Lead Workforce IAM Governance Specialist

M&T Bank•Buffalo, NY

1d•$116,400 - $194,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Workforce IAM Governance Specialist leads the development, governance, and continuous improvement of workforce Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, standards, processes, and controls. The position serves as an IAM subject matter expert and strategic partner, advancing governance, regulatory compliance, and modernization initiatives to improve organizational security, resiliency, and operational effectiveness. The role partners across Cybersecurity, Technology, Risk Management, Compliance, Internal Audit, external auditors, and business stakeholders. It exercises significant independent judgment with limited direction, serves as an advisor and escalation point for workforce IAM governance, and influences enterprise IAM strategy and initiatives. The position has no supervisory responsibilities. The role is based at the Seneca One location in Buffalo, New York, with four days onsite and the flexibility to work from home one day per week.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of relevant work experience; alternatively, a combined minimum of 9 years of higher education and/or work experience, including at least 4 years of work experience in or with the specific Cybersecurity or Technology area and/or team.
Demonstrated advanced knowledge of IAM principles and compliance requirements.
Advanced knowledge across identity governance, access management, privileged access management, cloud identity, regulatory compliance, and related cybersecurity disciplines.
Ability to exercise significant independent judgment and address complex identity governance, compliance, and risk management challenges with limited direction.

Nice To Haves

Advanced knowledge of SailPoint, CyberArk, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), Saviynt, Okta, or comparable IAM and Privileged Access Management platforms.
Experience leading IAM transformation, modernization, cloud identity, or enterprise governance initiatives.
Expertise in identity lifecycle management, access provisioning, access certifications, role management, privileged access governance, and access control frameworks.
Experience establishing enterprise IAM governance frameworks, policies, standards, and control procedures.
Strong knowledge of SOX, FFIEC, NIST, ISO 27001, and related banking regulatory requirements.
Experience developing IAM roadmaps, strategic planning efforts, and tooling transformation initiatives.
Ability to influence senior leaders and drive cross-functional initiatives without direct authority.
Demonstrated advanced knowledge of technology risk management principles and compliance requirements.
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to lead resolution of complex governance and risk-related challenges.
Experience translating technical and regulatory requirements into scalable governance processes, policies, and standards.

Responsibilities

Lead development and maintenance of enterprise IAM governance frameworks, policies, standards, and procedures to support consistent monitoring, effective controls, and workforce identity protection.
Develop and evolve IAM strategy, governance models, policies, and operating procedures with Cybersecurity leadership, Technology, Risk, and business stakeholders.
Evaluate emerging IAM technologies, industry practices, and regulatory requirements, and recommend strategic priorities and roadmap initiatives.
Design, implement, and oversee IAM governance reporting, metrics, dashboards, and monitoring capabilities to measure risk, compliance, control effectiveness, and operational performance.
Prepare and present risk assessments, governance insights, executive reporting, and strategic recommendations to Cybersecurity leadership and governance committees.
Serve as the primary IAM governance partner across Cybersecurity, Technology, Risk Management, Internal Audit, Compliance, and business leadership to identify and mitigate risk.
Lead IAM-related audit and regulatory engagements, coordinating evidence collection, documentation reviews, management responses, issue remediation, and control enhancements.
Partner with Cybersecurity teams and managers to improve process documentation, governance reporting, performance metrics, and operational maturity.
Create and oversee remediation plans, monitor milestones, and guide stakeholders in resolving identified risks and control gaps.
Build organizational partnerships to support implementation and adoption of IAM governance processes and controls.
Lead strategic IAM initiatives and modernization efforts involving identity lifecycle management, access certification, role-based access control, privileged access governance, segregation of duties, and policy exception management.
Provide thought leadership, mentorship, and guidance to analysts and project teams, promoting IAM best practices and governance standards.
Adhere to company risk and regulatory standards, policies, controls, and risk appetite; design, maintain, and enhance internal controls, and escalate risk-related issues as needed.
Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
Maintain internal control standards, including timely implementation of audit findings and applicable issues raised by external regulators.
Complete other related duties as assigned.