At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead IAM strategy and ensure secure, user-friendly access across our platforms.
- Company: Join IFS, a billion-dollar tech company with a commitment to innovation and diversity.
- Benefits: Flexible work options, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic, inclusive culture with a focus on collaboration and community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a global team focused on cutting-edge AI technology.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in software engineering and deep expertise in identity management.
The predicted salary is between 113400 - 138600 £ per year.
- Senior Director, Identity & Access Management
- Full-time
IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents.
Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™.
Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.
At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact.
We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.
We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in.
We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities.
As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.
By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.
We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can
#Make Your Moment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.
If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.
This role owns the Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy for the IFS platform ecosystem.
It leads the Authentication (Auth N) and Authorization (Auth Z) platforms that secure Nexus, Kairos, IFS. ai, Cloud Services, and future platform investments — balancing security, scale, compliance, and a straightforward experience for customers and developers.
The leader builds and runs a high-performing engineering organization through two engineering managers, and partners closely with Product, Architecture, Security, Compliance, Cloud Operations, and Customer Services to keep IAM capability ahead of the platform's needs.
Key responsibilities
- Identity provider integration and federation
- SSO architecture and delivery
- OAuth 2.0 and Open ID Connect platforms
- Customer identity onboarding
- SCIM provisioning and identity lifecycle management
- User and group management
- Tenant onboarding and offboarding
- Session management and token services
- Identity governance and compliance
- Authentication observability and operational excellence
- High availability and disaster recovery for authentication services
- Authorization
- RBAC, ABAC, Re BAC, and ACL models
- Centralized and decentralized authorization patterns
- Policy administration capabilities
- Row-level security capabilities
- Audit and compliance controls
- Authorization interoperability across the IFS product suite
- Developer enablement — libraries, SDKs, and templates
- Platform adoption across application teams
- Leadership responsibilities
- Set the strategic direction for IAM across the platform ecosystem and represent it in the wider engineering and product strategy
- Own platform architecture governance for Auth Nand Auth Z, ensuring designs meet security, scale, and compliance requirements
- Uphold engineering excellence — code quality, reliability, and sound technical decision-making across both teams
- Champion security and compliance as design constraints from the start, not afterthoughts
- Represent the IAM customer experience — secure, fast, and easy to use — in every platform decision
- Own reliability and operational excellence for Auth Nand Auth Zservices, including on-call and incident response posture
- Drive adoption of AI-assisted engineering practices to lift team productivity
- Partner across Product, R&D, and Cloud Operations to align IAM investment with the wider platform roadmap
- Peopleresponsibilities
- Lead a two-tier organization through two direct-report engineering managers — Authentication and Authorization — each running their own engineering team
- Coach and develop the engineering managers, building their capability to lead and grow their teams
- Own hiring, performance management, and career development across the IAM organization
- Shape team structure and role design to match platform scope as it grows
- Build a global, distributed team culture that works effectively across time zones
- Create clear paths for talent development and succession within the IAM leadership team
- Commercial responsibilities
- Own the IAM organization's budget, including headcount planning and vendor spend
- Evaluate and select third-party identity and authorization technologies, weighing build-versus-buy trade-offs against cost, risk, and time to value
- Justify platform investment with a clear view of cost, risk reduction, and business impact
- Manage vendor relationships and contracts tied to IAM tooling and services
- Prioritize the roadmap to deliver the best return on engineering investment across Auth Nand Auth Z
- Required
- Software engineering experience, witha strong foundationin distributed systems
- Proven experiencein engineering leadership roles, with direct accountability for team and platform outcomes
- Proven experience leading through managers, not only leading engineers directly
- Deep domainexpertisein identity and access management — authentication, authorization, or both
- Experience building and operating Saa S or cloud platforms at enterprise scale
- A background in security architecture, with working knowledge of threat modeling and secure design principles
- Experience leading platform engineering teams that serve other engineering teams as customers
- Familiarity with compliance frameworks relevant to enterprise Saa S, such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, or GDPR
- Experience leading globally distributed teams across multiple time zones
- Preferred
- Hands-on experience with a major cloud provider — Azure, AWS, or GCP
- Familiarity with Zero Trust architecture principles
- Working knowledge of OAuth 2.0, Open ID Connect, SAML, and SCIM
- Experience with modern authorization technologies, including policy engines and ABAC/Re BAC frameworks
- Exposure to identity governance and administration (IGA) solutions
- A security certification such as CISSP or CISM, or equivalent experience
Skills and competencies
- Customer centricity —designs IAM capability around how customers and developersactually work.
- Collaboration —builds trust and alignment across Product, Architecture, Security, and Operations.
- Accountability —owns outcomes for the platform and the teams that build it.
- Courageous leadership —makes and defends hard calls on security and architecture trade-offs.
- Continuous improvement —treats reliability and process as things to keep refining, not fixed.
- Strategic thinking —connects day-to-day platform decisions to the longer-term IFS roadmap.
- Results orientation —stays focused on measurable outcomes, not activity.
- Talent development —invests in growing managers and the engineers behind them.
- Innovation mindset —stays open tonew approachesin identity and authorization without chasing novelty for its own sake.
- Success measures
- Enterprise-wide adoption of IAM platforms across Nexus, Kairos, IFS. ai, and Cloud Services
- Measurable reduction in security risk across authentication and authorization surfaces
- Improved developer productivity through self-service IAM capabilities, SDKs, and templates
- Faster customer and tenant onboarding and provisioning
- Increased standardization of authorization patterns across the product suite
- Improved audit and compliance readiness
- High availability and resilience of Auth Nand Auth Zservices, measured against agreed service-level objectives
- Improved customer satisfaction tied to identity and access experiences
We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences.
By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging.
Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.
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Senior Director, Identity & Access Management Staines-upon-Thames, England, United Kingdom Research and Development employer: IFS
As a leading employer in the tech industry, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. Our hybrid work model supports diverse lifestyles, while our commitment to engineering excellence and responsible AI practices ensures that you will be part of meaningful projects that drive customer value. With ample opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within our Enterprise Asset Management team, you'll be empowered to develop your skills and make a significant impact in the world of software engineering.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director, Identity & Access Management Staines-upon-Thames, England, United Kingdom Research and Development
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at IFS or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to IFS.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like IFS.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like IFS that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director, Identity & Access Management Staines-upon-Thames, England, United Kingdom Research and Development
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at IFS.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at IFS and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at IFS
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If IFS uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.