Principal Identity and Access Manager

Principal Identity and Access Manager

Up to £95,000 plus private healthcare and more great benefits (Work Level 4)  

Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office at least twice per month (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).    

We’re open to applications from people who may require flexible working arrangements. There’ll be an opportunity to discuss your flexible working requirements during the interview process, and at offer stage.  

We’re reshaping our Digital, Technology and Data function for the future, creating new opportunities, strengthening our capability, and building clearer, more resilient ways of working so we can deliver even better services for our Co-op, our colleagues, members and customers.  

As part of this, we’re looking for a Principal Identity and Access Manager to join us. You’ll shape and lead our identity and access management (IAM) capability, making sure people have the right access to the right systems at the right time, while protecting our business from evolving security threats.

Why this role matters  

Identity and access management plays a critical role in protecting Co-op's systems, data and services. In this role, you'll shape how access is managed across the organisation while coaching and mentoring IAM professionals to build capability for the future. Through your leadership, you'll help manage risk, support innovation and enable secure business delivery.

What you’ll do  

• Lead and develop Co-op's identity and access management capability, setting the direction for how we manage and secure access across the organisation  
• Develop and embed IAM standards, frameworks and best practices that balance security, risk and business needs  
• Lead teams responsible for identity and access engineering and access control operations, helping them deliver secure, resilient services  
• Drive the adoption of modern identity security approaches, including Zero Trust principles, conditional access controls and strong authentication methods  
• Partner with architecture, engineering and security teams to design secure identity solutions for new technologies, products and services  
• Provide oversight and assurance of identity and access controls, supporting audit, compliance and risk management activities  
• Tackle complex identity and access challenges, finding practical solutions that enable secure business outcomes across a large and diverse organisation  
• Coach, mentor and develop colleagues, helping build a high-performing IAM community and future talent pipeline  

What you’ll bring  

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:  

• Significant experience designing, implementing and leading identity and access management capabilities within a large, complex organisation  
• Strong expertise in IAM technologies, identity governance, privileged access management and modern Zero Trust security approaches  
• A track record of solving complex identity, access and security challenges, balancing risk with business needs
• Experience leading and developing highly skilled technical teams while influencing senior stakeholders across an organisation  
• The ability to translate technical concepts into clear, practical solutions and build strong relationships across technology, security and business teams  

We know some people may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. At Co-op, we’re committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply.  

Why Co-op?  

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:  

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)  
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays  
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions  
• A company car or £6,000 car allowance  
• Private healthcare  
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) – Manchester based roles only  
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands  
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it  
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice  
• 24/7 colleague support service  
• Training and support for your development and career progression  
• Cycle-to-work scheme  

A place you’ll belong  

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.  

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.  

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion