Cloud & Security Specialist – Education Support Professionals

Education Support Professionals Ltd; Greater London, Eltham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Cloud & Security Specialist to spearhead a transformative cloud-first strategy across a Family of Schools. This role is pivotal in ensuring a secure and efficient transition to Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The ideal candidate will leverage cloud services to enhance operational efficiency, teaching, and learning processes. With a focus on automation and cloud-native best practices, you will develop robust security measures and governance frameworks. Join this innovative organization to drive significant advancements in educational technology and cloud operations.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing Microsoft Azure and 365 in educational settings.
• Strong expertise in cloud security and automation tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead cloud-first strategy and oversee cloud services implementation.
• Develop and govern Microsoft 365 policies and best practices.

Skills

Cloud Security

Microsoft Azure

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Automation

Cybersecurity

API Integrations

Networking Concepts

Education

Experience in managing Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365

Experience in education environments

Tools

Terraform

Microsoft Defender

SIEM tools

Job description

The Cloud & Security Specialist will lead the Family of Schools’ cloud-first strategy, ensuring a secure, efficient, and structured transition from on-premise infrastructure to Microsoft Azure and the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

This role will be responsible for maximising the potential of the M365 ecosystem, ensuring that the full range of cloud services, collaboration tools, automation capabilities, and security features are effectively implemented and leveraged to enhance operational efficiency, teaching & learning, and administrative processes across the organisation.

A key focus will be the development, standardisation, and governance of Microsoft 365 policies, best practices, and frameworks across the Family of Schools, ensuring consistency, security, and compliance in areas such as Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Power Platform, and identity management. The postholder will also oversee the integration of cloud services with existing IT infrastructure, ensuring seamless interoperability and a futureproofed digital environment.

Automation and modern cloud-native approaches will be critical to this role, driving efficiency, scalability, and resilience in IT operations. The postholder will champion the use of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), serverless computing, cloud automation tools, and self-healing systems to reduce manual intervention, enhance performance, and ensure a secure, reliable cloud environment.

Additionally, the Cloud & Security Specialist will take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, automation, and business continuity planning, embedding robust security controls, compliance frameworks, and resilience measures into cloud operations while driving innovation through cloud-native best practices.

Key Responsibilities include:

1. Cloud Infrastructure, Automation & Strategy
2. Microsoft 365, SaaS Management & Device Management
3. Cloud Security & Cybersecurity
4. SSL/TLS Certificate Management
5. Domain Name System (DNS) & Domain Management
6. Identity & Access Management (IAM) for Cloud Security
7. Backup & Disaster Recovery

Minimum Requirements:

1. Extensive experience in managing Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 environments within a school or enterprise setting.
2. Strong expertise in cloud security, including Azure Security Center, Microsoft Defender, and Identity Protection tools.
3. Experience in migrating on-premise services to cloud-based solutions, particularly in education environments.
4. In-depth understanding of networking concepts, including firewalls, VPNs, and zero-trust security models.
5. Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, ARM templates, or PowerShell.
6. Hands-on experience with SIEM tools, monitoring platforms, and cloud-native security solutions.
7. Experience in API integrations, automation, and cloud workflow optimisation.

Location: Eltham, Greenwich Borough
Salary: £45-55K
Contract: Permanent