IAM Lead

ICF is seeking an IAM Lead to architect, implement, and operate the identity and access management platform for a federal technology program. Reporting to engineering leadership, this role is the subject matter authority on how users, devices, and applications authenticate and are authorized across a cloud-first, Zero Trust environment. The IAM Lead owns the full identity lifecycle, from onboarding automation to privileged access controls to external identity federation.

The ideal candidate is a senior identity engineer who has built and operated IAM programs in federal cloud environments. This is a deeply technical role. The right candidate understands not just the tooling but the underlying standards, can implement NIST identity assurance requirements, and can hold their own with cybersecurity and enterprise architecture teams on access policy design.

Job Location: This is a remote-friendly position with occasional onsite requirements in the Washington, DC Metro area.

This position requires that the job be performed in the United States. If you accept this position, you should note that ICF does monitor employee work locations and blocks access from foreign locations/foreign IP addresses and also prohibits personal VPN connections.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Architect, configure, andmaintainidentity platforms including Entra ID, Entra External ID, and Okta, covering authentication, authorization, provisioning, and lifecycle management across all users, applications, and devices.
• Configure and enforce phishing-resistant authentication for all users, including passkeys, FIDO2 security keys,WebAuthn, and biometrics. Drive the transition away from legacy authentication methods toward a fullypasswordlessposture.
• Define and implement Zero Trust access rules based on user risk, device health, location, and behavior using risk-based and conditional access policies.
• Design, configure, andoperateauthorization models including RBAC, PBAC, and ABAC, with fine-grained permissions and attribute-based access rules aligned to job function and least-privilege principles.
• Manage privileged accounts and administrative roles using privileged access management (PAM) and just-in-time elevation, ensuring that standing admin access isminimizedand all elevated access is logged and time-bound.
• Build andmaintainHR-driven joiner, mover, and leaver automation, including automated provisioning, license assignment, role changes, access revocation, and data archival triggered by HR system events.
• Federate external identities including partners, contractors, and external collaborators using Entra External ID or equivalent, including self-service registration,verificationworkflows, and consent management.
• Configure identity proofing and verification to NIST IAL and AAL levels whererequired, coordinating with cybersecurity and compliance teams on assurance requirements.
• Integrate applications and APIs with identity platforms using OIDC, OAuth2, SAML, and SCIM for single sign-on and automated provisioning.
• Monitor sign-in activity, risk signals, and anomalies. Respond to identity-related incidents including account takeover, phishing, access abuse, and fraud in coordination with the cybersecurity team.
• Maintain identity data quality and consistency across directories, HR systems, and applications, including synchronization, schema management, and attribute mapping.
• Support compliance and audit activities by producing access reports, certifications, attestations, and evidence of controls.
• Documentidentity architectures, configurations, standards, and runbooks. Provide guidance to application teams on how toonboard tocentral identity platforms and implement authentication best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• 7+ years of experience in identity and access management engineering or a related discipline
• 3+ years of hands-on experience designing and operating Entra ID or Okta in production environments, including conditional access, lifecycle management, and federation
• 2+ years implementing PAM solutions and just-in-time elevation controls for privileged accounts
• 2+ years configuring authorization models including RBAC, PBAC, or ABAC in enterprise environments
• 2+ years supporting federal IT programs in HHS, NIH, FDA, or other health-focused agencies
• U .S . Citizenship required due to federal contract requirements
• Ability to obtain andmaintaina Public Trust background investigation
• Candidate mustresidein the US,be authorized towork in the US, and work must be performed in the US, * Experience implementing NIST SP 800-63 identity assurance levels (IAL/AAL) in a federal context
• Experience federating external identities using Entra External ID, including self-service registration and consent workflows
• Familiarity with FISMA, NIST 800-53, and Zero Trust architecture requirements as they apply to identity and access
• Experience integrating identity platforms with HR systems for automated joiner, mover, and leaver workflows
• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator, Okta Certified Administrator, or equivalent
• Experience supporting identity incident response including account takeover, phishing, and access abuse investigations

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world’s toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO (https://www.icf.com/legal/equal-employment-opportunity) policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records., At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.