Senior Director for Identity and Access Management

About the Job

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a foundational enterprise service that enables secure, seamless access to the University's systems, data, and digital experiences. IAM is one of IT's most critical enterprise service domains, enabling access for students, faculty, staff, researchers, alumni, and affiliates across the University system. The Senior Director of Identity & Access Management serves as the primary Change Agent for the IAM program by providing strategic vision, architectural leadership, and organizational direction for the University's enterprise IAM ecosystem. This leader plays a critical role in enabling secure access for more than 100,000 users, supporting academic and research missions, and advancing the University's cybersecurity posture. The Senior Director ensures that IAM services are modern, resilient, user‑centered, and aligned with the University's long‑term digital strategy.

This position leads a multi‑disciplinary organization responsible for a broad portfolio of IAM services, including identity governance, access provisioning, authentication, directory services, lifecycle automation, privileged access management, RBAC/ABAC, access certification, delegated administration, service account governance, and API access management. The Senior Director also oversees the strategy and architecture for core IAM systems such as Active Directory, LDAP, SAML/OIDC platforms, MFA/conditional access engines, SCIM provisioning connectors, identity governance platforms, privileged access platforms, directory synchronization tools. This position reports to the Vice President & Chief Information Officer and serves as a member of the Universitys IT's Leadership Team.

Work Modality: Hybrid; candidates must be located near a University of Minnesota campus, or be open to relocation.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Management

• Provide vision and inspired leadership for the IAM directorate responsible for enterprise IAM services.
• Develop and coach the IAM team, proactively driving workforce planning and development to build high‑performing, inclusive teams capable of supporting complex IAM technologies now and into the future.
• Oversee and provide strategic leadership and direction to the management team on job design, staffing, and skills forecasting, ensuring cross-functional alignment and organizational readiness for future IAM needs.
• Create a climate that supports team effectiveness, employee engagement, and alignment with University IT goals.
• Foster an inclusive environment and meaningfully support the University's commitment to equity and diversity.

Strategy & Architecture

• Direct the short and long‑term strategy for enterprise IAM services, including ensuring alignment with University and IT strategic objectives.
• Build a collaborative strategy with key partnerships from Academic Support Resources (ASR), Office of Human Resources (OHR), and Health Information Privacy & Compliance Office (HIPCO).
• Lead the architectural direction for IAM systems such as [systems ex. Azure AD/Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, LDAP, SAML/OIDC platforms, MFA/conditional access engines, SCIM provisioning connectors, identity governance platforms, privileged access platforms].
• Maintain a strategically aligned IAM service portfolio; evaluate emerging technologies and propose analysis‑based recommendations.
• Anticipate the implications of strategic decisions on resources, security posture, and institutional risk.
• In partnership with the Universitys CISO, advance the University's security posture by ensuring identity governance, authentication, and access control processes are tightly aligned with institutional risk, information security policy and compliance requirements, and strategic priorities.

Enterprise Collaboration & Influence

• Exhibit a high degree of influence with senior management and other groups to gain support for long-term IAM visions in a highly matrixed environment.
• Cultivate strong partnerships with distributed IT units, enterprise system owners, and key business process owners to ensure IAM services support institutional needs.
• Lead cross‑functional governance and service teams responsible for identity lifecycle processes, access provisioning workflows, and integration with enterprise systems.
• Represent IAM in executive forums and systemwide committees, balancing stakeholder needs with institutional priorities and risk considerations.
• Influence institutional policy and standards related to identity governance, access control, authentication, and directory services.
• Develop comprehensive business cases to secure executive approval for the implementation of emerging technologies and next-generation identity services.

Operations & Service Excellence

• Oversee the strategy and advancement of the identity lifecycle processes, focusing on automated provisioning, role engineering, and access certification across the environment.
• Establish and oversee comprehensive validation frameworks, including structured QA and testing methodologies, to ensure the reliability, integrity, and security of all IAM solutions prior to deployment.
• Lead initiatives focused on the integrity of identity data and the aggressive reduction of technical debt within legacy identity systems.
• Oversee the functional operations of IAM teams ensuring optimal organization of people, processes, and technology.
• Ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of IAM platforms.
• Ensure service issues are addressed with appropriate urgency and transparency.
• Plan and manage the IAM operational budget in collaboration with IT finance.
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and licensing for IAM platforms and tools.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree plus at least 15 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree plus at least 13 years of relevant experience.
• Extensive knowledge and experience with leading IAM platforms including lifecycle management and privileged access governance.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise‑level technology functions in a large, complex organization.
• Experience with performance management, resource forecasting, job design, organizational structure, and leadership development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a highly distributed IT environment with multiple stakeholder groups.

About the Department

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is the Universitys central IT unit and provides enterprise-level technologies and services that are broadly consumed, core to central administrative business operations, and tend to offer substantial economies of scale. We are part of a larger ecosystem of IT professionals who work in academic and support units systemwide. Local or collegiate IT units often offer discipline-specific, niche, and complementary services to the OIT central services.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $200,000 - $250,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the

time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures

that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while

maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and

equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates

will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume or CV.

Required application materials: resume and cover letter.

This position will remain open until filled.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nations most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.