"Director, Identity and Access Management"

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in PDF format to the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — which stands for Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Rice University Office of Information Technology (OIT)

OIT provides excellent constituent service, acting as a strategic partner to advance Rice University’s priorities and mission of “pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching, and contribution to the betterment of our world”. We fuel innovation at speed across the university by building a culture of trust, using an effective operating model, driving seamless experiences, and providing core IT capabilities.

OIT is service-oriented and team-enabling. We seek applicants who will contribute to our mission.

• Trust Building and Stakeholder Engagement - Foster trust across the campus by being transparent, reliable, consistent, and solution-oriented in communication and execution. Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication with all constituents, maintaining a service-oriented mindset and addressing challenges with integrity.
• Collaboration and Cross-functional Commitment - Work effectively with colleagues across teams, departments, and roles to support shared goals and a positive work environment. Communicate clearly and professionally with team members throughout OIT and across the campus to ensure smooth coordination of tasks and projects. Build and maintain positive relationships with others by being approachable, reliable, and responsive. Proactively share relevant information and follow up to ensure alignment and efficiency in team efforts.
• Agility and Responsiveness - Adapt quickly to evolving needs, technologies, and priorities, ensuring efficiency and relevance. Identify potential challenges in advance and take proactive steps to minimize disruption to end-users. Approach unexpected changes with a problem-solving mindset, balancing speed and thoughtful engagement. Prioritize user experience by delivering seamless, timely, and effective support and potential solutions. Maintain a culture of continuous learning, ask questions from a place of curiosity and possibility to enhance agility and service outcomes.
• Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement - Maintain a culture of continuous improvement in all IT operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Regularly assess and optimize processes, systems, and technologies to enhance performance, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in the Office of Information Technology (OIT), the Director of Identity and Access Management (IAM) serves as the principal strategist for the University’s identity ecosystem. This role will lead the continued transition to a modern identity environment that seamlessly connects our diverse community of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the resources they need.

This role works with the CISO, peer leaders in the Information Security Office (ISO), campus stakeholders, and peers in OIT on the design and implementation of a frictionless, secure, and automated identity lifecycle. The Director leads a high-performing team, consults with campus leadership to align technical solutions with institutional goals, and defines the multi-year roadmap for identity governance, access management, and privilege control.

The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) platforms and methodologies, including “Identity First”; has demonstrated proficiency integrating core services, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and collaboration suites; and has experience automating “Joiner, Mover, Leaver” lifecycle processing and implementing true Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $127,100 to $164,900 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
  In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in Information Technology, with at least 5 years specifically in Identity and Access Management
  In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

• Expertise in Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), Access Management (AM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Separation of Duties (SoD) controls, and Directory Services.
• Experience with integrations into enterprise ERP/HCM systems (Oracle Cloud preferred), Student Information Systems (Ellucian Banner preferred), and major directory/collaboration platforms (Active Directory, Azure AD/Entra ID, Google Workspace)
• Experience leading and managing high-performing, technically adept knowledge experts delivering 24x7 critical organizational infrastructure
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain technical risks and opportunities to non-technical executive stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills to build partnerships across stakeholder organizations, both within and external to the IT organization

Preferences

• Master’s degree
• Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in Information Technology, with at least 5 years specifically in Identity and Access Management
• 3–5 years of leadership experience managing technical teams, with a proven track record of staff development and strategic planning

Essential Functions

• Develop, propose, implement, and maintain identity solutions and technologies that support campus strategies and initiatives while moving Rice toward zero-trust and “identity first” methodologies
• Collaborate with campus leaders and IT service providers to align solutions with existing services and overall enterprise architecture
• Ensure the high availability, performance, and security of critical IAM infrastructure (IGA platform, SSO, MFA, directories)
• Oversee operational monitoring, incident response, and disaster recovery planning for identity services
• Develop meaningful metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure success toward university and organizational outcomes and objectives
• Maintain reporting and dashboards for periodic review
• Lead IAM staff talent acquisition, including writing job descriptions and hiring staff. Manage IAM staff performance through effective goal setting, periodic reviews, updates to job descriptions, and ongoing staff dialogue
• Stay abreast of emerging trends, evaluating their potential value for the Rice community

Additional skills/experience

• Strong knowledge of identity standards (SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SCIM, LDAP, CAS, Shibboleth)
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-63, NIST SP 800-171, Zero Trust architecture, and regulatory frameworks relevant to higher education (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, PCI-DSS)
• Proven ability to lead organizational change, navigating resistance and building consensus for new policies (e.g., enforcing MFA, removing standing access, building identity governance structures)
• Experience with performance management and talent acquisition, including writing job descriptions, hiring staff, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, and evaluating performance

Responsibilities

• Define, maintain, and execute a comprehensive multi-year IAM strategy and roadmap that directly supports the University’s “Momentous” strategic plan
• Align IAM initiatives with business drivers such as enabling research, supporting student success, and enhancing operational efficiency
• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of IAM architects, system administrators, and analysts
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and customer-centric service. Encourage discourse by providing intentional psychological safety
• Serve as a trusted consultant to OIT leadership, campus administrative heads, Deans, and data stewards
• Manage stakeholder engagement through ongoing conversations and collaborations. Translate complex identity challenges into business terms, advocating for solutions that balance security, user experience, and cost
• Manage constituent satisfaction through meaningful surveys and measurable improvements
• Work with the CISO on managing departmental budget expenditures and planning for future needs

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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