Lead Identity and Access Management Engineer

CONTEXT

Our client, a major player in its sector, is entering a decisive phase in the modernization of its digital identity landscape. After years of relying on fragmented tools, manual processes, and a growing web of legacy integrations, the organization has decided to make identity the cornerstone of its digital strategy. The chosen backbone is a powerful Ping Identity and ForgeRock ecosystem that supports critical services for millions of users. However, the platform is complex, and the internal team needs a guiding hand. A 100-day strategic assignment has been launched to bring in a lead engineer who can act as the foremost hands-on technical authority. This is not a typical delivery role. It is a mission that combines deep platform engineering, automation, and complex deployments with a strong commitment to knowledge transfer. Junior and medior engineers are eager to learn, but they need a mentor who can translate cryptic tooling into clear, repeatable practices. The client wants someone who can build and teach at the same time, leaving behind a more capable team and a more resilient platform.

ACTIVITIES

• Serve as the primary technical authority for the Ping Identity and ForgeRock platforms.
• Design, implement, and automate complex identity and access management deployments.
• Lead platform engineering efforts, including configuration, scripting, pipelines, and system integrations.
• Troubleshoot high-severity incidents, performance bottlenecks, and security issues.
• Act as a dedicated mentor and internal trainer for junior and medior engineers.
• Deliver workshops, pair-programming sessions, and certification preparation.
• Create reusable documentation, runbooks, and training materials.
• Collaborate with security, infrastructure, application, and business teams.
• Assess the current architecture and propose pragmatic improvements.
• Conduct code reviews, deployment reviews, and post-incident analyses.
• Support the rollout of new capabilities while maintaining operational stability.

EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

• Deliver a more stable, automated, and scalable identity platform.
• Reduce manual deployment effort through robust automation and standards.
• Upskill the internal team so they can independently operate and extend the platform.
• Resolve critical technical debt and strengthen the overall security posture.
• Establish a training curriculum and a sustainable mentoring rhythm.
• Leave behind clear documentation, reusable components, and best practices.
• Ensure the 100-day assignment creates lasting capability rather than dependency.
• Contribute directly to the client's strategic digital identity roadmap.

ENVIRONMENT

• Ping Identity and ForgeRock product suites.
• Identity protocols: OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, LDAP, SCIM.
• Automation and infrastructure as code: Ansible, Terraform, Jenkins, GitLab CI.
• Scripting languages: PowerShell, Bash, Python, Groovy.
• Cloud and container platforms: Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Version control and collaboration: Git, Jira, Confluence.
• Methodologies: Agile, DevOps, Scrum, Kanban.
• A culture of mentoring, documentation, and continuous improvement.