Job Description

Title: Entra ID Architect

Location: Chicago IL

Duration: Contract

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Microsoft Entra ID Architect to lead the migration of enterprise applications and authentication services from Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) to Microsoft Entra ID. The Architect will be responsible for assessment, solution design, migration planning, application onboarding, security modernization, and ADFS decommissioning. The role requires deep expertise in identity federation, authentication protocols, Microsoft Entra ID, and enterprise application integration.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end ADFS to Entra ID migration programs.
• Assess existing ADFS infrastructure, trusts, claim rules, authentication flows, and application dependencies.
• Define target-state authentication architecture using Microsoft Entra ID.
• Analyze and categorize applications (SAML, OIDC, WS-Fed, header-based, legacy applications) for migration readiness.
• Design and implement Entra ID authentication, SSO, Conditional Access, MFA, Identity Protection, and Application Proxy solutions.
• Convert and optimize ADFS claim rules within Entra ID.
• Develop migration runbooks, deployment plans, rollback strategies, and cutover procedures.
• Design coexistence strategies between ADFS and Entra ID during transition periods.
• Lead pilot migrations, testing, troubleshooting, and production deployments.
• Support ADFS decommissioning activities after successful migration.
• Provide architecture guidance, governance, and best practices to project teams and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, application, security, networking, and business teams throughout the migration lifecycle.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of Identity and Access Management (IAM) experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD).
• Proven experience delivering large-scale ADFS to Entra ID migration projects.
• Strong knowledge of:
• Microsoft Entra ID
• SSO, MFA, Conditional Access
• Identity Protection
• Application Proxy
• Identity Governance
• Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
• Expertise in authentication and federation protocols:
• SAML 2.0
• OAuth 2.0
• OpenID Connect (OIDC)
• WS-Federation
• Kerberos
• Experience configuring Enterprise Applications in Entra ID.
• Knowledge of Entra Connect / Cloud Sync and Hybrid Identity architectures.
• Experience assessing and migrating custom ADFS claim rules.
• Strong troubleshooting and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300).
• Experience with Identity Governance, Access Reviews, and Lifecycle Workflows.
• Experience modernizing authentication using Passwordless Authentication, FIDO2, or Windows Hello for Business.
• Familiarity with IAM tools such as SailPoint, Saviynt, CyberArk, or Okta.

Key Deliverables

• ADFS Assessment Report
• Application Discovery & Readiness Assessment
• Target-State Entra ID Architecture
• Migration Factory & Wave Plan
• Security & Conditional Access Design
• Migration Runbooks and Cutover Plans
• Testing & Validation Reports
• ADFS Decommission Plan
• Knowledge Transfer & Operational Handbooks

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Do

1. Design and develop enterprise cyber security strategy and architecture

a. Understand security requirements by evaluating business strategies and conducting system security vulnerability and risk analyses

b. Identify risks associated with business processes, operations,

information security programs and technology projects

c. Identify and communicate current and emerging security threats and design security architecture elements to mitigate threats as they emerge

d. Identify security design gaps in existing and proposed architectures and recommend changes or enhancements

e. Provide product best fit analysis to ensure end to end security covering different faucets of architecture e.g. Layered security, Zoning, Integration aspects, API, Endpoint security, Data security, Compliance and regulations

f. Demonstrate experience in doing security assessment against NIST Frameworks, SANS, CIS, etc.

g. Provide support during technical deployment, configuration, integration and administration of security technologies

h. Demonstrate experience around ITIL or Key process-oriented domains like incident management, configuration management, change management, problem management etc.

i. Provide assistance for disaster recovery in the event of any security breaches, attacks, intrusions and unusual, unauthorized or illegal activity

j. Provide solution of RFP’s received from clients and ensure overall design assurance

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i. Develop a direction to manage the portfolio of to-be-solutions including systems, shared infrastructure services, applications, hardware related to cyber risk security in order to better match business outcome objectives

ii. Analyse technology environment, enterprise specifics, client requirements to set a collaboration design framework/ architecture

iii. Depending on the client’s need with particular standards and technology stacks create complete RFPs

iv. Provide technical leadership to the design, development and implementation of custom solutions through thoughtful use of modern technology

v. Define and understand current state solutions and identify improvements, options & tradeoffs to define target state solutions

vi. Clearly articulate and sell architectural targets, recommendations and reusable patterns and accordingly propose investment roadmaps

vii. Evaluate and recommend solutions to integrate with overall technology ecosystem

viii. Tracks industry and application trends and relates these to planning current and future IT needs

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2. Stakeholder coordination & audit assistance

a. Liaise with stakeholders in relation to cyber security issues and provide timely support and future recommendations

b. Provide assistance in maintaining an information security risk register and help with internal and external audits relating to information security

c. Support audit of security best practices and implementation of security principles across the organization, to meet business goals along with customer and regulatory requirements

d. Assist with the creation, maintenance and delivery of cyber security awareness training to team members and customers

e. Provide training to employees on issues such as spam and unwanted or malicious emails

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Deliver