Head of Identity & Access Management

Applied Intuition; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Intuition in Sunnyvale seeks a senior identity engineer to own end‑to‑end identity architecture, from IDP design to PAM and AI agent access controls. You will shape Zero Trust, RBAC, and secrets management across cloud and on‑prem environments.

You’ll partner with security, IT, compliance, and engineering to implement scalable authentication protocols (SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0) and ensure audit readiness while enabling secure product and enterprise operations.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years in identity engineering or security engineering.
• Hands‑on cloud architecture in AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Proven track record leading complex IAM programs.
• Deep expertise in IAM tech: LDAP/AD, IDPs, federation, protocols.
• Practical Zero Trust and PAM experience.
• Strong governance, IGA tooling, and role lifecycle knowledge.
• Experience with secrets management platforms.
• Non‑human identity and machine identity management experience.
• Access controls for AI workloads, agents, or service accounts.
• Familiarity with SCIM provisioning and automated IGA flows.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder alignment.

Responsibilities

• Define the long‑term IAM strategy, roadmap, and operating model.
• Assess and mature current IDP architecture for scalability.
• Drive Zero Trust across identity systems with minimal friction.
• Automate the full identity lifecycle beyond JML processes.
• Implement and enforce RBAC for human and non‑human ids.
• Define least‑privilege policies across systems and environments.
• Centralize secrets management across cloud and enterprise.
• Design and deliver PAM for admin accounts across IT and cloud.
• Scalable access management for AI agents and bots.
• Collaborate to enable SSO enterprise‑wide.
• Own authentication protocols (SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0) and standards.
• Partner with teams to deliver authorization capabilities for business needs.
• Translate complex identity requirements into clear technical plans.

Skills

Identity engineering

Zero Trust

RBAC

SAML/OIDC/OAuth

IDP architecture

Secrets management

PAM

Non-human identities

AI workload access

SCIM provisioning

IGA tooling

Tools

HashiCorp Vault

AWS Secrets Manager

GCP Secret Manager

LDAP/AD

Job description

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions

About the role

We are seeking a hands‑on leader to own identity end‑to‑end, from foundational IDP architecture through to privileged access, secrets management, and access governance for AI agents. This is a senior individual contributor role with broad technical scope and direct influence on identity engineering, security, and compliance outcomes. You will set direction, drive implementation, and operate as the primary identity expert across the organization.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Define the long-term IAM strategy, roadmap, and operating model across the enterprise and product ecosystem.

• Assess and mature the current‑state Identity Provider (IDP) architecture, identifying gaps and driving the path to a resilient, scalable design.

• Drive all identity systems toward Zero Trust principles - secure, scalable, and frictionless by default.

• Automate the full identity lifecycle beyond traditional IGA joiner‑mover‑leaver (JML) processes.

• Implement and enforce RBAC for human and non‑human identities at scale.

• Define and operationalize least‑privilege policies across all systems and environments.

• Centralize secrets management - keys, tokens, certificates - across cloud and enterprise environments.

• Design and deliver Privileged Access Management (PAM) for admin accounts spanning enterprise IT and cloud engineering.

• Implement a scalable access management model for AI agents and bots.

• Collaborate with IT Apps and infrastructure teams to enforce and enable SSO across the enterprise.

• Own the implementation and governance of authentication protocols (SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0) and modern identity standards.

• Partner with engineering, security, IT, compliance, and product teams to deliver access management capabilities that enable the business and satisfy audit requirements.

• Translate complex identity requirements into clear, executable technical plans and communicate tradeoffs to senior stakeholders.

We're looking for someone who has:

• 8 - 12+ years in identity engineering, security engineering, or a closely related discipline.

• Hands‑on architecture or engineering experience in cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure).

• Demonstrated track record of leading complex, cross‑functional IAM programs from design through production.

• Deep expertise in modern IAM technologies: directories (LDAP/AD), IDPs, federation, and authentication protocols (SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0).

• Practical experience implementing Zero Trust identity models and PAM frameworks.

• Strong understanding of identity governance, IGA tooling, and role lifecycle management.

• Hands‑on experience with secrets management platforms (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, GCP Secret Manager).

• Experience with non‑human identity and machine identity management in large‑scale environments.

• Experience building access controls for AI workloads, agents, or service accounts at scale.

• Familiarity with SCIM provisioning and automated IGA workflows.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills - you can make identity concepts accessible to non‑technical audiences and drive alignment without authority.

Nice to have:

• Security certifications such as CISSP, GIAC, or similar.

• Solid grasp of compliance frameworks relevant to identity (SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, or similar) and experience supporting audit processes.

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.

FOR US-BASED ROLES:

Applied Intuition is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive application and interview experience to applicants who are disabled veterans and other applicants with disabilities or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available, requesting an accommodation will not affect your candidacy in any way, and you are not required to disclose the nature of your disability or medical condition in order to make a request. If you require an accommodation please contact [e-mail]. We will work with you!