Director, Customer Identity & Access Management - CIAM

Ally; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Ally Financial is seeking a senior leader to drive authentication and identity programs in a hybrid in-office role based in Charlotte, NC. You will shape customer authentication policy across login, MFA, session trust, and recovery, partnering with product and security teams to balance risk, security, and customer experience.

You will own cross-channel roadmaps, manage vendor relationships in identity verification, and guide CIAM initiatives across digital and contact channels while aligning

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in banking/fintech with fraud/identity leadership and ownership of authentication, account takeover controls, and login/MFA/recovery experiences.
• Strong cross-functional operator balancing fraud risk, security, and CX across Fraud, Cyber, Digital, Data & Analytics and Compliance.
• Demonstrated expertise in fraud prevention, identity strategy, customer authentication, account takeover mitigation, and digital/customer risk management.
• Proven experience defining strategy and leading execution for enterprise-scale authentication, identity, or fraud-related capabilities.
• Strong track record of influencing and aligning senior stakeholders across business, fraud, risk, operations, technology, and security functions.
• Experience leading CIAM, IAM, authentication, digital identity, fraud prevention, or customer security product teams.
• Deep familiarity with authentication and identity standards and capabilities (MFA, SSO, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, FIDO2, passkeys, biometrics, device binding, identity proofing, account recovery, FFIEC, NIST).
• Strong experience in financial services, fintech, or another highly regulated industry with fraud risk and digital channel complexity.
• Experience with omnichannel customer journeys involving both digital and assisted-service or call center authentication experiences.

Responsibilities

• Set the customer authentication policy and decision framework across login, step-up, recovery, and session trust, defining when to allow, challenge, elevate, or block access.
• Own the cross-channel authentication roadmap & business requirements across mobile, web, contact center, including MA, biometrics, device trust, session orchestration, & recovery flows.
• Partner with Login and Security product team in Digital on app/web experiences and with the Phone teams (inbound/outbound, vendor, IVR/telephony).
• Own select vendor relationships in authentication & identity verification space.
• Direct authentication decisioning and capability strategy by specifying the signals, controls, and vendor capabilities required for authentication decisions.
• Steer Fraud Data & Analytics team on rules, models, and thresholds and Fraud Platforms / Engineering team on tooling, integrations, and platform enhancements.
• Maintain the inventory of CIAM risks and mapped controls, incorporating fraud investigations, loss analysis, and external threat intelligence to identify control gaps & prioritize remediation.
• Evaluate and pilot new authentication capabilities, signals, and data sources to strengthen CIAM controls against emerging threats and attack patterns.
• Define clear handoffs with adjacent identity teams, ensuring Deposits /KYC / ID proofing owns initial identity verification at account opening, while CIAM owns ongoing customer authentication, recovery, and session trust for returning customers.

Skills

Fraud leadership

Identity strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Authentication expertise

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Regulatory aware

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business/Tech/CS/IS

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Analytics platforms

Job description

Ally and Your Career

Ally Financial only succeeds when its people do - and that’s more than some cliché people put on job postings. We love this stuff! We see our people as, well, people - with interests, families, friends, dreams, and causes that are all important to them. Our focus is on the health and safety of our teammates as well as work-life balance and diversity and inclusion. From generous benefits to a variety of employee resource groups, we strive to build paths that encourage employees to stretch themselves professionally. We want to help you grow, develop, and learn new things. You’re constantly evolving, so shouldn’t your opportunities be, too?

Ally and Your Career

Ally Financial only succeeds when its people do - and that’s more than some cliché people put on job postings. We love this stuff! We see our people as, well, people - with interests, families, friends, dreams, and causes that are all important to them. Our focus is on the health and safety of our teammates as well as work-life balance and diversity and inclusion. From generous benefits to a variety of employee resource groups, we strive to build paths that encourage employees to stretch themselves professionally. We want to help you grow, develop, and learn new things. You’re constantly evolving, so shouldn’t your opportunities be, too?

Work Schedule

Ally designates roles as (1) fully on-site, (2) hybrid, or (3) fully remote. Hybrid roles are generally expected to be in the office a certain number of days per week as indicated by your manager. Your hiring manager will discuss this role's specific work requirements with you during the hiring process. All work requirements are subject to change at any time based on leader discretion and/or business need.

The Opportunity

In office role with weekly hybrid schedule. Ally work locations are Charlotte NC, Lewisville TX, Jacksonville FL, Dresher PA, Detroit MI

The Work Itself

• Set the customer authentication policy and decision framework across login, step-up, recovery, and session trust, defining when to allow, challenge, elevate, or block access
• Own the cross-channel authentication roadmap & business requirements across mobile, web, contact center, including MA, biometrics, device trust, session orchestration, & recovery flows
• Partner with Login and Security product team in Digital on app/web experiences and with the Phone teams (inbound/outbound, vendor, IVR/telephony)
• Own select vendor relationships in authentication & identify verification space
• Direct authentication decisioning and capability strategy by specifying the signals, controls, and vendor capabilities required for authentication decisions
• Steer Fraud Data & Analytics team on rules, models, and thresholds and Fraud Platforms / Engineering team on tooling, integrations, and platform enhancements
• Maintain the inventory of CIAM risks and mapped controls, incorporating fraud investigations, loss analysis, and external threat intelligence to identify control gaps & prioritize remediation
• Evaluate and pilot new authentication capabilities, signals, and data sources to strengthen CIAM controls against emerging threats and attack patterns
• Define clear handoffs with adjacent identity teams, ensuring Deposits /KYC / ID proofing owns initial identity verification at account opening, while CIAM owns ongoing customer authentication, recovery, and session trust for returning customers.
  

