Senior Specialist, Identity & Access Management

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 104,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Paid vacation

Performance incentive

Group insurance

Training mentorship

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is seeking a Senior Specialist, Identity & Access Management to design, govern, and improve our IAM program. You will ensure identities and access rights are properly defined, authorized, reviewed, and revoked in line with risk tolerance, policy, and regulatory obligations.

You will provide expert advisory services to senior management and drive the effectiveness of IAM controls across CMHC, partnering with IT, security, audit, privacy, and business teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Cybersecurity, or related field.
• Advanced certification required (e.g., CISSP, CISM, or equivalent IAM certification).
• 7–10 years of experience in IAM, cybersecurity, or IT risk management.
• Experience advising senior leadership on enterprise‑level access risk.
• Experience designing or governing IAM programs or control frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead IAM strategy, governance, and oversight with enterprise framework.
• Define core IAM principles: identity lifecycle, least privilege, RBAC, segregation of duties, and access exception governance.
• Ensure alignment with security, privacy, and compliance; maintain auditable IAM practices.
• Maintain accountability for IAM service effectiveness across internal teams and MSPs.
• Assess and communicate identity‑access risk to senior leadership.
• Provide advisory support on IAM for new systems, cloud platforms, and third‑party integrations.
• Define, monitor, and report IAM KPIs and KRIs; provide exec/board reporting.
• Provide cross‑enterprise leadership and mentor IAM specialists.

Skills

IAM governance

Access management

Regulatory compliance

RBAC

Security risk advisory

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT / Cybersecurity

Equivalent experience considered

Job description

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Senior Specialist, Identity & Access Management

Job Requisition ID: 12037

Position Status:Permanent Full Time

Position Type:Hybrid

Travel Requirement:Limited

Language Skill Levels (Read/Write/Speak):ZZZ

Security Requirement: Secret

Salary:Our salaries generally range from $104,180.28to $130,225.36and are based on qualifications and experience.

About CMHC

The work you do and the work we do together matters. We come to work every day with a common purpose: to contribute to a well-functioning housing system.

At CMHC, we hold ourselves accountable for our results and support our colleagues in their achievements. We thrive on collaboration, connecting across CMHC and involving the right people to get our work done. Our leadership style is guided by trust, where our leaders favour an adaptive approach based on the needs of their teams.

Join us and be part of a team that's committed to making a real difference and be part of something meaningful.

What’s in it for you

We’ve got the purpose, the people and the perks you need for a fulfilling career. Here’s the comprehensive and generous benefits you get when you’re a permanent employee:

• Annual Paid vacation.
• Annual individual performance incentive.
• Comprehensive group insurance plan to support your well-being from day one.
• Support towards your personal and professional growth with training, mentorship and more.
• An inclusive workplace culture and environment.
• While positions at CMHC require some in-office presence, alternative work arrangements may be considered for Indigenous candidates.

About the role

Join the IT Security Operations Team, in the Senior Specialist, Identity & Access Management position. In this role you will be responsible for designing, governing, and continuously improving the enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) program. You will ensure that digital identities and access rights are appropriately defined, authorized, reviewed, and revoked in alignment with organizational risk tolerance, security policy, and regulatory obligations. The role provides expert-level advisory services to senior management and is accountable for the effectiveness and outcomes of IAM controls across the organization.

What you’ll do:

• Lead IAM strategy, governance, and oversight by owning the enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) framework, including policies, standards, and control objectives.
• Define and enforce core IAM principles, including identity lifecycle management, least privilege, role‑based access control (RBAC), segregation of duties, and access exception governance.
• Ensure alignment with security, privacy, and compliance requirements, maintaining auditable and regulatory IAM practices across the enterprise.
• Maintain accountability for IAM service effectiveness, including services delivered through internal teams and third‑party or managed service providers.
• Assess and communicate identity‑and‑access‑related risk, advising senior leadership on access risk acceptance, control design trade‑offs, and residual risk exposure.
• Provide expert advisory support on IAM implications for new systems, cloud platforms, and third‑party integrations.
• Define, monitor, and report on IAM KPIs and KRIs, producing executive‑and‑board‑level reporting on access risk posture, control effectiveness, and compliance status.
• Provide functional leadership and cross‑enterprise collaboration, mentoring IAM specialists, partnering with IT, security, audit, privacy, and business teams, and representing the organization in audits, regulatory reviews, and access‑related investigations.

What you should have:

• A bachelor’s degree in information technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be considered.
• Advanced certification required (e.g., CISSP, CISM, or equivalent IAM certification).
• 7 to 10 years of progressive experience in IAM, cybersecurity, or IT risk management.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior leadership on enterprise‑level access risk.
• Experience designing or governing IAM programs or control frameworks.

Posting closing date: Note, the competition will remain active until filled.

Standby and Call Back duties are a requirement of this position and will be subject to CMHC policies, including the Standby and Call Back Pay Procedure.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

We’re committed to employment equity and encourage women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, veterans and persons of all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions to apply. We also welcome applications from non-Canadians who are eligible to work in Canada.

CMHC is an inclusive workplace where diversity of thought – and of people – are recognized, valued, and considered essential to achieving our mission.

We know that applying for a new job can be both exciting and daunting, and we appreciate your effort. Learn more about our hiring process . If you are selected for an interview or testing, please advise us if you require an accommodation.

If you applied before and you were not successful don’t worry – we're always posting new positions, so don’t hesitate to give it another shot. We’re excited to see what you bring to the table this time around!