Manager, Identity Governance Operations

Guardian Life; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 119,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian Life is seeking a Manager, Identity Governance Operations, a hands-on people leader responsible for guiding the IGA team and ensuring rigorous identity governance operations and controls.

You will oversee lifecycle governance, access reviews, SoD, RBAC, provisioning controls, and analytics, partnering with IAM Engineering, Cybersecurity, HR, Legal, and Compliance to advance automation and governance of human and non-human identities. Hybrid work model in NY/NJ area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information security, information technology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in IAM, IGA, cybersecurity, or related technology/security functions.
• People leadership experience, including coaching and performance management.
• Strong experience with identity lifecycle management, access certifications, RBAC, SoD, provisioning/deprovisioning, and access governance.
• Experience with IAM/IGA technologies such as SailPoint, CyberArk, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or similar platforms.
• Experience with regulatory requirements and risk-based access governance.
• Working knowledge of automation, APIs, REST/JSON, and scripting technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the IGA team with performance management and career development.
• Manage employees and vendor resources, ensuring delivery against KPIs and controls.
• Oversee core IGA processes: Joiner/Mover/Leaver, access reviews, SoD, RBAC, provisioning controls.
• Provide oversight of enterprise IGA/IAM controls, audit evidence, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop reporting and analytics to identify identity risks and trends.
• Translate business requirements into scalable identity governance solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation and process simplification.
• Collaborate with business and tech teams to define governance for non-human identities including AI agents.

Skills

Identity governance

People leadership

IAM/IGA operations

RBAC & SoD

Automation & scripting

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

SailPoint

CyberArk

Microsoft Entra ID

Okta

Job description

Position Overview

The Manager, Identity Governance Operations is a hands-on people leader responsible for leading and developing the Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) team while ensuring effective execution of identity governance operations and controls.

This role oversees identity lifecycle governance, access certifications, Segregation of Duties (SoD), provisioning controls, role and entitlement governance, reporting, analytics, and vendor performance. The Manager will partner with IAM Engineering, Cybersecurity, HR, Legal, Digital and Technology, Compliance, and application teams to advance automation, AI capabilities, and governance of non-human identities while maintaining strong operational and regulatory controls.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop the IGA team, including performance management, workload prioritization, career development, cross-training, and accountability for results.
• Manage employees and vendor resources, ensuring delivery against established KPIs, KRIs, controls, and operational expectations.
• Oversee core IGA processes including Joiner/Mover/Leaver, access entitlement reviews, SoD, RBAC, entitlement governance, provisioning/deprovisioning controls, and monitoring of unauthorized/native access changes.
• Provide oversight of IGA/IAM enterprise controls, audit evidence, regulatory requirements, documentation, and remediation activities.
• Develop reporting and advanced analytics to identify identity risks, operational trends, control gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Gather business and control requirements and translate them into scalable identity governance solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, process simplification, and improved user experience.
• Partner with business and technology teams to establish governance requirements for non-human identities, service identities, AI agents, and emerging AI capabilities.
• Support vendor evaluations, RFP/RFI activities, proof-of-concepts, and strategic IGA initiatives.
• Communicate IGA performance, risks, priorities, and initiatives effectively to senior leaders and key stakeholders.

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Security, Information Technology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in IAM, IGA, cybersecurity, or related technology/security functions.
• People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, prioritization, and development of employees, contractors, or vendor resources.
• Strong experience with identity lifecycle management, access certifications, RBAC, SoD, provisioning/deprovisioning, and access governance.
• Experience with IAM/IGA technologies such as SailPoint, CyberArk, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or similar platforms.
• Experience with operational controls, audit readiness, regulatory requirements, and risk-based access governance.
• Working knowledge of automation, APIs, REST/JSON, and scripting technologies.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise IAM/IGA operations and blended employee/vendor teams.
• Experience developing and managing KPIs, KRIs, dashboards, controls, and executive reporting.
• Experience with RFP/RFI activities, vendor evaluations, POCs, and technology implementations.
• Experience with hybrid identity environments across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS platforms.
• Familiarity with AI identity governance, AI agents, non-human identities, machine identities, and MCP.
• Experience in regulated environments involving NYDFS, MAR, SOX, SOC 2, or similar requirements.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or IAM/IGA platform certifications.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical, business, and senior leadership stakeholders.

Location

• Three days a week at a Guardian location in New York, NY, Bethlehem PA or Holmdel, NJ

Salary Range:

$118,980.00 - $195,465.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits . Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail] . Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools