IAM Architect

A Kforce client in Manhattan Beach, CA is currently seeking an IAM Architect for a permanent, fully onsite role. Summary: The IAM Architect will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions across workforce, customer, privileged, and non-human identities. This role will serve as a technical leader, partnering with infrastructure, cloud, application, and cybersecurity teams to develop secure, scalable, and resilient identity architectures that support business objectives and reduce organizational risk. Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture and design of enterprise IAM solutions across workforce, customer, privileged, contractor, and machine identities
• Develop and implement identity lifecycle management processes, including joiner, mover, and leaver workflows
• Design secure authentication, authorization, federation, and access governance solutions
• Partner with engineering, security, cloud, and application teams to integrate identity solutions across enterprise systems
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide technical guidance for complex IAM initiatives
• Design and implement privileged access management (PAM) and governance controls
• Apply Zero Trust security principles to reduce identity-related risk and strengthen access controls
• Evaluate and mitigate identity attack paths, credential risks, privilege escalation risks, and authentication vulnerabilities
• Collaborate with Security Operations and Incident Response teams to improve identity monitoring, detection, and response capabilities
• Automate IAM processes through APIs, scripting, infrastructure-as-code, and workflow automation tools
• Ensure IAM solutions support regulatory, audit, privacy, and security requirements
• Extensive experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise Identity and Access Management solutions
• Experience serving as a technical architect, lead engineer, or IAM subject matter expert
• Experience securing workforce, customer, third-party, and non-human identities
• Experience with cloud IAM platforms in enterprise environments
• Experience designing access governance, role-based access controls, and entitlement management solutions
• Experience supporting IAM integrations across cloud, enterprise, and application environments
• Strong expertise in: Identity Lifecycle Management; Authentication & Authorization; Federation & Single Sign-On (SSO); Identity Governance & Administration (IGA); Privileged Access Management (PAM); Cloud Identity & Access Management
• Deep knowledge of Zero Trust architecture and least-privilege security models
• Strong knowledge of: SAML; OAuth 2.0; OpenID Connect (OIDC); SCIM; LDAP; Identity APIs and modern federation technologies
• Strong understanding of security risks involving credentials, tokens, sessions, privileged accounts, service accounts, and machine identities
• Excellent documentation and architectural governance skills
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities
• Ability to explain complex security concepts to both technical and business audiences
• Ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams and departments
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex identity and access challenges

• Relevant IAM, security, cloud, or architecture certifications
• Experience operating IAM programs within global, hybrid, or multi-cloud environments
• Experience with Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR)
• Experience with attack-path analysis, identity risk management, or exposure management programs