The parameter conjur_ssl_certificate requires cert as a string, not a file.

[jvanderhoof]

When using the role, I got tripped up trying to pass a file path to a cert rather than the contents of the cert. I was able to resolve this issue with the following:

- role: cyberark.conjur-host-identity
  ...
  conjur_ssl_certificate: "{{ lookup('file', '/src/certs/ca.crt') }}"
  ...

I also ran into an issue where I initially uploaded the Conjur Master CRT file rather than the CA CRT. This results in a connection error when conjur_validate_certs=True.

I'd like to propose a few a couple of changes:

• Rename conjur_ssl_certificate to conjur_ca_certificate
• Add conjur_ca_certificate_path, which takes a path to the CA certificate.

[mdzieciol]

I think you have already solved this problem on your own, but without changing anything in playbooks you can do the workaround bypassing file by lookup method:
conjur_ssl_certificate: "{{lookup('file', '../../conjur.pem')}}"

Or change the method of coping string to file in identity.yml to copying the file to file by changing "content" to "src" directive.