Identity & Access Management Architect

The primary objective is to develop a practical roadmap that improves how users access and navigate systems while maintaining appropriate security controls. This is primarily an assessment, architecture, and advisory engagement, rather than a hands-on implementation role., Identity & Access Management (IAM)

• Assess existing IAM architecture, authentication, authorization, and access controls.
• Evaluate Single Sign-On (SSO), identity federation, and authentication protocols, including SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect (OIDC).
• Review identity lifecycle processes, including onboarding, provisioning, access changes, and offboarding.
• Evaluate IAM platforms such as Microsoft Entra ID and Okta.
• Assess identity governance and privileged access management solutions, including SailPoint and CyberArk.
• Identify opportunities to improve automated provisioning and deprovisioning using SCIM or other integrations.
• Review MFA, FIDO2, WebAuthn, PKI, and Zero Trust security principles.
• Evaluate privileged accounts, service accounts, cloud identities, and API access.
• Recommend improvements to identity security, access governance, and compliance controls.

Systems Architecture & Integration

• Evaluate how multiple applications, platforms, and business systems interact.
• Identify integration challenges, disconnected workflows, and system limitations.
• Review cloud and hybrid environments, including Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Assess application architecture, data flows, APIs, and system dependencies.
• Recommend improvements to system connectivity, access management, and overall architecture.
• Work with engineering and security teams to evaluate technical feasibility.

User Experience & Process Improvement

• Conduct stakeholder interviews to understand user challenges and workflow inefficiencies.
• Evaluate how users navigate applications, access information, and complete business processes.
• Identify problems involving login experiences, application switching, approvals, reporting, and document collaboration.
• Develop user journey maps and identify opportunities to simplify workflows.
• Recommend improvements to reduce manual processes and support requests.
• Create selected wireframes or prototypes to demonstrate proposed improvements.
• Balance usability, accessibility, security, and business requirements.

Technical Consulting & Project Deliverables

• Perform a current-state assessment of systems, workflows, and IAM architecture.
• Identify root causes of technical and operational challenges.
• Develop future-state architecture and workflow recommendations.
• Create a prioritized roadmap outlining improvements, dependencies, timelines, and estimated effort.
• Identify quick wins and longer-term technology initiatives.
• Document recommendations, technical requirements, and implementation considerations.
• Present findings and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Provide engineering teams with actionable recommendations and acceptance criteria., The consultant will be responsible for delivering: * Current-State Assessment: Review existing systems, IAM architecture, user workflows, and technical challenges.
• Root Cause Analysis: Identify why users experience difficulties and determine underlying technical or process limitations.
• Future-State Recommendations: Propose improvements to IAM, authentication, application integrations, and user workflows.
• Technology Roadmap: Develop a prioritized plan with quick wins, longer-term improvements, estimated effort, and dependencies.
• Implementation Handoff: Provide technical documentation, actionable recommendations, acceptance criteria, and an executive presentation.

Project Timeline Weeks 1 2: Discovery & Assessment

• Meet with stakeholders.
• Review existing systems and documentation.
• Evaluate user workflows and IAM architecture.

Weeks 3 4: Architecture & Recommendations

• Identify root causes.
• Evaluate IAM and integration improvements.
• Develop proposed solutions and future-state designs.

Weeks 5 6: Roadmap & Final Deliverables

• Validate recommendations.
• Prioritize improvements.
• Complete technical documentation and executive presentation.

Weeks 7 8: Additional Validation (If Needed)

• Conduct further technical assessments.
• Validate proposed solutions or complete a limited proof of concept.

Important Project Considerations This engagement focuses on assessment, architecture, strategy, and recommendations. Full system implementations, platform migrations, and enterprise-wide IAM/PAM deployments are not included in the initial scope. The ideal consultant must be comfortable evaluating complex environments, identifying technical challenges, and developing practical recommendations that engineering teams can implement.

• Significant senior-level experience in IAM architecture, technical consulting, or enterprise security architecture.
• Strong understanding of SSO, SAML, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, and identity federation.
• Hands-on knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or similar IAM platforms.
• Experience with identity lifecycle management, provisioning, deprovisioning, and access governance.
• Understanding of SailPoint, CyberArk, or comparable IGA/PAM technologies.
• Knowledge of Zero Trust, least privilege, MFA, FIDO2, WebAuthn, and PKI.
• Experience evaluating cloud and hybrid environments, including Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Strong understanding of application integrations, APIs, data flows, and enterprise architecture.
• Experience conducting technical assessments and identifying architectural improvements.
• Ability to evaluate business processes and user experiences across multiple applications.
• Experience with stakeholder interviews, workflow mapping, and root cause analysis.
• Strong documentation, communication, and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and deliver recommendations within a short consulting engagement.

Preferred Experience

• Customer Identity & Access Management (CIAM).
• Identity governance and privileged access management.
• Enterprise application integration and modernization.
• UX research, service design, and user journey mapping.
• Member portals, certification platforms, or other systems supporting external users.
• Document management and collaboration platforms.
• Security compliance, audit requirements, and identity governance frameworks.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps and presenting recommendations to senior leadership.