Title: Senior Identity Access Manager
Employment type: Contract (6–12 months)
Potential extension based on integration scope and workload
Location: Primarily remote

• Open to occasional travel for working sessions in Fargo and Portland
• Possible occasional travel to Minneapolis or Denver

Work Schedule: Flexible scheduling required to support multi-time-zone collaboration (Pacific & Central)

Role Overview for Senior Identity & Access Management (IAM) Specialist – Microsoft Azure / Entra ID
We are seeking an experienced, hands-on IAM Specialist to support a complex identity integration and migration initiative resulting from an organizational affiliation. This role will play a critical part in executing downstream IAM operations while collaborating closely with internal teams and an external consulting partner responsible for overall architecture.
The ideal candidate is a senior, execution-oriented IAM practitioner with deep Microsoft identity expertise who can quickly engage with minimal ramp-up, advise on technical decisions, and deliver against a demanding integration roadmap over the next 6 to 12 months.

Key Responsibilities:
Identity Integration & Migration

• Support Active Directory and Entra ID integration across two independent organizations
• Execute and support:
  • Cross-forest Active Directory migrations
  • Entra ID tenant-to-tenant identity migrations (beyond basic provisioning)
  • Federation and trust model implementation (SAML-based and hybrid)
• Manage identity consolidation activities including:
  • UPN normalization
  • Attribute mapping and normalization
  • SID History usage and risk mitigation
  • Email and Exchange Online identity dependencies

Hybrid Identity & Federation

• Operate and troubleshoot hybrid identity models including:
  • Entra ID Connect / Cloud Sync
  • Federation scenarios (legacy and modern)
• Support SSO and federation integrations using:
  • SAML and OAuth
  • Certificate trust updates and troubleshooting
• Assist with Microsoft Multi-Tenant Organization (MTO) configurations and limitations

Security & Access Governance

• Configure and support:
  • Conditional Access policies
  • MFA providers and enforcement models
  • Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
• Apply Zero Trust principles in identity design and access decisions
• Troubleshoot access, authentication, and policy-related issues across environments

Collaboration & Operations

• Work closely with:
  • Internal infrastructure, security, and cloud teams
  • External consulting partner handling identity architecture
• Participate in discovery, design discussions, and operational execution
• Support rising cross-system access requests during affiliation activities
• Engage collaboratively across organizations this role is not isolated or task-only

Required Qualifications:
Technical Expertise

• 8+ years of IAM experience with strong Microsoft identity focus
• Deep hands-on experience with:
  • Active Directory architecture
  • Azure AD / Entra ID
  • Hybrid identity models
• Practical experience supporting identity migrations and integrations
• Strong troubleshooting skills across authentication, federation, and access controls

Tools & Platforms

• Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
• Active Directory (on-prem)
• Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM)
• SailPoint (exposure or operational experience)
• Exchange Online identity dependencies
• Guest user (B2B) access models

Professional Skills

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Comfortable working across multiple teams and organizations
• Able to explain technical decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Self-directed, hands-on, and able to operate with minimal supervision

Nice-to-Have Experience

• Prior experience supporting:
  • Mergers, acquisitions, or organizational affiliations
  • Large-scale identity consolidation initiatives
• Familiarity with legacy identity components and transition planning
• Experience working alongside consulting or system integrator partners

Why This Role Matters
This engagement supports a high-visibility, high-impact identity initiative with increasing workload and complexity. Success requires someone who can balance execution, judgment, and collaboration while helping stabilize and modernize identity access across organizations.