Principal IAM Engineer

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Harvard Business School (HBS) IT is a nimble, innovative, strategic partner who crafts, delivers and supports pioneering technology solutions that connect, enable and inspire the HBS community to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Visit our website for more information: http://www.hbs.edu/information-technology/about-us.

Job Description

Job Summary:

Are you a collaborative, hands-on leader energized by driving technical excellence, vendor management, and operational strategy? Do you have a passion for overseeing advanced computing services and ensuring best-in-class system integrity, security, and reliability? If so, consider joining our team!

HBS IT seeks a Principal IAM (Identity and Access Management) Engineer to provide operational leadership and service management for our identity and access technology platforms. This role collaborates in the design, development, testing, delivery, and support of high-quality and innovative services. As both a strategist and contributor, you’ll partner with HBS colleagues and vendor staff to deliver high-impact solutions that advance the School’s mission.

The ideal candidate will be an agile self-starter who navigates ambiguity with focus and clarity. You are an effective communicator who builds strong stakeholder relationships, and a strategic problem-solver with service management and service experience.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Serve as Service Owner and Technical Oversight Lead for HBS identity and access management platforms, providing technical leadership and accountability for operational excellence, system administration, and continuous improvement
• Define and execute the long-term strategic roadmap for the IAM ecosystem, aligning technology capabilities with institutional priorities
• Provide technical leadership on design, advanced support, troubleshooting, process improvement, and documentation
• Lead the full IAM service lifecycle, from strategy and design through implementation, optimization, and ongoing support, while evaluating business and risk implications
• Translate complex problems into clear, detailed requirements for engineers and end-users
• Build and maintain partnerships with IT colleagues, HBS Partners, Managed Service Providers (MSP), and vendors to support enterprise goals and high-quality service delivery
• Oversee MSP relationships and vendor performance, ensuring operational effectiveness and compliance with university standards
• Serve as a mentor to engineers and provide supervision of temporary resources who deliver reliable, scalable, and secure environments.
• Model and promote collaborative, and service-oriented culture that strengthens trust, accountability, and shared ownership
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents
• Complete other related duties as assigned

Working Conditions:

• Additional support outside of regularly scheduled hours, including early mornings, nights, weekends, and holiday breaks, may occasionally be required
• Must be available by personal cell phone during business hours, and occasionally off-hours (stipend will be provided)
• Must participate in a shared 24x7x365 on call rotation with other IT staff

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of seven years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

The following are preferred:

• Experience with identity and access management technologies, including platform administration, directory services, authentication protocols, and security
• Experience leading services through full lifecycle using Agile delivery methodologies
• Demonstrated success delivering or managing advanced technology services and infrastructure, including on-premises and/or cloud
• Proven ability in MSP/vendor management, including driving accountability, managing service levels and ensuring alignment with organizational standards
• Advanced ability to collaborate across-teams build trusted partnerships and adapt effectively within a dynamic environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical and business challenges and develop clear and detailed requirements
• Excellent communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders, facilitate decision making and present to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience driving process improvement and change management