PAM Engineering Lead

Description

The Role

Willis Towers Watson IT is currently seeking a senior, experienced candidate for the position of PAM Engineering Lead. In this position, the successful candidate must demonstrate significant hands-on experience engineering Cyber Ark PAM solutions, together with the seniority to set technical direction, own and prioritise a product backlog, and mentor engineers within the team. The main focus of this position is to lead the build, operation and continuous improvement of our Cyber Ark (Idira) platform while acting as product owner for the privileged access platform roadmap, influencing senior stakeholders and ensuring successful delivery of service, stakeholder alignment and continuous development of the IAM Team.

Major Accountabilities:

• Lead the design, build and maintenance of Cyber Ark (Idira) Privileged Access Manager solutions, including Vault architecture, Safes, target platforms and session management across WTW.
• Own and prioritise the PAM platform backlog, setting technical direction and acting as product owner for the privileged access roadmap based on business risk, compliance deadlines and stakeholder demand.
• Oversee the build and maintenance of privileged account onboarding and credential/SSH key rotation automation via the Central Policy Manager (CPM), integrating with Active Directory/Entra , Windows, Unix/Linux, databases and network devices.
• Define and govern privileged access policies, least-privilege and just-in-time access models and privileged session review campaigns across WTW.
• Act as the senior technical authority within IAM, covering all aspects of Privileged Access Management.
• Drive solution development through problem solving, ensuring adherence to Security Controls, Policies and Standards with a focus on automation and control.
• Influence senior stakeholders across IT, Compliance and the business to align the privileged access roadmap with WTW's risk and regulatory priorities.
• Lead the development of skills and capabilities within the IAM team, mentoring engineers and driving process improvements and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee configuration and troubleshooting of Cyber Ark connectors and platforms (PSM, CPM, PVWA) to Windows, Unix/Linux, database and network device targets, working hands-on where required.
• Author and review custom platforms, connection components and automation scripts (Cyber Ark REST API, PACLI, Power Shell and Python), setting standards for the wider team.
• Govern the operational execution of privileged session recording and review, Safe membership reviews, and privileged account discovery initiatives.
• Oversee platform health, ensuring credential rotation and session recording failures are resolved and audit trail integrity is maintained.
• Lead sprint planning, backlog grooming and roadmap reviews.
• Own roadmap and status communications for leadership and stakeholders.
• Oversee the privileged account lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding and account updates.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations, escalating risks as needed.
• Own the response to audit findings and drive remediation measures to closure.
• Oversee resolution of escalated issues and support tickets, providing senior technical input where needed.

The Requirements

• 5+ years in IAM/PAM SaaS engineering, including 3+ years hands-on with Cyber Ark (Idira) Privileged Access Manager (Vault, CPM, PSM, PVWA), with demonstrated experience leading PAM engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of PAM concepts: privileged account lifecycle, credential/SSH key rotation, session isolation and monitoring, least-privilege and just-in-time access.
• Experience integrating Cyber Ark with Active Directory/Entra , Windows, Unix/Linux, databases, network devices and SaaS applications.
• Scripting proficiency with the Cyber Ark REST API, PACLI, Power Shell and Python for automation and integration.
• Working knowledge of identity and secrets management standards: SAML, OAuth2/OIDC and secrets management (Conjur/AAM or equivalent).
• Experience with access governance frameworks and compliance mapping (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR or similar).
• Demonstrated experience writing user stories, managing a backlog, or working closely with product/agile teams.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills, able to translate technical detail for both engineers and business stakeholders.
• Good project management skills.
• Positive team-first attitude with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Must possess sound…