Director, Identity and Access Management

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage Group, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.  

Cengage Group’s portfolio of businesses supports student choice by providing a range of pathways that help learners achieve their goals and lead a choice-filled life.  

Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-belonging/  

The Head of Identity and Access Management is responsible for leading Cengage Group's enterprise-wide identity, access, and entitlement strategy across both employee and customer-facing systems. This role serves as the strategic leader for IAM architecture, governance, and operations while acting as a key member of the cybersecurity leadership team. The position oversees critical identity platforms including Okta (CIAM and workforce identity) and integration with Active Directory, ensuring secure, scalable, and compliant access management that supports business growth while protecting the organization from identity-related threats.  

What you'll do here:

Identity & Access Management Strategy

• Define and implement enterprise IAM strategy encompassing workforce identity, customer identity (CIAM), privileged access management (PAM), and identity governance

• Oversee Okta platform operations for both employee and customer identity use cases, ensuring optimal configuration and integration with business applications

• Lead Active Directory strategy, including hybrid cloud identity architecture and Azure AD integration

• Deliver critical IAM initiatives including Okta consolidation, MFA strategy, and lifecycle automation.

• Drive identity platform modernization initiatives and maintain strategic roadmaps for IAM capabilities

• Establish and enforce identity and access policies, standards, and procedures aligned with security frameworks and regulatory requirements

• Partner with application teams to implement least-privilege access models and zero-trust principles  

Security, Risk and Compliance

• Lead identity-related risk assessments and threat modeling to proactively identify vulnerabilities

• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, FERPA) as they relate to identity and access

• Partner with Risk Management and Incident Response on identity threats and compromise events

• Oversee audits and readiness for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and related certifications

• Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans for identity services  

Team Leadership & Partner Management

• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing IAM team with diverse technical and operational capabilities

• Communicate complex identity and security concepts effectively to technical and business audiences

• Serve as trusted advisor to business leaders on identity strategy, balancing security with user experience  

Skills you will need here:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in IAM, with at least 5 years in leadership roles

• Proven track record managing enterprise IAM platforms (Okta, Active Directory, Azure AD) at scale

• Strong experience with customer identity and access management (CIAM) in B2C or B2B environments

• Expertise in identity protocols and technologies (SAML, OAuth, OIDC, SCIM, LDAP, MFA, PAM, IGA)

• Deep understanding of identity-centric security, zero-trust architecture, and access governance

• Demonstrated success leading IAM transformations, consolidations, and modernization programs

• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (NIST, CIS, ISO 27001) and identity threat landscapes

• Strong executive communication, multi-functional influence, and team leadership skills

• Experience in PE-backed environments or organizations preparing for liquidity events preferred

• Background in education technology, SaaS platforms, or regulated industries highly valued  

What success looks like:

• Reduced identity-related security incidents and improved time-to-detect/respond for credential compromise

• Successful Okta platform consolidation delivering measurable cost savings and operational efficiency

• High partner satisfaction from application teams and business partners on IAM service delivery

• Identity architecture positioned to support business growth and scale through liquidity event  

Additional Information

This role requires a security-first mentality balanced with pragmatic business enablement. The ideal candidate understands that effective IAM programs depend on deep technical architecture, clear risk management, and the ability to partner with diverse collaborators across the organization. This position offers significant insight to executive leadership and PE stakeholders, with opportunity for growth into broader cybersecurity leadership responsibilities.  

Cengage Group is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.  

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [email protected].  

About Cengage Group

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education. 

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.  Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

In this position,  you will be eligible to participate in the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program.  This position's bonus target amount, which is not guaranteed and is dependent on individual performance and overall company results among other factors, is provided below.