Cyber Security Engineer

Overview

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial services organization that is at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to securing the digital future for millions of users. We are seeking a visionary Cyber Security Engineer to take on a pivotal role, shaping the very foundation of identity and access management. This is your chance to make a profound impact, driving the adoption of cutting-edge security principles and safeguarding critical systems against evolving threats. Your expertise will directly influence the security posture of a vast enterprise, ensuring seamless, secure access for all while championing a Zero Trust future.

About the Role

As a Cyber Security Engineer, you will be at the heart of designing, implementing, and maintaining robust Identity & Access Management (IAM) architectures. You will be instrumental in establishing a long-term identity strategy that aligns with critical business, security, and regulatory requirements. This role offers an exciting opportunity to lead initiatives, innovate with hybrid identity models, and integrate advanced security controls across cloud platforms and development pipelines. You will not only build the future of identity security but also mentor peers and drive continuous improvement in a dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive Identity & Access Management architectures utilizing Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory.
• Develop and execute a long-term identity strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, security mandates, and regulatory compliance.
• Architect secure hybrid identity models, incorporating Entra Connect, advanced cloud sync strategies, and automated identity lifecycle processes.
• Champion the adoption of Zero Trust identity principles, including continuous evaluation and the enforcement of least-privilege access.
• Lead the design and optimization of Conditional Access policies, authentication flows, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), passwordless strategies (FIDO2, Windows Hello Business), and identity protection measures.
• Architect, standardize, and provide governance oversight for Entra ID Governance capabilities such as Privileged Identity Management (PIM), access reviews, entitlement management, custom roles, and segregation of duties.
• Oversee the configuration of Entra applications, service principals, federations, SCIM provisioning, and Single Sign-On (SSO) integrations (SAML/OIDC/OAuth2).
• Design secure, resilient, and scalable Active Directory forests, domains, Group Policy Object (GPO) structures, and privileged access boundaries.
• Lead initiatives to modernize Active Directory security posture, including tiered administration models, privileged access isolation, delegated administration, and secure baselines.
• Implement Active Directory hardening, lifecycle management, group governance, and remediation of legacy dependencies.
• Develop identity standards, patterns, security baselines, and comprehensive governance frameworks.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements such as SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and internal audit controls.
• Provide expert guidance for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)/Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) models, identity lifecycle management, privileged access governance, and application onboarding.
• Design identity controls that are auditable, measurable, and automatable, directly supporting internal risk assessments and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate extensively with cloud platform and DevSecOps teams to seamlessly integrate identity controls into cloud landing zones, CI/CD pipelines, and broader enterprise architectures.
• Partner with security operations to integrate identity telemetry, enhance threat detection, and streamline incident response workflows.
• Provide architectural direction for acquisition integrations, cloud migrations, and modernization projects.
• Produce high-quality architecture diagrams, roadmaps, threat models, and solution documentation.
• Drive Identity and Access Management (IAM) as a shared enterprise platform, balancing security, user experience, and operational resiliency.
• Stay abreast of the latest identity trends, Entra roadmap updates, and emerging threats to inform strategic decisions.
• Recommend continuous improvement opportunities across authentication, authorization, and identity governance domains.
• Mentor fellow engineers and guide best practices in identity design and operations.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Identity & Access Management, encompassing architecture or engineering roles.
• Deep expertise in:
  • Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), Conditional Access, Identity Protection, and Entra Governance.
  • Active Directory design, replication, DNS, GPO, PKI, and delegation models.
  • SSO protocols including OAuth2, OIDC, SAML, and WS-Fed.
  • Identity lifecycle automation and provisioning.
  • Zero Trust architecture principles.
• Strong knowledge of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), passwordless authentication, risk-based policies, and authentication flows.
• Proven experience securing hybrid identity environments using Entra Connect, federation services, and cloud-only patterns.
• Expertise in building Terraform Infrastructure as Code (IaC) resources and guardrails for identity services through reusable modules and automated CI/CD pipelines.
• Proficiency with PowerShell or other automation frameworks.
• Strong understanding of IAM risk management, audit requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Exceptional communication and leadership capabilities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries with technical and executive stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic thinking skills.
• Ability to simplify complex identity concepts into clear, actionable guidance.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Microsoft certifications such as SC-300, SC-100, AZ-305, or equivalent.
• Experience with:
  • Privileged Access Workstations (PAW).
  • Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM) or other Identity Lifecycle Management (ILM) solutions.
  • Advanced Conditional Access configurations and automation.
  • Enterprise-scale identity consolidation and domain migration projects.
  • Modern IAM stacks including SailPoint, CyberArk, or Okta.
• Background in security architecture, threat modeling, or penetration testing specifically related to identity systems.