Skills you need to be a identity and access management engineer
8 skills a hiring manager would actually test for, each with the level this role expects and what it is used for. Not a syllabus — the shape of the job.
Build my path to this roleUpskili checks what you can already do, then sequences only what is missing. No account needed.
What the role requires
Ordered by how much the job depends on it. The bar is the proficiency expected of a competent identity and access management engineer — not mastery, and not a passing acquaintance.
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Active Directory / Entra ID
Essential
Manages identities, groups, and access policies across hybrid environments.
Strong -
SAML/OIDC/OAuth 2.0
Essential
Configures SSO and secure federation between applications and identity providers.
Strong -
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Essential
Secures and audits privileged accounts and sessions.
Strong -
PowerShell
Important
Automates user provisioning, reporting, and access reviews.
Strong -
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Important
Designs and enforces least-privilege access models.
Strong -
Identity Governance (IGA)
Important
Implements access certifications, recertifications, and separation of duties.
Strong -
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Useful
Deploys and troubleshoots MFA solutions like Duo or Microsoft Authenticator.
Strong -
SIEM (e.g., Splunk, Sentinel)
Useful
Monitors identity-related alerts and investigates access anomalies.
Working
An order worth learning it in
A list of ten skills is the same unhelpful answer a catalogue gives, just sorted. This is where to actually start.
Start here
Essential to the role, and reachable from a standing start. Everything below rests on these.
- SAML/OIDC/OAuth 2.0
- Privileged Access Management (PAM)
- PowerShell
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Identity Governance (IGA)
Then this
The rest of what the role is assessed on. Harder, and it builds on the foundation above.
- Active Directory / Entra ID
What sets you apart
Not what gets you hired, but what separates doing the job from being trusted with it.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- SIEM (e.g., Splunk, Sentinel)
You almost certainly have some of this already.
That is the point of starting from the role rather than a course. Upskili checks what you can do, then builds a path across only the gap.
See my path to identity and access management engineer