Senior IBM (ISAM/ISVA) Engineer
We are seeking a senior-level IBM Security Access Manager (ISAM) / IBM Security Verify Access (ISVA) Engineer with deep expertise in designing, deploying, and operationalizing secure access management platforms from the ground up.
This role requires hands-on experience standing up the full ISAM/ISVA infrastructure, configuring clustering and high availability, implementing disaster recovery, and integrating the platform into complex enterprise environments. This is not a support-only or configuration-only role — the ideal candidate has built resilient ISAM/ISVA environments end-to-end and understands the infrastructure, networking, security, and performance considerations required to run the platform at enterprise scale.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & Platform Deployment
Design and implement enterprise-grade ISAM / ISVA architecture
Install and configure:
ISVA Virtual Appliances (Access Control, Federation, Advanced Access Control)
Web Reverse Proxy (WRP)
Policy Server
Runtime components
Configure clustered deployments for scalability and redundancy
Design and implement multi-tier environments (DEV, QA, PROD)
Implement secure baseline configurations aligned with enterprise standards
High Availability & Disaster Recovery
Design and configure:
Appliance clustering
Runtime high availability
Session failover and replication
Load balancing strategies (F5, Netscaler, etc.)
Implement multi-data center deployments where required
Develop and test disaster recovery procedures
Configure database replication (if applicable)
Perform failover and resiliency testing
Integration & Security Implementation
Integrate ISAM/ISVA with:
Active Directory / LDAP
SAML 2.0 / OIDC / OAuth providers
Enterprise applications (on-prem and cloud)
MFA providers
API gateways
Implement:
Reverse proxy junctions
Access control policies
Federation trust relationships
Adaptive authentication and step-up authentication
Configure advanced access control policies and contextual risk-based access
Performance & Optimization
Tune reverse proxy performance and connection handling
Optimize authentication flows and federation transactions
Conduct performance testing and capacity planning
Troubleshoot latency, session issues, and authentication failures
Automation & DevOps
Automate appliance configuration using REST APIs and scripting
Develop deployment automation (Shell, Python, Ansible, etc.)
Support CI/CD integration for configuration promotion
Implement configuration backup and version control processes
Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
Produce detailed architecture and topology diagrams
Document build procedures and operational runbooks
Provide structured handoff to operations/support teams
Required Qualifications
5+ years of hands-on experience with IBM ISAM / ISVA
Proven experience deploying ISAM/ISVA from scratch in enterprise environments
Strong experience with:
ISVA virtual appliances
Web Reverse Proxy configuration
Federation (SAML, OIDC, OAuth)
LDAP and Active Directory integration
Load balancers and networking fundamentals
Demonstrated experience designing and implementing high availability and disaster recovery solutions
Strong understanding of authentication protocols and identity federation
Experience with Linux systems and networking (DNS, TLS, certificates)
Strong scripting and automation skills
Preferred Qualifications
Experience migrating from ISAM to ISVA
Experience with containerized ISVA deployments
Experience integrating ISVA with API security platforms
Knowledge of zero trust architecture principles
Experience in financial services, healthcare, or other regulated industries
Security certifications (CISSP, CISM) or IAM-specific certifications
Key Competencies
Infrastructure-level expertise (not just policy configuration)
Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
Ability to design scalable, resilient, and secure access architectures
Strong documentation and communication skills
Ability to independently own platform build and lifecycle
What Success Looks Like
Fully operational ISAM/ISVA environment built and hardened from the ground up
High availability architecture successfully implemented and tested
Federation and access policies securely integrated across enterprise systems
Clean documentation and operational handoff
Stable, scalable access management platform ready for production