Job Description & Details
This is a hands-on identity and access management contract role focused heavily on locking down Microsoft Entra ID environments in a hybrid Chicago setup. If you enjoy untangling complex SSO setups, wrestling with Conditional Access policies, and making sure enterprise applications aren't leaving backdoors open, this gig will keep you busy from day one.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
Your day-to-day will revolve around designing and managing Entra ID architectures, handling app registrations, and configuring tight RBAC models. You'll spend a lot of time writing and debugging Conditional Access policies, implementing Privileged Identity Management (PIM) so admins don't run with global access 24/7, and tying together authentication protocols like OIDC, OAuth, and SAML for various internal and external apps. Expect to coordinate heavily with DevOps teams who need secure service principals without slowing down their deployment pipelines.
The Core Tech Stack
You absolutely live and breathe Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and everything connected to it. Deep, production-level knowledge of MFA, SSO, and identity governance is non-negotiable here. You also need to be comfortable writing automation scripts in PowerShell or Azure CLI because clicking through the Azure Portal manually for dozens of app registrations won't fly. Familiarity with Microsoft Sentinel is also crucial since you'll be leaning on it for security monitoring and incident response when auth anomalies pop up.
Interview Expectations
Be ready for deep-dive technical questions regarding token lifecycles and troubleshooting a broken SAML or OIDC federation between a third-party app and Entra ID. The hiring manager is secretly testing whether you understand the underlying security implications of token claims and misconfigured app registrations, rather than just knowing where buttons are located in the portal. They'll likely also probe your practical experience with PIM and how you enforce step-up authentication using risk-based Conditional Access policies.
Application Advice
Your resume needs to skip the generic cybersecurity buzzwords and focus heavily on measurable IAM impact. Explicitly highlight your hands-on experience with Microsoft Entra ID, enterprise app registrations, PowerShell automation, and specific auth protocols like OAuth 2.0 and SAML. If you've successfully rolled out PIM or cleaned up a messy Conditional Access policy structure in a past enterprise environment, put front and center to immediately clear the ATS filters.