Group Head: Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Equity Group is hiring a Group Head: Identity & Access Management (IAM) to lead and strengthen enterprise-wide identity governance across its multi-country operations. This senior leadership role represents one of the most strategic job opportunities in cybersecurity and digital risk management today, offering a chance to shape secure access frameworks that enable innovation, regulatory compliance, and sustainable growth across East and Central Africa.

Key Job Information

• Position: Group Head – Identity & Access Management (IAM)
• Organization: Equity Group
• Location: East & Central Africa (Multi-country scope)
• Employment Type: Regular, Full-time
• Experience Level: Senior Management
• Job Shift: Day Job
• Job Posting Date: January 21, 2026

About Equity Group

Equity Group is one of Africa’s leading financial services institutions, driven by a mission to transform lives and livelihoods through inclusive financial solutions. With operations spanning Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Group serves over 12 million customers, making it the largest customer base in Africa.

Careers at Equity Group are built on innovation, integrity, and impact. The organization continues to invest heavily in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and modern banking platforms to support its growth strategy. As a result, Equity Group consistently offers some of the latest jobs and most competitive leadership vacancies in the financial services and technology space.

This role sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, regulatory governance, and digital enablement, making it ideal for professionals seeking fresh positions that combine strategic influence with operational excellence.

Group Head: Identity & Access Management Job Description

The Group Head: Identity & Access Management (IAM) is accountable for defining, refining, and executing the Group-wide IAM strategy across all banking and non-banking subsidiaries. The role ensures secure, efficient, and compliant access to systems while enabling seamless digital experiences for employees, contractors, and third-party partners.

Reporting into executive leadership and working closely with the Group Chief Information Security Officer (GCISO), the role oversees Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), Privileged Access Management (PAM), role-based access control, and end-to-end Joiner–Mover–Leaver automation. This is a high-visibility leadership position supporting both risk resilience and business agility.

For professionals exploring senior cybersecurity careers, this position represents a rare opportunity to influence enterprise-wide controls in a highly regulated, fast-growing environment.

Key Responsibilities

IAM Strategy, Governance & Leadership

• Define and execute the Group-wide IAM and PAM strategy aligned with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and cybersecurity frameworks.
• Present regular updates on IAM posture, risks, and performance to executive committees, boards, and regulators.
• Lead a multi-country IAM organization, managing cross-border teams, vendors, and system integrators.

Identity Governance & Administration (IGA)

• Oversee the full Joiner–Mover–Leaver lifecycle, ensuring automated provisioning, role changes, and timely de-provisioning.
• Own configuration, customization, and scaling of the Group’s IGA platform, prioritizing onboarding of critical systems such as core banking, payments, SWIFT, treasury, HR/ERP, SaaS, and cloud platforms.
• Maintain role catalogues, entitlement matrices, and Segregation of Duties (SoD) frameworks.
• Deliver executive dashboards covering users, entitlements, SoD conflicts, and access exceptions.

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

• Define and lead the Group PAM strategy covering administrator, root, and highly privileged accounts.
• Deploy and manage PAM solutions, including credential vaulting, password rotation, and privileged session monitoring.
• Implement Just-in-Time (JIT) access to reduce standing privilege and enhance auditability.

Risk, Compliance & Audit

• Ensure compliance with CBK guidelines, GDPR, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, SOX, and local data protection laws.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and support internal and external audits, ensuring timely remediation of findings.
• Integrate IAM risk scoring into the enterprise cyber-risk framework.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Partner with IT, HR, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and Business units to embed consistent identity governance.
• Oversee IAM vendors and service providers, ensuring performance, scalability, and value delivery.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years of information security experience, with at least 5 years leading enterprise IAM programs in banking or similarly regulated industries.
• Hands-on expertise with leading IGA platforms such as SailPoint, Saviynt, or Oracle, and PAM tools including CyberArk, BeyondTrust, or Delinea.
• Strong understanding of RBAC, ABAC, SoD models, and identity federation protocols (SAML, OAuth, OIDC).

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CRISC, or CCSP.
• Proven experience delivering multi-country IAM implementations.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence without direct authority.

Benefits and Compensation

Equity Group employment offers competitive executive compensation, leadership exposure, and the opportunity to shape enterprise security strategy at scale. Employees benefit from continuous professional development, regional leadership experience, and long-term career growth within one of Africa’s most respected financial institutions.

How to Apply for Group Head: Identity & Access Management Job Opportunity at Equity Group

Professionals seeking senior-level careers and exploring the latest jobs in cybersecurity leadership are encouraged to apply today. This week, Equity Group is actively reviewing applications for this high-impact IAM vacancy.

Candidates interested in these job opportunities should submit a detailed CV highlighting enterprise IAM leadership, regulatory experience, and major program delivery achievements via the official Equity Group careers portal. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.