Senior IAM Engineer

About The Job:

This role is part of the centralized IAM Operations team responsible for delivering reliable, scalable identity and access management services across the enterprise. The team focuses on operational excellence, automation, service optimization, and rapid problem resolution to support IAM platforms, integrations, and end‑user access needs.

The role combines hands‑on operational support, engineering mindset, and process improvement, ensuring IAM services are secure, efficient, and continuously improving. This includes proactive monitoring, automation development, incident and request management, and collaboration with engineering, security, and business teams.

What You'll Do:

Core Operations

• Provide centralized tier 2/3 operational support for IAM platforms (e.g., identity governance, authentication, directory services, PAM)
• Handle incidents, service requests, and escalations in accordance with SLA/OLA commitments
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and drive resolution of recurring issues

Automation & Tooling

• Design, develop, and maintain automation scripts and workflows to reduce manual effort
• Improve operational efficiency through scripting (e.g., PowerShell, Python) and orchestration tools
• Identify repetitive tasks and implement automation or self‑service solutions
• Contribute to DevOps practices (CI/CD pipelines, Terraform code)

Continuous Improvement

• Identify process inefficiencies and implement improvements
• Maintain and enhance operational documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base articles
• Partner with IAM engineering to transition new capabilities into operations (run/support model)
• Drive standardization across IAM workflows and support processes

Security & Compliance

• Ensure IAM operations comply with security policies, audit requirements, and regulatory standards
• Support audit requests, access reviews, and evidence collection
• Assist in remediation of audit findings related to IAM controls

Collaboration & Stakeholder Support

• Provide guidance and support to application teams integrating with IAM services
• Participate in incident bridges and cross‑functional troubleshooting efforts

Metrics & Reporting

• Track and report on operational KPIs (incident volume, MTTR, automation adoption, etc.)
• Use data to identify trends and drive improvements

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Cyber Security, Computer Science, Information systems or equivalent work experience in the IT field, with at least a portion of that time in a Security related position
• 4-5 years of professional experience required
• Expertise in one of the following domains: Directory Services (SSO/Federation, Active Directory, Azure), Identity Governance & Administration (Sailpoint IIQ, Access Certifications), Privileged Access, Client Identity and Access Management, Cloud IAM
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or similar certifications are highly desirable
• Experience with engineering best practices to include analyzing, designing, developing, and deploying and supporting software solutions and/or infrastructure implementations/upgrades.
• Leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing IAM solutions, including integration with various systems and platforms.
• Competency with one or more scripting/programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, Java, Ruby, Go, PowerShell, Bash, C#, C/C++, etc.
• Strong ability to align and mature to security practices.
• Strong ability to explain technical solutions to technical teams and non‑technical teams.
• Strong documentation, testing and automation skills.
• Strong sense of ownership and the ability to work with a limited set of requirements.
• Strong ability to align technical needs to business processes.
• Strong ability to prioritize work based on business objectives.
• Strong ability to breakdown work to deliver value incrementally.
• Experience preferred with Agile methodologies/DevOps environment.

Compensation Range:

Pay Range – Start: $118,960.00

Pay Range – End: $178,440.00

Geographic Specific Pay Structure:

Structure 110: $130,880.00 USD – $196,320.00 USD

Structure 115: $136,800.00 USD – $205,200.00 USD

Skills

• Analytical Thinking – Advanced
• Compliance – Advanced
• Strategic Thinking – Advanced
• Security Practices – Advanced
• Cross Functional Partnering & Planning – Advanced
• Cloud Deployment Models – Advanced
• Continuous Improvement – Advanced
• Business Automation – Advanced
• Customer Centricity – Intermediate
• Technical Problem Solving – Advanced
• Identity Protocols – Advanced
• Adaptive Communication – Advanced
• Identity & Access Management Industry Standards – Advanced
• DevSecOps – Advanced
• Learning Agility & Critical Thinking – Advanced
• Access Management Tools & Technologies – Advanced
• Stakeholder Relationship – Intermediate

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.