Manager, Identity Governance Operations

The Manager, Identity Governance Operations is a hands-on people leader responsible for leading and developing the Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) team while ensuring effective execution of identity governance operations and controls.

This role oversees identity lifecycle governance, access certifications, Segregation of Duties (SoD), provisioning controls, role and entitlement governance, reporting, analytics, and vendor performance. The Manager will partner with IAM Engineering, Cybersecurity, HR, Legal, Digital and Technology, Compliance, and application teams to advance automation, AI capabilities, and governance of non-human identities while maintaining strong operational and regulatory controls.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop the IGA team, including performance management, workload prioritization, career development, cross-training, and accountability for results.
• Manage employees and vendor resources, ensuring delivery against established KPIs, KRIs, controls, and operational expectations.
• Oversee core IGA processes including Joiner/Mover/Leaver, access entitlement reviews, SoD, RBAC, entitlement governance, provisioning/deprovisioning controls, and monitoring of unauthorized/native access changes.
• Provide oversight of IGA/IAM enterprise controls, audit evidence, regulatory requirements, documentation, and remediation activities.
• Develop reporting and advanced analytics to identify identity risks, operational trends, control gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Gather business and control requirements and translate them into scalable identity governance solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, process simplification, and improved user experience.
• Partner with business and technology teams to establish governance requirements for non-human identities, service identities, AI agents, and emerging AI capabilities.
• Support vendor evaluations, RFP/RFI activities, proof-of-concepts, and strategic IGA initiatives.
• Communicate IGA performance, risks, priorities, and initiatives effectively to senior leaders and key stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Security, Information Technology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in IAM, IGA, cybersecurity, or related technology/security functions.
• People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, prioritization, and development of employees, contractors, or vendor resources.
• Strong experience with identity lifecycle management, access certifications, RBAC, SoD, provisioning/deprovisioning, and access governance.
• Experience with IAM/IGA technologies such as SailPoint, CyberArk, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or similar platforms.
• Experience with operational controls, audit readiness, regulatory requirements, and risk-based access governance.
• Working knowledge of automation, APIs, REST/JSON, and scripting technologies.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills., * Experience leading enterprise IAM/IGA operations and blended employee/vendor teams.
• Experience developing and managing KPIs, KRIs, dashboards, controls, and executive reporting.
• Experience with RFP/RFI activities, vendor evaluations, POCs, and technology implementations.
• Experience with hybrid identity environments across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS platforms.
• Familiarity with AI identity governance, AI agents, non-human identities, machine identities, and MCP.
• Experience in regulated environments involving NYDFS, MAR, SOX, SOC 2, or similar requirements.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or IAM/IGA platform certifications.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical, business, and senior leadership stakeholders., Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Every day, Guardian helps our 29 million customers realize their dreams through a range of insurance and financial products and services. Our Purpose, to inspire well-being, guides our dedication to the colleagues, consumers, and communities we serve. We know that people count, and we go above and beyond to prepare them for the life they want to live, focusing on their overall well-being - mind, body, and wallet. As one of the largest mutual insurance companies, we put our customers first. Behind every bright future is a GuardianTM. Learn more about Guardian at guardianlife.com .