Division Director - Identity

Head of Identity & Access Management (IAM) – Divisional Director

Overview

An opportunity to join the Cybersecurity Leadership Team of a large, enterprise-scale financial services organisation as the Head of Identity & Access Management (IAM).

This is a highly visible and strategic leadership role operating as a key deputy and trusted partner to the CISO, with broad accountability across identity strategy, cyber transformation, operational risk, and enterprise security uplift initiatives.

The successful individual will lead a large-scale IAM function responsible for both operational service delivery and the strategic transformation of enterprise identity capabilities across a complex and heavily regulated environment. The role will play a critical part in shaping the organisation’s cyber security roadmap, improving automation, enhancing user experience, and reducing enterprise risk.

This position sits at Divisional Director / executive leadership level and requires a commercially minded cyber leader capable of influencing senior stakeholders, leading large cross-functional teams, and driving strategic outcomes across technology and business functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the enterprise IAM vision, strategy, and multi-year transformation roadmap aligned to broader organisational and cyber security objectives.
• Operate as a senior member of the Cybersecurity Leadership Team and a key escalation point across identity, access, and security transformation initiatives.
• Lead enterprise-wide Identity & Access Management capabilities spanning:
• User Access Management (UAM)
• Privileged Access Management (PAM)
• Authentication and Identity Governance
• Non-human and machine identity management
• Emerging identity capabilities supporting automation and AI-enabled environments
• Drive strategic uplift initiatives focused on automation, operational efficiency, customer experience, and risk reduction.
• Lead and coordinate large cross-functional delivery teams including Product Owners, engineering teams, operational leads, and transformation squads.
• Provide strategic oversight across multiple concurrent IAM initiatives and portfolios, ensuring alignment between business priorities, customer outcomes, operational requirements, and cyber risk management.
• Partner closely with executive leadership, technology teams, operations, and business stakeholders to influence priorities and drive delivery outcomes.
• Ensure IAM capabilities operate effectively within regulatory, compliance, and operational risk frameworks appropriate to a large financial services environment.
• Oversee operational performance, service delivery, KPIs, governance, and continuous improvement initiatives across the IAM function.
• Manage strategic vendor relationships, commercial engagement, and technology partnerships supporting the IAM ecosystem.

Experience Required

• Extensive experience leading enterprise-scale Identity & Access Management functions within complex and highly regulated environments.
• Strong background within financial services, banking, insurance, or similarly regulated enterprise organisations.
• Demonstrated experience operating within senior cyber security leadership teams, ideally in a role closely aligned to executive cyber leadership or CISO functions.
• Proven capability developing and delivering IAM strategies, transformation roadmaps, and enterprise security uplift initiatives.
• Strong commercial and business acumen with the ability to balance customer experience, automation, operational effectiveness, and risk outcomes.
• Experience leading large cross-functional teams and managing senior stakeholder relationships across business and technology functions.
• Strong understanding of IAM domains including PAM, UAM, authentication, identity governance, privileged access, and modern identity security frameworks.
• Ability to influence, challenge, and engage executive stakeholders within fast-paced and evolving enterprise environments.
• Proven leadership capability driving operational maturity, strategic transformation, and continuous improvement outcomes at scale.

For a confidential conversation please reach out to Sophie Garrison - Manager - Cyber Security & GRC - ***email_hidden***