equity, bonus, health, dental, and vision insurance.
- RRSP with a match, healthcare spending, telemedicine, and paid leave, including PTO and parental leave.

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