CIAM Product Owner

Cognizant; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in Toronto is seeking an experienced Product Owner to lead the development of their customer identity platform. The ideal candidate will have expertise in CIAM and strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with various teams. This onsite role requires 5 days a week at the client office, offering a dynamic work environment focused on digital identity and customer trust.

Benefits

Flexible work-life balance

Well-being programs

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a Product Owner or Product Manager in technology.
• 2+ years focused on CIAM, IAM, or security domains.
• Solid understanding of CIAM concepts and technologies.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the product roadmap for CIAM capabilities.
• Work closely with architects to design secure CIAM solutions.
• Serve as the liaison between business units and technical teams.

Skills

Product Ownership

CIAM domain expertise

Communication skills

Agile/Scrum experience

Interpersonal skills

Education

Product certification (e.g., CSPO, SAFe PO/PM)

Tools

Ping Identity

OAuth2

OpenID Connect

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a results-driven Product Owner with CIAM domain expertise to lead the development and evolution of our customer identity platform. This role is critical in shaping secure, user-centric digital experiences for millions of customers. The ideal candidate combines strong identity management knowledge, a product mindset, and excellent communication skills to collaborate across business, technical, and compliance teams.

In this role, you will

• Product Ownership & Vision

  • Define and maintain the product roadmap for CIAM capabilities (registration, authentication, consent, identity proofing, etc.)

  • Own the product backlog; prioritize features based on value, risk, compliance, and customer impact

  • Translate business requirements into epics, features, and user stories

• CIAM Expertise

  • Work closely with architects and engineers to design secure, scalable CIAM solutions (OAuth2, OIDC, SSO, MFA, identity federation, etc.)

  • Ensure CIAM solutions meet regulatory, privacy, and security standards.

• Stakeholder Collaboration

  • Serve as the liaison between business units, developers, compliance, and UX teams

  • Lead grooming sessions, sprint planning, and product demos

  • Communicate effectively with executive stakeholders and translate technical topics into business value

• Customer-Centric Focus

  • Advocate for frictionless and secure digital identity journeys

  • Analyze customer feedback and usage data to continuously improve CIAM features

  • Ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and usability of CIAM experiences across channels (web, mobile, APIs)

What you’ll need to succeed (required skills)

• 5+ years of experience as a Product Owner or Product Manager in technology, with at least 2+ years focused on CIAM, IAM, or security domains

• Solid understanding of CIAM concepts and technologies (e.g., FIDO, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, SAML, MFA, identity verification)

• Experience with identity platforms such as Ping Identity or custom IAM solutions

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Agile/Scrum experience; ability to write clear user stories and acceptance criteria

• Experience in the financial services sector

• Familiarity with Zero Trust architecture and customer authentication patterns (e.g., step-up auth, adaptive MFA)

• Product certification (e.g., CSPO, SAFe PO/PM) is a plus

• Comfortable leading cross-functional teams and managing conflicting priorities

• Passionate about digital identity and the evolving landscape of customer trust and security

Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Working arrangements

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various well-being programs. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is an onsite position requiring 5 days a week in a client office at Toronto, ON.

Note: The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.