Senior Information Security Architect - Cloud IAM

First American•Santa Ana, CA

12h•Remote

About The Position

First American is seeking a highly skilled Senior IAM Security Architect to join their information security architecture team. This role requires deep expertise in the design, implementation, and management of IAM security controls, with a focus on identity protection across cloud environments. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in AWS, Azure, and Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), and possess at least 5 years of experience in IAM related security risk assessment and threat modeling. The Senior IAM Security Architect will be responsible for ensuring the secure and efficient designs for governance of user & non-human identities, access controls, and security policies within the organization. This role will also focus on establishing a Zero Trust identity posture, implementing behavioral risk assessments, and driving automation for identity security. Expertise in Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and modern authentication protocols is essential.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Security, or related field.
7+ years of experience in IAM security, including at least 5 years of experience in IAM risk assessment, threat modeling, and security control design.
Proven expertise in implementing and securing IAM solutions in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, and Entra ID.
In-depth knowledge of IAM security best practices, identity governance, and access management policies.
Hands-on experience in conducting security risk assessments and threat modeling for IAM systems.
Demonstrated experience in establishing least privilege access and implementing Just-in-Time (JIT) access controls across cloud and on-premises environments.
Expertise in implementing and managing a Zero Trust security posture for IAM, with hands-on experience in identity validation, continuous authentication, and risk-based access controls.
Strong expertise with IAM platforms such as Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), AWS IAM, Azure Active Directory.
Experience with cloud security, integrating IAM systems with AWS, Azure, and hybrid environments.
Strong understanding of IAM security controls, including role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), policy enforcement, and Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning.
Experience in implementing and managing SSO and MFA, with expertise in modern authentication protocols such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML.
Experience in architecting and operating CIAM solutions at enterprise scale (customer-facing portals, mobile apps, APIs).

Nice To Haves

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Identity and Access Manager (CIAM) or other relevant IAM/security certification.
Knowledge in GCP would be a nice to have.

Responsibilities

Participate in the design of secure IAM architectures across multiple platforms (AWS, Azure, Entra ID), ensuring all components align with best practices and organizational security requirements.
Design security controls for IAM, including user authentication, authorization, role management, identity federation, and privilege management across cloud and hybrid environments.
Lead the design and evolution of CIAM architecture that supports secure, scalable, and customer-centric identity services across web, mobile, and API-based platforms.
Establish and maintain a Zero Trust security model for IAM, ensuring that all access requests are continuously verified, regardless of location or network.
Integrate Zero Trust principles with cloud-native security tools and IAM platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Entra ID) to ensure seamless, secure, and dynamic access control.
Automate risk-based access controls and adaptive authentication based on behavioral signals, ensuring a dynamic response to security events.
Establish and enforce least privilege access principles for all roles across cloud and on-prem environments, ensuring users only have the minimal access necessary to perform their job functions.
Design and implement Just-in-Time (JIT) access control mechanisms to dynamically grant access based on user needs, significantly reducing standing permission sets.
Design SSO solutions that provide seamless and secure access to enterprise applications, ensuring a frictionless user experience while maintaining high security standards.
Lead the adoption of modern authentication protocols (e.g., OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML) for secure, scalable, and standardized access management across applications and systems.
Design MFA solutions to enhance authentication security, applying risk-based policies to ensure strong protection for sensitive data and critical resources.
Develop and integrate IAM security controls with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Entra ID, ensuring secure access management across both public and hybrid cloud environments.
Leverage native security features of cloud platforms (e.g., AWS IAM, Azure AD, Entra ID) to design scalable, secure, and automated IAM solutions.
Lead the migration process from Hybrid Active Directory to Entra-ID based authentication to ensure minimal disruption and proper synchronization and federation across systems.
Develop and maintain security governance frameworks for IAM, focusing on identity lifecycle management, role-based access control (RBAC), user provisioning, deprovisioning, and enforcement of least privilege.
Ensure proper identity governance and access reviews are conducted regularly, documenting changes and exceptions as part of compliance audits.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including application security, network security, infrastructure, and DevOps, to integrate IAM security best practices across systems and services.
Stay up to date on the latest IAM trends, security threats, and technology advancements to continuously improve IAM practices and solutions.
Implement security automation tools and workflows to improve efficiency and reduce manual efforts in identity management and access control.