Cyber Security Consultant - Identity & Access Management

At IBM CIC, we provide technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients in the UK. A career in IBM CIC means you will have the opportunity to work with leading professionals across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. You will get the chance to deliver effective solutions, driving meaningful business change for our clients, using some of the latest technology platforms. Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation to success here. You will be encouraged and supported to constantly reinvent yourself, focusing on skills in demand in an ever changing market. You will be working with diverse teams, coming up with creative solutions which impact a wide network of clients, who may be at their site or one of our CIC or IBM locations. Our culture of evolution centres on long‑term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience.

We offer:

• Many training opportunities from classroom to e‑learning, mentoring and coaching programs and the chance to gain industry recognised certifications
• Regular and frequent promotion opportunities to ensure you can drive and develop your career with us
• Feedback and checkpoints throughout the year
• Diversity & Inclusion as an essential and authentic component of our culture through our policies and process as well as our Employee Champion teams and support networks
• A culture where your ideas for growth and innovation are always welcome
• Internal recognition programs for peer‑to‑peer appreciation as well as from manager to employees
• Tools and policies to support your work‑life balance from flexible working approaches, sabbatical programmes, paid paternity leave, maternity leave and an innovative maternity returners scheme
• More traditional benefits, such as 25 days holiday (in addition to public holidays), private medical, dental & optical cover, online shopping discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme, life assurance and a group personal pension plan of an additional 5% of your base salary paid by us monthly to save for your future.

Your role and responsibilities:

As a Security Consultant specialising in Identity & Access Management (IAM), you will design, build, and modernise enterprise identity foundations that enable secure, seamless access across complex environments. You will work hands‑on with leading IAM platforms to implement authentication, authorisation, lifecycle automation, and identity governance at scale. By applying standards and protocols such as SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, and SCIM – as well as scripting and automation to support large multi‑cloud estates – you will strengthen access controls, reduce risk, and streamline user journeys across cloud, on‑prem, and hybrid platforms. This is a technical, client‑facing consulting role that requires translating identity requirements into scalable, secure, business‑aligned solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement IAM solutions across cloud and on‑prem environments using platforms such as Azure AD/Entra ID, Okta, Ping, SailPoint, Saviynt, or similar.
• Lead end‑to‑end identity lifecycle projects, including provisioning, de‑provisioning, workflow automation, and access governance set‑up.
• Develop secure authentication and authorisation patterns using SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, SCIM, and Zero Trust principles.
• Create and enforce RBAC, ABAC, and least‑privilege access models to strengthen security posture and simplify access management.
• Integrate IAM controls into enterprise platforms, applications, APIs, and CI/CD pipelines, ensuring seamless user access and strong security boundaries.
• Automate IAM operations through scripting and tooling (e.g. PowerShell, Python, Terraform) to improve efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
• Conduct IAM assessments and identity posture reviews, providing actionable recommendations aligned with regulatory frameworks and client requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex identity issues across authentication, federation, directory services, and cross‑platform access scenarios.
• Collaborate with engineering, security, and architecture teams to embed secure‑by‑design identity controls into new and existing services.
• Deliver client‑facing workshops and documentation, translating identity requirements and technical design decisions into clear, business‑aligned outcomes.

Required technical and professional expertise:

• Hands‑on experience with at least one major IAM platform, such as Azure AD/Entra ID, Okta, Ping Identity, SailPoint, Saviynt, CyberArk, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of IAM fundamentals, including authentication, authorisation, identity lifecycle management, access governance, and federation.
• Deep knowledge of identity standards and protocols, including SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), SCIM, LDAP, Kerberos, and MFA patterns.
• Practical experience designing and implementing IAM controls across cloud (Azure/AWS/GCP), hybrid, and on‑premise environments.
• Ability to build and automate IAM processes using scripting or automation tools (PowerShell, Python, Terraform, or similar).
• Experience delivering Role‑Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute‑Based Access Control (ABAC), least‑privilege models, and access review processes.
• Hands‑on experience integrating IAM with enterprise applications, SaaS platforms, APIs, directories, and CI/CD or DevOps workflows.
• Strong understanding of Zero Trust principles, particularly identity‑centric access patterns.
• Experience conducting IAM assessments and producing recommendations aligned to industry frameworks and regulatory requirements.
• Proven consulting experience, including client‑facing delivery, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to translate identity requirements into technical solutions.

This role requires eligibility for UK Government security clearance. Candidates with existing clearance (SC or DV) are encouraged to apply, but those who meet the baseline eligibility criteria and can obtain clearance will also be fully considered.

Preferred Professional Preferred technical and professional experience:

• Microsoft: SC-300 (Identity & Access Administrator), AZ-500, SC-100
• IAM platforms: Okta Professional/Administrator, Ping Identity, SailPoint, Saviynt
• Security: CISSP, CCSP, or relevant practitioner‑level credentials
• Experience implementing or supporting Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) tooling, including access reviews, SoD policies, or recertification processes.
• Familiarity with Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions (e.g. CyberArk, Delinea, BeyondTrust) and their integration into broader identity workflows.
• Experience designing Zero Trust architectures where identity acts as the primary control plane, including device trust and conditional access policies.
• Hands‑on experience integrating IAM with API gateways, custom applications, microservices, or serverless architectures.
• Exposure to multi‑cloud IAM patterns, including AWS IAM roles/policies, GCP IAM, workload identity federation, permissions boundaries, and SCPs.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver client‑facing workshops, discovery sessions, and architectural recommendations in a consulting context.
• Experience supporting or leading IAM delivery within regulated or compliance‑driven environments (e.g. ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS, GDPR).
• Familiarity with IAM considerations in OT, IoT, or hybrid environments, such as legacy directory integration or constrained protocol support.
• Ability to produce high‑quality design documentation, HLDs/LLDs, standards, and operational runbooks for identity solutions.
• Experience with automation pipelines, policy‑as‑code, or CI/CD integration for identity deployments.
• Understanding of threat modelling and secure design as applied to authentication flows, session management, and identity‑centric attack paths.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.