Director, Startups and Partnerships (Auth0)

Okta•San Francisco, CA

21h•$222,000 - $304,000

About The Position

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. What is the Developer Led Growth (DLG) Team? At the heart of our mission is a simple goal: to make choosing and integrating authentication a delightful experience for every developer. We're the DLG team, essentially Product Led Growth (PLG), but for developers (and agents) using Auth0. We are a high-impact, multidisciplinary engine that includes Developer Relations, Developer Marketing, our Startup Program, and Product Activation and Monetization. We build the journey that turns curious developers into lifelong advocates. The Auth0 Startup Program sits at the core of this motion. We partner with thousands of early-stage companies building on Auth0, help them grow, and graduate the ones that become our next generation of enterprise customers. We are also the team closest to the AI startup wave; the founders building the next generation of agents, copilots, and AI-native products are our people. Why This Role? This is one of the highest-leverage roles in DLG. You will own the entire Auth0 Startup Strategy: its program, community, and pipeline, and you will be the face of Auth0 to the next generation of great companies. Real Ownership: You set the strategy, run the operations, and personally move the needle on startup reach, engagement, and graduation. Builder Community Access: You will have a direct line to thousands of founders building AI-native products, agents, and developer tools, and you will use that access to shape Auth0's product roadmap, content, and ecosystem reputation. Events That Matter: Camp AI, CTO dinners, hackathons: you will conceive, produce, and attend the events where the best startups in the world discover Auth0. Cross-Functional Influence: You will sit at the intersection of Product, DevRel, Developer Marketing, Partner Programs, and Sales. Your voice will shape how Auth0 serves the startup segment across the entire org. AI-First Moment: Auth0 is investing heavily in Auth0 for AI Agents (A4AA) and agent identity. You will be the bridge between our AI startup customers and the product teams building the future of agentic identity. If you've lived in the startup world, understand what developers need, have a network of VCs and incubators and want to lead a program that directly shapes the next generation of great software companies, we'd love to meet you.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in or working closely with the startup ecosystem (at a VC, accelerator, developer-tools company, or as a founder yourself)
Demonstrated experience building and scaling developer-facing programs, partnerships, or communities
Deep understanding of the software development ecosystem, SaaS business models, and what makes a developer-first product great
Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment and consistently deliver results while radiating positive energy and influencing positive change on the team.
Experience with AI tools (agents, vibe coding platforms, etc.)
Proven ability to organize or sponsor developer events and fill a room with the right people
Strong cross-functional influence skills: you can drive alignment and action without formal authority across product, marketing, and sales teams
Data-driven mindset: comfortable defining metrics, building dashboards, and using data to make program decisions
Excellent written and verbal communication skills: able to write a cold outreach to a founder, present a strategy to a VP, and get a developer excited about identity in the same day

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in the AI startup ecosystem: familiarity with the founders, the VCs, and the communities building AI-native products
Familiarity with identity, authentication, or security developer tooling (Auth0, Okta, or adjacent)
Experience with PLG or developer-led growth motions
SQL or data querying skills (Snowflake, BigQuery, etc.)

Responsibilities

Own the strategy and roadmap for the Auth0 Startup playbook, including reach, activation, engagement, and graduation into Self-Service or Enterprise plans.
Build and maintain program KPIs and reporting: track reach, activation rate, graduation rate, contribution, and engagement; translate data into strategy adjustments.
Lead a team of 3 engaged and passionate team members with a focus on Developer Advocacy (breath and depth events) and Operations.
Represent Auth0 Startups internally at Auth0 and the broader Okta org, as the go-to advocate for the startup segment's needs.
Develop and expand the program's ecosystem partnerships with VCs, accelerators, incubators, and startup communities globally.
Oversee the full lifecycle of startup relationships, from application and onboarding through graduation and handoff to sales.
Partner cross-functionally with Product, Partner Programs, Pricing & Packaging, Support, and Engineering to advocate for startup needs and drive improvements to the program experience.
Conceive developer-community events: Camp AI, hackathons, CTO dinners, founder-investor meetups, and conference activations.
Identify and prioritize high-potential AI startups for early access to new Auth0 products, including Auth0 for AI Agents (A4AA), and serve as the pipeline between the startup community and product teams.
Collaborate with Developer Marketing and Developer Relations to generate content and social proof from startup customers: case studies, quotes, blog posts, social campaigns.
Manage the operational tooling and data infrastructure for the program in partnership with DLG Data.