Director of Identity Security – Third Parties

Ascension; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascension is looking for a Director of Identity Security who will lead the strategy and governance for identity management involving third parties. This pivotal role demands extensive IAM experience and the ability to manage complex relationships within the healthcare sector, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Benefits

Paid time off (PTO)

Various health insurance options

Retirement benefits with employer match

Long-term & short-term disability

Tuition reimbursement

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Identity & Access Management.
• 3+ years managing identity services for third parties.
• Preferred certifications include CISSP, CISM.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute third-party identity security strategy.
• Lead IGA platform deployment and optimization.
• Oversee access management program for external vendors.

Skills

Leadership

Program Management

IAM Processes

Analytical Mindset

Vendor Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

SailPoint

Saviynt

IGA Platforms

Job description

We Are Hiring

• Department: Security
• Schedule: Full Time Monday - Friday 8-5pm CT
• Location: Remote

What You Will Do

The Director of Identity Security – Third Parties is a strategic leadership role responsible for governing and securing identity and access for third-party entities, including major service providers and buyers involved in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. This leader will design, implement, and oversee the identity governance framework for external organizations interacting with the healthcare system, ensuring secure, compliant, and seamless access management across the enterprise ecosystem.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) tools, strong understanding of IAM processes, and a deep appreciation for the complexity of third-party risk management in the healthcare sector.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute the third-party identity security strategy aligned with organizational goals and healthcare regulatory requirements.
• Provide IAM leadership during M&A transactions, ensuring secure onboarding/offboarding and ongoing access management for buyers and divested entities.
• Serve as the enterprise authority on third-party identity governance and lifecycle management.

Identity Governance and Administration

• Lead the deployment and optimization of IGA platforms (e.g., SailPoint, Saviynt, or equivalent) Identity Proofing (e.g: Clear) solutions for third-party user lifecycle management, access certifications, policy enforcement, and reporting.
• Establish identity policies and procedures for provisioning, deprovisioning, and recertification of third-party users.

Third-Party Access Management

• Oversee the access management program for external vendors, service providers, and joint venture partners, ensuring least privilege access, role-based access control (RBAC), and adherence to segregation of duties (SoD) principles.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Procurement, and IT Security to define identity requirements in third-party contracts and business associate agreements (BAAs).

Risk and Compliance

• Monitor and manage identity-related risks introduced by third-party relationships, ensuring adherence to HIPAA, HITECH, and other regulatory standards.
• Lead periodic audits and third-party access reviews, remediating non-compliant access in collaboration with business owners.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with M&A integration/divestiture teams, Infrastructure, Application Owners, Legal, and Security Operations to support seamless transitions of identity services.
• Act as the liaison between IAM and business units regarding third-party access requests, escalations, and exception management.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Identity & Access Management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• 3+ years managing identity services for third parties, particularly in complex, federated environments.
• Deep experience with IGA platforms such as SailPoint, Saviynt, or One Identity.

Preferred Industry Experience:

• Healthcare provider environment with knowledge of EHR systems (e.g., Epic, Cerner), clinical workflows, and patient privacy standards.
• Involvement in M&A activities with exposure to system separation, access divestiture, and third-party identity transition planning.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong leadership and program management skills
• Expert knowledge of IAM processes (Joiner/Mover/Leaver, RBAC, SSO, MFA, PAM)
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Analytical mindset with a focus on governance, compliance, and risk mitigation
• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation skills related to identity services

What You Will Need

Licensure / Certification / Registration:

• Law Enforcement.Licensure specific to state in which work is performed is preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Work Experience:

• 7 years of experience required.• 10 years of experience preferred.• 5 years of leadership or management experience preferred.

Additional Preferences

Certifications (Preferred but not required):

• CISSP, CISM, or similar
• Identity-specific certifications (e.g., SailPoint Certified IdentityNow Professional)

#LI-Remote

Why Join Our Team

When you join Ascension, you join a team of over 134,000 individuals across the country committed to a Mission of serving others and providing compassionate, personalized care to all. Our inclusive culture, continuing education programs, career coaches and benefit offerings are just a few of the resources and tools that team members can use to create a rewarding career path. In fact, Ascension spent nearly $46 million in tuition assistance alone to support associate growth and development. If you are looking for a career where you can grow and make a difference in your community, we invite you to join our team today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

Ascension provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, lactation, breastfeeding, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, all as defined by applicable law, and any other legally protected status or characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

For further information, view the EEO Know Your Rights (English) poster or EEO Know Your Rights (Spanish) poster.

As a military friendly organization, Ascension promotes career flexibility and offers many benefits to help support the well-being of our military families, spouses, veterans and reservists. Our associates are empowered to apply their military experience and unique perspective to their civilian career with Ascension.

Pay Non-Discrimination Notice

Please note that Ascension will make an offer of employment only to individuals who have applied for a position using our official application. Be on alert for possible fraudulent offers of employment. Ascension will not solicit money or banking information from applicants.

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Benefits

Paid time off (PTO) Various health insurance options & wellness plans Retirement benefits including employer match plans Long-term & short-term disability Employee assistance programs (EAP) Parental leave & adoption assistance Tuition reimbursement Ways to give back to your community

Benefit options and eligibility vary by position. Compensation varies based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, performance and salary range at the time of the offer.