IDAM Architect

Sanderson Government and Defence; Cove; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanderson Government and Defence is seeking an experienced IDAM Architect (DV Cleared) to design and implement enterprise-grade identity and access management across secure environments. You will lead modern identity platforms, govern authentication, and drive cloud and on-prem hybrid architectures.

You will work with Azure AD/Entra ID, Okta, Ping Identity and ForgeRock while aligning with security standards and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years in Identity and Access Management
• At least 5 years in an Architecture role
• Proven experience designing enterprise-scale IDAM solutions
• Experience in secure, regulated or government environments
• Strong knowledge of Entra ID/Azure AD, Okta, Ping Identity and ForgeRock

Responsibilities

• Design enterprise-scale IDAM architectures and strategies
• Lead secure authentication, authorization and MFA implementations
• Define RBAC/ABAC and PAM solutions and identity governance
• Ensure compliance with government security standards and audits
• Deliver cloud-native and hybrid identity solutions across on-prem and cloud
• Provide technical leadership and architecture documentation
• Engage with stakeholders and present recommendations to leadership

Skills

Identity & Access Management

Architecture leadership

Azure AD Microsoft Entra ID

Okta

Ping Identity

ForgeRock

Active Directory / LDAP

OAuth 2.0

SAML

OpenID Connect

Identity Governance & Administration

PAM / RBAC / ABAC

Zero trust / cloud identity

Security architecture & cryptography

Job description

IDAM Architect (DV Cleared)

Location: Farnborough, Hampshire (Onsite)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Security Clearance: DV Cleared or Active DV Clearance

Shape the Future of Secure Digital Identity

We are seeking an experienced Identity and Access Management (IDAM) Architect to join a growing cybersecurity and digital identity practice supporting some of the UK's most critical and secure environments.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the design and delivery of enterprise-scale identity solutions within highly regulated sectors. You will play a key role in defining identity strategies, modernising IDAM platforms, and ensuring robust security, governance and compliance across complex environments.

If you are passionate about identity security, zero trust architecture, cloud transformation and secure access management, we'd love to hear from you.

The Role

As an IDAM Architect, you will be responsible for the design, governance and implementation of enterprise identity and access management solutions. You will provide technical leadership across large-scale programmes, helping organisations strengthen their security posture while enabling secure digital transformation.

Working closely with technical teams, stakeholders and programme leadership, you will architect modern identity solutions that support both on-premises and cloud-based services.

Key Responsibilities

• Identity Architecture & Strategy
  • Design enterprise-scale Identity and Access Management architectures
  • Develop secure authentication, authorisation and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) frameworks
  • Design and implement RBAC, ABAC and Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions
  • Define identity governance, access lifecycle and entitlement management strategies
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and support platform selection activities
• Security & Compliance
  • Ensure identity architectures align with government and industry security standards
  • Conduct security risk assessments and provide mitigation strategies
  • Design secure audit, logging and monitoring capabilities
  • Develop data protection and encryption approaches for identity platforms
  • Support regulatory and security compliance requirements
• Modernisation & Transformation
  • Lead the design and implementation of modern IDAM platforms including Azure AD, Entra ID, Okta, Ping and ForgeRock
  • Architect cloud-native and hybrid identity solutions
  • Support API-driven identity services and microservices-based authentication models
  • Lead identity migrations and transformation programmes
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide architectural leadership and mentoring to technical teams
  • Define architecture standards, patterns and governance frameworks
  • Lead technical design reviews and architecture assurance activities
  • Produce and maintain high-quality architecture documentation
• Integration & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Design identity integrations across enterprise applications and cloud platforms
  • Architect SSO, federation and cross-domain authentication capabilities
  • Facilitate workshops and stakeholder engagements
  • Present architecture recommendations to senior technical and business leaders

Essential Skills & Experience

• Minimum 12 years of experience in Identity and Access Management
• At least 5 years operating in an Architecture role
• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale IDAM solutions
• Strong experience within secure, regulated or government-focused environments
• Expertise in modern identity platforms including:
  • Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD
  • Okta
  • Ping Identity
  • ForgeRock
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Active Directory and LDAP
  • OAuth 2.0
  • SAML
  • OpenID Connect
  • Identity Federation
• Experience with:
  • Privileged Access Management (PAM)
  • Role-Based and Attribute-Based Access Control
  • Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)
  • Access Certification and Entitlement Management
• Understanding of cloud identity and hybrid identity architectures
• Strong knowledge of security architecture, cryptography and secure authentication principles
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Desirable Qualifications

• CISSP, CISM or equivalent security certification
• Microsoft Entra ID / Azure certifications
• Okta certifications
• Experience delivering Zero Trust security architectures
• Experience within Defence, Aerospace or Central Government programmes

Reasonable Adjustments

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

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