Umut Benzer
Fractional Engineering Leader · ex-Okta (Auth0) Staff Engineer
I spent 8 years at Okta (Auth0) as Tech Lead & Staff Engineer, leading the IAM Organizations team. I built and shipped the systems behind Organizations, RBAC, and Self-Service Enterprise Configuration: features processing over 12 billion logins every month at 99.99% uptime. Before that, I worked across the size spectrum, from 3-person startups to 10,000-employee enterprises.
Now I work independently as a consultant and fractional engineering leader. I help companies implement and optimize Auth0, design identity architecture, build engineering teams, and bring Staff-level technical leadership without the full-time commitment.
Whether you need an Auth0 deep-dive, a fractional CTO/architect for your growing startup, or someone to set up and lead an engineering team, let's talk.
Worked at and shipped to
Working with Me
What you can expect when we work together.
Product-first thinking
I take time to understand your product, talk to your users if needed, and make sure we're solving the right problem before writing a line of code.
Clear communication
I translate between engineering and business stakeholders, and write the doc when one's missing. You'll always know what's happening, why, and what the trade-offs are.
Approachable by design
I actively work to be easy to work with. No ego, no gatekeeping. I believe the best technical advice is useless if delivered in a way people can't hear.
Team dynamics & hiring
I have hands-on experience building teams from scratch, designing hiring processes, and navigating the organizational dynamics that come with growing engineering orgs.
Battle-tested remote work
8 years of fully remote work across time zones. I know how to stay productive, communicative, and integrated with your team without being in the same room.
AI-augmented, not AI-dependent
I use AI tooling to move faster and deliver more without compromising on quality. Speed and quality aren't a trade-off when you know what you're doing.
Work Experience
Independent Consultant (benzer.dev)
Fractional Engineering Leader
May 2026 – Present
- Leading SaaS product engineering at STH Consulting on their Next.js-based asset-data and CO₂ reporting platform, serving European asset finance firms
- Open to one additional engagement (2–3 days/week or project-based) in Auth0 implementation, identity architecture, or fractional engineering leadership
Okta (Auth0)
Tech Lead & Staff Engineer
September 2018 – April 2026
- Joined as Senior Engineer I in 2018, promoted to Tech Lead & Senior Engineer II in 2020, then Tech Lead & Staff Engineer in 2021
- Led the IAM Organizations team. Owned architecture, technology choices, and go/no-go decisions for Organizations, RBAC, and Self-Service Enterprise Configuration
- Processed over 12 billion logins every month with 99.99% uptime
- Contributed to cross-team initiatives across Auth0, including the My Organization API, Inbound SCIM, and the Data Cleanup Worker (DCW), a background service for safely deleting large data volumes without overloading the database
- Mentored four engineers, each over a quarter, on Auth0 product depth and engineering practice; several promoted during my tenure
- Published 'Conducting Effective Code Reviews' on the Auth0 Blog
- Presented 'Conducting Effective Code Reviews' at a meetup hosted at Contentful Berlin (Oct 2019)
HERE Technologies
Senior Software Engineer
April 2017 – September 2018
- Built Here WeGo online maps and other mobility solutions. Here WeGo was the map provider of Facebook, trusted by millions of users
- Full-stack feature development across JavaScript, Angular.js, Node.js, and AWS, plus backend work in Go on a related project
Savedo
Senior Frontend Engineer
November 2015 – April 2017
- Part of ~8 person team building the online banking experience for a cross-border savings deposit marketplace
- Built interfaces for comparing interest rates across EU banks with account opening and asset management
Linovi
Lead Frontend Engineer
September 2011 – October 2015
- Grew from Full Stack Engineer to Lead Frontend Engineer
- Led a team of 5 frontend engineers building a feature-rich single-page application for Shazam (acquired by Apple)
- Application used internally at Shazam to manage advertising campaigns
Education
2011 – 2014
2006 – 2011
If any of it fits your situation, the next step is a 30-minute call. No commitment, no pitch.
Fun fact: I wrote my first program when I was 8 using GW-Basic with the help of my father. It was a calculator.