Principal Identity Architect

• Principal Identity & Authentication Architect
• Location: Melbourne
• Contract Duration: Initial 6-month contract with potential for extension
• Rate ranges from $1100/day to $1200/day Incl super (flexible for the right person)

 
About the role:
The central challenge of this role is bridging the gap between vision and execution. The Client has a clear ambition for its identity platform but lacks the senior architectural leadership to translate that ambition into actionable roadmaps, reusable patterns, and delivered outcomes. This role calls for a visionary identity architect who can own that bridge someone who can articulate a compelling target state, design the architecture to realize it, and drive execution across distributed teams.
 
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Thought Leadership

• Define and own the target-state architecture for the Client’s identity and authentication platform, with carrier tokenisation and just-in-time authentication at its core.
• Act as the authoritative voice on identity architecture decisions, providing clear direction and strong opinions grounded in deep domain expertise.
• Maintain a current perspective on emerging authentication standards and technologies and apply that insight to shape the Client’s identity direction.
• Develop use-case enablement patterns and reference architectures that provide a repeatable, scalable bridge between strategic vision and project-level execution.

Architecture & Engineering

• Design and fast-track carrier tokenisation flows, moving the bank away from legacy SAML/LDAP federation toward a modern, token-centric model.
• Architect a seamless end-user authentication experience across banking channels, eliminating unnecessary re-authentication touchpoints.
• Design the cloud-native central SDK for standarised project onboarding to the identity platform.
• Develop and mature the non-human identity management framework for machine-to-machine authentication and credential lifecycle management.
• Work with the Entra ID platform to optimize its configuration and extend its capabilities in line with the target architecture.

Governance & Risk Posture

• Support the remediation of outstanding IDAM audit findings by embedding governance into the architectural vision and delivery roadmap.
• Establish architectural guardrails, standards, and patterns that strengthen the bank’s identity security posture and prevent future compliance gaps.
• Address current challenges with the SailPoint IGA deployment as part of the broader identity lifecycle strategy.

Capability Uplift

• Provide technical direction and mentorship to distributed identity teams, including offshore delivery teams across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Bridge the gap between available CyberArk/SailPoint operational skill sets and the strategic identity architecture vision.
• Introduce and evangelize modern identity patterns across the broader engineering organisations.

 
Required Skills & Experience
Essential

• Extensive experience (10+ years) in Identity & Access Management architecture and engineering, with deep expertise in authentication, authorisation, and identity lifecycle.
• Proven expertise in token-based authentication architectures (OAuth 2.0, OIDC, FIDO2/WebAuthn, carrier tokenisation concepts).
• Strong experience with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) as a primary identity platform.
• Demonstrable experience designing and delivering cloud-native identity solutions at enterprise scale.
• Track record of managing non-human / machine-to-machine identity and secrets management (e.g., workload identities, certificate-based auth, API credential lifecycle).
• Hands-on familiarity with identity governance platforms, particularly SailPoint Identity Now or IdentityIQ.
• Experience working within heavily regulated environments (banking, financial services) including audit remediation and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to operate as a thought leader: articulate a compelling vision, influence senior stakeholders, and drive alignment across business and technology.
• Experience leading or mentoring geographically distributed engineering teams.

 
Highly Desirable

• Experience with CyberArk Privileged Access Management.
• Familiarity with just-in-time (JIT) access provisioning and zero-standing-privilege models.
• SDK design and developer experience (DX) for identity platform onboarding.
• Previous experience in an Australian banking or financial services environment.
• Understanding of prudential regulatory frameworks relevant to identity and access management in financial services.

This role is perfect for a strategic thinker with a passion for authentication innovation and a knack for translating vision into action. If you thrive in complex, dynamic environments and enjoy leading teams through at-scale enterprise initiatives, this could be a rewarding next step in your career.
BH- 271464
Keyword Search
Principal Identity Architect, Identity Architect, Principal IAM Architect, Enterprise Identity Architect, IAM Solution Architect, Identity Security Architect, Security Architect – Identity, 
 
Apply Now
Ready to take on a high-impact role within a nationally significant program, send through your CV to nick.reddy@peoplebank.com.au or call 03 8080 7260. 
 
Referrals are welcome – please share with your network.

Note: We are expecting several exciting opportunities to open soon, including Domain Architects (AI Compute, AI Network, AI Storage), Enterprise Architect – AI Transformation, Senior Project Manager – AI, Portfolio Manager, and Strategic Program Manager. 


Peoplebank and Leaders IT are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone belongs. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. If you need adjustments to the recruitment process due to your circumstances, please let us know—we’re here to support you.