Identity Platform Lead

Halfords Group PLC; Redditch; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Discretionary bonus

Pension

Life assurance

25 days leave + bank holidays

Enhanced family leave

Job summary

Halfords Group PLC is seeking an Identity Platform Lead to own the identity and directory platform, ensuring security, reliability, and cloud-first readiness. You will lead Entra ID, Active Directory, PAM, IGA, and SSO strategies with engineering partners and third-party suppliers.

You will guide platform evolution, oversee delivery, and drive improvements while maintaining governance and audit-ready evidence across the organization.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory
• Experience with Privileged Access Management solutions
• Proven ability to own and manage enterprise identity platforms
• Experience leading outsourced engineering teams or managed service providers

Responsibilities

• Own the technical design, configuration, implementation, and ongoing operation of Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory across the organisation
• Drive the deployment and adoption of identity technologies including PAM, IGA, Conditional Access, PIM, and enterprise authentication solutions
• Lead the continuous improvement of the identity platform, expanding integrations across applications and services throughout the business
• Manage and hold third‑party service providers accountable for platform performance, service quality, security, and delivery outcomes
• Oversee enterprise application integrations and Single Sign-On capabilities, ensuring services are implemented consistently and securely
• Maintain identity governance controls, access management processes, and audit‑ready evidence across the platform
• Work closely with Infrastructure, Security, and Digital Identity teams to ensure identity services remain reliable, secure, and aligned to business requirements

Skills

Microsoft Entra ID

Active Directory

PIM

IGA

Conditional Access

Privileged Access Management

Enterprise SSO

Third-party management

Technical leadership

Platform ownership

Tools

CyberArk

Job description

Job no: 568168
Work type: Full time
Site: Redditch
Categories: IT
Location: Worcestershire
Salary: Competitive salary + Car allowance

About us

Halfords is on a journey - building the future of motoring and cycling and looking for people who want to help shape what comes next. We’re a place for cocreators: people who want to make a real impact, take ownership and be part of something that’s still evolving.

Technology at Halfords is at a turning point. We’re modernising our foundations, sharpening our delivery, and ensuring every technology decision is connected to real commercial and customer outcomes.

We're looking for people who act as trusted advisors to the business, take end-to-end accountability for outcomes, and can balance pace with long-term architectural integrity. Innovation here means practical, scalable solutions, not ideas that stay on whiteboards.

Halfords operates a hybrid working policy – this position will be based 3 days per week at our support centre in Redditch, West Midlands.

About the role

As an Identity Platform Lead, you'll take full ownership of Halfords' identity and directory platform, ensuring it remains secure, reliable, and capable of supporting a modern, cloud-first technology estate. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role, focused on the day-to-day operation, design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the platform, where you'll be the go‑to expert for Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory, owning the platform end-to-end.

Day to day, you'll lead the development and enhancement of key identity technologies including Entra ID, Active Directory, Privileged Access Management (PAM), Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), and associated tooling. Working closely with our engineering partners, you'll set the direction for how the platform evolves, oversee delivery, and ensure services are performing as expected. While delivery is carried out by third-party partners, ownership sits firmly with you.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of identity at Halfords. Significant investment is being made in the platform, creating the opportunity to re‑engineer and modernise core identity services at enterprise scale. If you enjoy owning platforms, driving technical improvements, and being recognised as the subject matter expert in your field, you'll have the autonomy and support to make a substantial impact from day one.

Key responsibilities

• Own the technical design, configuration, implementation, and ongoing operation of Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory across the organisation
• Drive the deployment and adoption of identity technologies including PAM, IGA, Conditional Access, PIM, and enterprise authentication solutions
• Lead the continuous improvement of the identity platform, expanding integrations across applications and services throughout the business
• Manage and hold third‑party service providers accountable for platform performance, service quality, security, and delivery outcomes
• Oversee enterprise application integrations and Single Sign-On capabilities, ensuring services are implemented consistently and securely
• Maintain identity governance controls, access management processes, and audit‑ready evidence across the platform
• Work closely with Infrastructure, Security, and Digital Identity teams to ensure identity services remain reliable, secure, and aligned to business requirements

About you

• Strong hands‑on experience with Microsoft Entra ID, including Conditional Access, PIM, Identity Governance, application registrations, and enterprise SSO integrations
• Proven experience administering and supporting Active Directory in a complex enterprise environment
• Experience with CyberArk or similar Privileged Access Management solutions
• Demonstrable experience owning and managing enterprise identity platforms, including implementation, optimisation, and ongoing support
• Experience leading outsourced engineering teams or managed service providers, with the ability to influence, challenge, and drive performance without direct line management responsibility
• Strong technical leadership skills, capable of taking ownership, making decisions, and acting as the recognised expert for the platform
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and stakeholders simultaneously
• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, car allowance, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
• Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations.
• We offer hybrid working with a blend of working in our Support Centre and from home.
• You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services.
• Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords.

Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.

Note: Halfords operates a hybrid working policy – this position will be based 3 days per week at our support centre in Redditch, West Midlands.