Identity Architect (IAM)

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Identity Architect to strengthen and accelerate delivery across our ongoing Identity & Access Management (IAM) workstreams.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute across the following disciplines:

• Human Identity
• Customer Identity
• Non-human Identity
• Privileged Access Management (PAM)
• Identity Governance & Administration (IGA)
• PKI (as a Service)
• Identity Resilience/Recoverability

This role requires deep technical identity expertise, strong architectural skills, and the ability to work collaboratively across technology, security, cloud, endpoint, internal audit, and various Line-of-Business teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Architecture, Strategy & Roadmap Execution

• Translate organisational identity strategy into actionable architectural deliverables.
• Shape, maintain, and evolve architectural patterns across human, non-human, client, and application identity domains.
• Support delivery of enterprise identity roadmaps including Zero Trust, Identity Governance, PAM, Machine Identity, PKI, Hybrid Identity, and Tenant Hardening.

2. Solution Design & Technical Leadership

• Produce high-quality architecture artefacts: HLDs, LLDs, reference architectures, design patterns, standards, TIME models, technology radars, and technical decision records.
• Oversee design and integration of IAM capabilities including:
• Entra ID modernisation
• PAM (role modelling, JIT, PIM, access packages, privileged workflows)
• IGA platforms and access certification
• PKIaaS and certificate lifecycle automation
• Machine Identity and tooling
• Identity recovery, resilience, and backup / restoration models
• Provide hands-on architectural guidance across complex, cross-tenant or multi-environment identity challenges.

3. Governance, Compliance & Risk

• Embed identity governance and compliance controls, aligning with NIST, ISO27001, SOC2, internal audit expectations, separation-of-duties, and JML lifecycle standards.
• Review and enhance architecture approvals, risk assessments, 3rd-party security assurances, and technology review processes.
• Provide SME guidance for internal audits, MAP closures, and risk remediation programmes.

4. Engineering Alignment & Delivery Support

• Work closely with IAM engineering, cloud, and security operations teams to ensure architectural patterns translate into practical, operable implementations.
• Guide BAU and platform teams on adopting new identity technologies, patterns, and runbooks.
• Support vendor engagement, RFP/RFS evaluations, and architecture scoring for new products and services.
• Ensure delivered designs are testable, operable, and aligned to enterprise architectural vision.

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Work across multiple senior stakeholder groups including Enterprise Architecture, Information Cybersecurity (ICS), Internal Audit, Line-of-Business application teams, program delivery, and external vendors.
• Communicate complex identity concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide architectural leadership in steering committees, decision forums, and cross-functional workshops.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience as an Identity Architect or Senior IAM Engineer designing enterprise-scale IAM solutions.
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Entra, Azure, hybrid identity, federation, authentication and authorisation patterns.
• Strong background in:
• Privileged Access Management (PAM)
• Identity Governance (IGA)
• PKI and Certificate Lifecycle
• Machine Identity & Secrets Management
• Identity Resilience / Recovery Architecture
• Experience designing Zero Trust identity models and modern ZSP access processes.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality design documentation.
• Strong understanding of enterprise controls, audit requirements, compliance frameworks, and risk management.
• Broad architectural grounding across cloud (Azure, AWS, OCI), infrastructure, automation, and security frameworks.

Desirable Experience

• Exposure to large-scale Active Directory recovery, backup, and resilience solutions.
• Experience with CIEM, Conditional Access, and cross-tenant architecture.
• Familiarity with multi-tenant or environment isolation strategies to improve recoverability.
• Previous background in security architecture, cloud security, or cryptography beneficial.
• Experience supporting major programmes involving vendors such as Microsoft, CyberArk, SailPoint, or Rubrik.

Behavioural Competencies

• Collaborative, transparent, and able to influence without authority.
• Structured thinker with high attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills and stakeholder empathy.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shaping new direction.
• Delivery-focused with a pragmatic, outcome-driven mindset.

What Success Looks Like

• Improved architectural clarity and alignment across all identity workstreams.
• Consistent adoption of architectural patterns across engineering teams.
• Accelerated delivery of PAM, IGA, PKI, and identity resilience outcomes.
• Strengthened audit posture and reduced identity-related risks.
• Clear roadmap execution with measurable progress.