The Qualifications We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Fraud / identity leader with 10+ years in banking, or fintech, including direct ownership of customer authentication, account takeover controls, and login/ MFA / recovery experiences)
• Strong cross-functional operator able to balance fraud risk, security, and CX while working effectively across Fraud, Cyber, Digital, Data & Analytics and Compliance
• Demonstrated expertise in fraud prevention, identity strategy, customer authentication, account takeover mitigation, and digital/customer risk management.
• Proven experience defining strategy and leading execution for enterprise-scale authentication, identity, or fraud-related capabilities.
• Strong track record of influencing and aligning senior stakeholders across business, fraud, risk, operations, technology, and security functions.
• Experience leading teams directly and/or through matrixed organizational structures.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and decision-making skills, with the ability to use fraud signals, customer insights, operational data, and risk trends to drive prioritization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including significant experience presenting to executive and senior leadership audiences.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, organizational complexity, and competing priorities while driving measurable outcomes.
• Experience leading CIAM, IAM, authentication, digital identity, fraud prevention, or customer security product teams.
• Deep familiarity with authentication and identity standards and capabilities such as MFA, SSO, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, FIDO2, passkeys, biometrics, device binding, identity proofing, account recovery, FFIEC, and NIST.
• Strong experience in financial services, fintech, or another highly regulated industry particularly in environments with significant fraud risk, digital channel complexity, and regulatory oversight.
• Experience with omnichannel customer journeys, particularly involving both digital and assisted-service or call center authentication experiences.
• Familiarity with Financial Crimes operations, fraud operations, scam prevention, or risk-based authentication decisioning.
• Experience with API-based products, platform capabilities, or developer-facing authentication services.
• Proficiency with common product delivery and collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, analytics platforms, and UX collaboration tools.

Minimum Qualifications

• 9+ years of relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• High school Diploma or GED equivalent

How We'll Have Your Back

Ally's compensation program offers market-competitive base pay and pay-for-performance incentives (bonuses) based on achieving personal and company goals. Our Total Rewards program includes industry-leading compensation and benefits plus additional incentives that are designed to meet your needs and those of your family so you can get the most out of your career and your life, including:

Time Away: Program starts at 20 paid time off days in addition to 11 paid holidays and 8 hours of volunteer time off yearly (time off days are prorated based on start date and program varies based on full or part-time status and management level).

Planning for the Future: plan for the near and long term with an industry-leading 401K retirement savings plan with matching and company contributions, student loan pay downs and 529 educational save up assistance programs, tuition reimbursement, employee stock purchase plan, and financial learning center and financial coach access.

Supporting your Health & Well-being: flexible health and insurance options including medical, dental and vision, employee, spouse and child life insurance, short- and long-term disability, pre-tax Health Savings Account with employer contributions, Healthcare FSA, critical illness, accident & hospital indemnity insurance, and a total well-being program that helps you and your family stay on track physically, socially, emotionally, and financially.

Building a Family: adoption, surrogacy and fertility assistance as well as paid parental and caregiver leave, Dependent Day Care FSA back-up child and adult/elder care days and childcare discounts.

Work-Life Integration: other benefits including Mentally Fit Employee Assistance Program, subsidized and discounted Weight Watchers program and other employee discount programs.

Other Compensations: depending on the role for which you are considered, you may be eligible for travel allowances, relocation assistance, a signing bonus and/or equity.

To view more detailed information about Ally’s Total Rewards, please visit this link: https://www.ally.com/content/dam/pdf/corporate/ally-total-rewards-snapshot.pdf

Who We Are

Ally Financial is a customer-centric, leading digital financial services company with passionate customer service and innovative financial solutions. We are relentlessly focused on "Doing it Right" and being a trusted financial-services provider to our consumer, commercial, and corporate customers. For more information, visit www.ally.com.

Ally is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy status, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic disposition or any other reason protected by law.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if after review of the position expectations, you believe that you may need a medical accommodation to fulfill the duties of this role, please email [e-mail] with details of your accommodation request.

Base Pay Range

$135,000.00 - $235,000.00

An individual's position in the range is determined by the specific role, the scope and responsibilities of the role, work experience, education, certification(s), training, and additional qualifications. We review internal pay, the competitive market, and business environment prior to extending an offer.

Incentive Compensation

This position is eligible to participate in our annual incentive plan.