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Key details
Why this role is notable
The day-to-day work is governing how autonomous Agentic AI agents are issued identities, scoped entitlements, and access rights within an enterprise IAM system, which is a function that barely existed before agents began acting as non-human principals with their own credentials. Traditional IAM architects managed human and service accounts, not AI agents that reason and act across systems.
Job Description
At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.
We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.
The opportunity
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Identity Architect will partner across technology and business teams to design and govern the integration of Agentic AI, automation and intelligence into EY’s global Identity and Access Management (IAM) ecosystem. The architect will collaborate closely with Security Architects, Development Leads, Engineering, Operations and other internal business teams to ensure that Agentic AI solutions are securely designed, complaint with IAM standards and aligned with EY’s global technology and security strategies.
The AI Identity Architect is accountable and responsible for the alignment of business, operational and security requirements and translation of those requirements into technical IAM capabilities. IAM services include, but not limited to, Identity Lifecycle Management, authentication and authorization, session management, access requests, access provisioning, access reauthorization, remote access, IAM services API, role and entitlement models, and directory technologies. The AI Identity Architect will work with other Architects and Service Owners to create a roadmap that meets strategic and current requirements.
Your key responsibilities
- Partner with Architecture, Information Security, Client Technology, and Enterprise Technology teams to embed AI-driven capabilities into the enterprise IAM strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals, security policies, regulatory requirements, and organizational technology roadmaps
- Architect AI-augmented solutions that enhance the global IAM platforms’ intelligence, automation and adaptive capabilities
- Architect and integrate AI-based features, such as adaptive access control, predictive threat detection and identity analytics, into the IAM framework
- Define architectural standards, frameworks and patterns for AI-assisted IAM services across on-prem, hybrid and cloud environments
- Establish architectural guardrails and governance models for safe and auditable deployment of AI and Agentic agents across EY’s business teams
- Define and enforce identity management strategies tailored for AI agents, including their unique life cycles, entitlements, and owner relationships.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on the application of Agentic AI to identity operations, user experience and risk reduction.
- Partner with data and platform teams to ensure alignment with enterprise AI governance and model management frameworks.
Skills and attributes for success
The individual in this role must be well educated in general aspects of Information Security as well as:
- Have proven experience in providing architecture guidance and advisory services to internal or external clients for various environments and systems, including application/technology blueprints, roadmaps, optimization, and migration strategies.
- Extensive experience implementing or architecting AI, ML or automation technologies within IAM or cybersecurity domains.
- Experience designing and integrating systems using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or equivalent AI orchestration standards.
- Strong knowledge of Agentic A architectures (multi-agent systems, LLM orchestration, reinforcement-based agents or decision engines).
- Strong experience with enterprise IAM platforms (Entra ID, SailPoint, CyberArk, PlainID) and identity analytics.
- Ability to effectively communicate and advocate key security requirements and controls for implementation by development teams.
- Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management, both verbally and in writing.
Microsoft Entra Agent ID and Agent 365 platform design
- Design the agent identity model in Microsoft Entra Agent ID agent identity blueprints, parent/child inheritance, agent instances, sponsorship and ownership, and the credential model for delegated versus application-only access.
- Establish the Microsoft Agent 365 control plane across its five pillars Registry, Access Control, Visualization, Interoperability and Security and define the operating model for the Agent 365 registry in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Define the registration and discovery pathway so that agents built in Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, the Microsoft Agent Framework, the Agent 365 SDK and third-party or open-source frameworks all converge on a single authoritative registry.
- Design Conditional Access for agents, risk-based response using Microsoft Entra ID Protection, and network-layer controls for agent traffic.
- Extend Microsoft Entra ID Governance to agent identities: access packages scoped to agent identities, access reviews, lifecycle workflows, sponsor notification and sponsorship-transfer handling, and time-bound access with automated expiry.
- Design the delegation and consent model for agents acting on behalf of users, including token exchange, scope minimization and revocation paths.
- Define the approach to shadow-AI discovery locally run and cloud-hosted agents surfaced through Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Intune and Agent 365 and the remediation path from discovery to governed identity.
Guardrails, governance and assurance
- Establish architectural guardrails and governance models for the safe, auditable deployment of AI and agentic systems across business teams.
- Define architectural standards, frameworks and patterns for AI-assisted IAM services across on-premises, hybrid and cloud environments.
- Design systems and integrations using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), agent-to-agent (A2A) patterns and equivalent AI orchestration standards, with authentication, authorization and auditability designed in rather than bolted on.
- Work with Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Defender owners so that data protection, DLP, audit and threat response cover agent activity end to end.
- Define the control set that satisfies internal policy, external regulation and audit for non-human identities, and evidence it through logging, reporting and recertification.
- Set standards for privileged agent access no standing privilege, short-lived credentials, just-in-time elevation and least-privilege scope design.
To qualify for the role, you must have
Education:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Assurance, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field of study.
Experience:
- 12+ years of practical experience in the field of IT is required. 8+ years of direct Information Security experience.
- 6+ years’ experience in hands-on Identity & Access Management positions
- 2+ years of experience implementing or architecting AI/ML Identity systems
Ideally, you’ll also have:
- Experience designing or governing Agentic AI agents for workflow orchestration or decision automation.
- Hands-on familiarity with Agentic AI frameworks (LamgChain, CrewAI, AutoGen or similar).
- Ability to articulate complex AI and identity concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
What we offer you
The compensation ranges below are provided in order to comply with United States pay transparency laws. Other geographies will follow their local salary guidelines, which may not be a direct conversion of published US salary ranges. At EY, we harness our collective strength to empower you to shape your future with confidence through professional growth, personal fulfillment and an inclusive culture. Learn more at ey.com/us/careers.
- We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to the business. The base salary range for this job is:
- New York City, Boston, and Washington DC Metro Areas, Washington State, and Southern California offices – $158,200 to $269,000
- Bay Area California offices – $164,800 to $280,200
- All other offices locations in the US, including Sacramento – $131,900 to $246,600
- Individual salaries within these ranges are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills and geography. In addition, our Total Rewards package includes medical and dental coverage, pension and 401(k) plans, and a wide range of paid time off options.
- Under our flexible vacation policy, you’ll decide how much vacation time you need based on your own personal circumstances. You’ll also be granted time off for designated EY Paid Holidays, Winter/Summer breaks, Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence when needed to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.
Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today.
- To make the most of your application experience, please limit yourself to two applications within a six-month period.
- EY accepts applications for this position on an on-going basis.
- For those living in California, please click here for additional information.
- At EY, our values set the foundation for how we work and the behaviors we expect of our people. Any misrepresentation or falsification of information or lack of integrity at any point in the recruiting process may result in withdrawal of your candidacy, revocation of an offer or immediate termination of employment.
EY | Building a better working world
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected basis, including arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable law.
EY is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities including veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and either need assistance applying online or need to request an accommodation during any part of the application process, please call 1-800-EY-HELP3, select Option 2 for candidate related inquiries, then select Option 1 for candidate queries and finally select Option 2 for candidates with an inquiry which will route you to EY’s Talent Shared Services Team (TSS) or email the TSS at ssc.customersupport@ey.com.
