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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Sailpoint Developer

💰 $110,000 - $165,000

Information TechnologyCybersecurityIdentity & Access Management

🎯 Role Definition

A Sailpoint Developer is a specialized software engineer and cybersecurity professional who acts as the architect and builder of an organization's identity governance framework. At the heart of the role is the mastery of the SailPoint platform (both IdentityIQ and IdentityNow), used to manage "who has access to what" across the entire enterprise. This individual designs, develops, implements, and maintains solutions that automate user access, enforce security policies, and ensure regulatory compliance. They are the technical backbone of the Identity & Access Management (IAM) program, ensuring that the right individuals have the right access at the right times, thereby protecting critical digital assets and streamlining business operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Java Developer with an interest in cybersecurity.
  • Systems Administrator or Systems Engineer with a focus on Active Directory or user management.
  • Junior IAM Analyst or Security Analyst looking to specialize technically.

Advancement To:

  • Senior or Lead Sailpoint Developer, mentoring a team and leading complex projects.
  • Identity & Access Management (IAM) Architect, designing enterprise-wide identity strategies.
  • Cybersecurity Manager or Director, overseeing broader security programs.

Lateral Moves:

  • Cloud Security Engineer, focusing on identity in AWS, Azure, or GCP environments.
  • Privileged Access Management (PAM) Specialist, focusing on securing administrator and service accounts.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Solution Design & Implementation: Architect, design, develop, and implement end-to-end solutions on the SailPoint IdentityIQ (IIQ) and/or IdentityNow platforms to meet complex business requirements.
  • Lifecycle Management Automation: Engineer and customize automated workflows for the complete user lifecycle (Joiner, Mover, Leaver - JML), ensuring timely and accurate provisioning and de-provisioning of access.
  • Application Onboarding: Lead the technical process of integrating a wide range of enterprise applications (both on-premise and cloud/SaaS) into the SailPoint governance platform for centralized access management.
  • Connector Development & Customization: Develop, configure, and maintain connectors for various target systems using technologies like JDBC, LDAP, SCIM, and custom REST/SOAP APIs to ensure seamless data exchange.
  • Custom Rule & Workflow Development: Write complex business logic using Java and BeanShell to create custom rules, workflows, and tasks that extend the native capabilities of SailPoint for specific organizational needs.
  • Access Certification Campaigns: Configure, schedule, and manage periodic access certification campaigns, ensuring that managers and application owners regularly review and validate user permissions.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Engineering: Participate in the design, modeling, and implementation of role-based access control frameworks, including role mining, role definition, and role lifecycle management.
  • Policy & Compliance Enforcement: Implement and customize policies within SailPoint's Compliance Manager to detect and report on violations, such as separation of duties (SoD) conflicts.
  • API Integration: Develop and consume RESTful and SOAP web services to integrate SailPoint with other enterprise systems, such as HR Information Systems (e.g., Workday), IT Service Management tools (e.g., ServiceNow), and Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions.
  • User Interface (UI) Customization: Customize the SailPoint user interface, including forms, emails, and branding, to provide an intuitive and tailored experience for end-users and approvers.
  • System Troubleshooting & Performance Tuning: Act as a subject matter expert for diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues within the SailPoint environment, performing root cause analysis, and optimizing system performance.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Develop custom reports and dashboards to provide stakeholders with clear insights into identity data, access trends, and compliance posture.
  • Environment Management: Manage the SailPoint infrastructure, including installation, patching, upgrades, and migration across development, testing, and production environments.
  • Code & Configuration Management: Utilize version control systems like Git to manage the codebase for custom rules, workflows, and configurations, employing CI/CD principles for deployments.
  • Security & Hardening: Collaborate with security teams to ensure the SailPoint platform is securely configured, hardened, and patched against vulnerabilities.
  • Data Synchronization: Configure and troubleshoot data aggregation and synchronization from various authoritative sources (like HR systems) and target applications.
  • Password Management: Implement and manage SailPoint's password management features, including self-service password reset and password synchronization across connected systems.
  • Technical Documentation: Create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including solution design documents, run books, and configuration guides for the IAM team.
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with business analysts, project managers, and application owners to gather requirements, provide technical analysis, and ensure solutions align with business goals.
  • Mentorship & Support: Provide technical guidance, training, and Level 3 support to IAM operations teams and junior developers.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for identity-related metrics.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader IAM and data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data and access needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and other agile ceremonies within the engineering team.
  • Assist in internal and external security audits by providing evidence and explaining identity controls.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • SailPoint Expertise: Deep, hands-on experience with SailPoint IdentityIQ (IIQ), including Lifecycle Manager (LCM), Compliance Manager (CC), and common connector types. Knowledge of SailPoint IdentityNow is a major plus.
  • Java & BeanShell: Strong proficiency in Java and specifically BeanShell scripting for writing complex business rules, workflows, and customizations within SailPoint.
  • Database & SQL: Solid understanding of relational databases (Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL) and the ability to write efficient SQL queries for reporting and connector configuration.
  • Web Technologies: Proficiency in XML, JSON, and experience with web services (REST/SOAP) for building integrations between systems.
  • Directory Services: In-depth knowledge of directory services like Microsoft Active Directory and other LDAP-based directories.
  • Scripting Languages: Competency in at least one scripting language (e.g., PowerShell, Python, or Shell scripting) for automation and integration tasks.
  • Application Integration: Proven experience in developing and configuring connectors for a variety of application types (e.g., JDBC, Delimited File, SCIM, Web Services).
  • Operating Systems: Familiarity with both Windows and Linux/UNIX server environments where SailPoint components are deployed.
  • IAM Concepts: A strong theoretical and practical understanding of core Identity & Access Management concepts (e.g., identity lifecycle, access certification, RBAC, SoD).
  • Cloud Platforms: Exposure to major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their native IAM services is highly desirable.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical Problem-Solving: Ability to dissect complex technical and business problems and devise effective, scalable solutions.
  • Strong Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to explain technical concepts to both technical peers and non-technical business stakeholders.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment.
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail is critical when configuring security controls and managing identity data.
  • Ownership & Accountability: A proactive approach to taking ownership of tasks and projects from inception to completion.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related technology field.
  • SailPoint professional certifications (e.g., IdentityIQ Engineer, IdentityIQ Architect).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of professional experience, with at least 2-3 years in a hands-on SailPoint development role.

Preferred: Experience in a large, complex enterprise environment with a significant number of integrated applications. Demonstrated experience leading the technical implementation of at least one major SailPoint module or a large-scale application onboarding project.

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