Senior Entra IAM Engineer

Job Title: Senior Entra IAM Engineer
Location: Candidate can sit in Phoenix/ Southlake/ Austin - preference is 4 days per week on-site
Duration: 6 Months to start

Identity Architecture & Strategy
* Design, implement, and maintain end-to-end Identity & Access Management architectures using Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory.
* Establish a long?term identity strategy aligned with business, security, and regulatory requirements.
* Architect secure hybrid identity models including Entra Connect, cloud sync strategies, and identity lifecycle automation.
* Drive adoption of Zero Trust identity principles, including continuous evaluation and least-privilege access.

Microsoft Entra ID Expertise
* Lead design and optimization of Conditional Access policies, authentication flows, MFA, passwordless strategies (FIDO2, Windows Hello Business), and identity protection.
* Architect, standardize, and provide governoversight for Entra ID Governance capabilities-PIM, access reviews, entitlement management, custom roles, and segregation of duties.
* Oversee configuration of Entra applications, service principals, federations, SCIM provisioning, and SSO integrations (SAML/OIDC/OAuth2).
Active Directory (AD) & Hybrid Identity
* Design secure, resilient, and scalable Active Directory forests, domains, GPO structures, and privileged access boundaries.
* Lead initiatives to modernize AD security posture (tiered administration models, privileged access isolationESAE cleans-up, delegated administration, and secure baselines).
* Implement AD hardening, lifecycle management, group governance, and remediation of legacy dependencies.
IAM Governance & Security
* Develop identity standards, patterns, security baselines, and governance frameworks.
* Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and internal audit controls.
* Provide guidance for RBAC/ABAC models, identity lifecycle management, privileged access governance, and application onboarding.
* Design identity controls that are auditable, measurable, and automatable, supporting internal risk assessments and regulatory compliance.
* Collaborate with cloud platform and DevSecOps teams to integrate identity controls into cloud landing zones, CI/CD pipelines, and enterprise architectures.
* Partner with security operations to integrate identity telemetry, threat detection, and incident response workflows.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Work closely with Security Engineering, Application Owners, Cloud Platform Engineering & Architecture, and Infrastructure teams.
* Provide architectural direction during acquisition integration, cloud migrations, and modernization projects.
* Deliver architecture diagrams, roadmaps, threat models, and solution documentation.
Thought Leadership
* Drive IAM as a shared enterprise platform, balancing security, user experience, and operational resiliency.
* Stay current with identity trends, Entra roadmap updates, and emerging threats.
* Recommend continuous improvement opportunities across authentication, authorization, and identity governance.
* Mentor engineers and guide best practices on identity design and operations.

Required Qualifications
* 8+ years of experience in Identity & Access Management, architecture or engineering.
* Deep expertise in: * Strong knowledge of MFA, passwordless, risk-based policies, and authentication flows.
* Experience securing hybrid identity using Entra Connect, federation services, and cloud-only patterns.
* Expertise building Terraform IaC resources and guardrails for identity services through reusable modules and automated CI/CD pipelines.
* Proficiency with PowerShell or automation frameworks.
* Strong understanding of IAM risk management, audit requirements, and regulatory standards.

Preferred Qualifications
* Microsoft certifications: SC-300, SC-100, AZ-305, or equivalent.
* Experience with: * Background security architecture, threat modeling, or penetration testing related to identity systems.

Soft Skills
* Exceptional communication and leadership capabilities.
* Ability to work across organizational boundaries with technical and executive stakeholders.
* Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic thinking skills.
* Ability to simplify complex identity concepts into actionable guidance.