Lead Security Architect

Avanade; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global technology consulting firm in Manchester seeks a Lead Security Architect to spearhead Microsoft Security solutions for major enterprise clients. The role involves developing new offerings, leading security transformations, and ensuring client needs are met through strong leadership and expert knowledge. Candidates should possess advanced certifications and a proven track record in Microsoft security, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels. Competitive training and career development opportunities are provided.

Benefits

Exceptional development and training

Access to global technical resources

Dedicated career advisor

Qualifications

• Demonstrated thought leadership in Microsoft security.
• Experience leading large-scale security transformations.
• Ability to build new security offerings from ideation.

Responsibilities

• Lead solutioning and delivery of Microsoft Security work.
• Define new offerings to seize market opportunities.
• Ensure the right capabilities are available for client work.

Skills

Leadership and communication skills

Microsoft security expertise

Client engagement focus

Ability to influence stakeholders

Education

Advanced Microsoft security certifications (e.g., SC-100)

Tools

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Sentinel

Cloud Security Tools

Job description

Avanade’s is comprised of two channels to market, direct through Avanade relationships and Indirect through our parent companies of Microsoft and Accenture, known as the Accenture Microsoft Business Group (AMBG). These channels are responsible for developing market relevant capabilities and solutions to help clients resolve critical business and technology issues. Through Practices they provide sales, solutioning and delivery support to Client Groups and Accounts to help us win and sustain long-lasting relationships with our clients. In addition to direct relationships with clients, each channel works closely with Avanade’s most significant partners - Microsoft and Accenture, as well as other alliances - to drive growth of the business and the Practices therein.

Key Responsibilities

The UK Accenture Microsoft Business Group (AMBG) Lead Security Architect is a pivotal role that blends market, sales and solutioning, people, and delivery excellence. Reporting to the UKI AMBG Security Lead, this role owns Solutioning and Delivery of all Microsoft Security work in the AMBG channel, working with some of the largest Enterprise customers in UK and globally. This role is responsible for defining and driving existing and new offerings and capabilities that seize market advantage and business growth, supporting sales development and conversion through solutioning and delivery including supporting and guiding the AMBG Security architects and delivery teams with new solutions and delivery challenges.

This role is responsible for ensuring the needs of the AMBG channel for Microsoft Security solutions, and delivery are met, to support client accounts and Integrated Go-to-Market Lines of Business and Plays.

This role is responsible for ensuring that the AMBG channel has the right capabilities, skillsets, and certifications required to deliver client work both today and tomorrow, including demand and opportunity management processes.

What you’ll do

• Thought leadership
• Sales, Solutioning, and Delivery
• Create and Evolve GTM Assets and Solutions
• Establish internal and client facing relationships, building a strong network and trust
• Be a brand ambassador, representing AMBG Security in the market and with our clients and partners.

Skills and experiences

• Strong leadership, communication skills, client presence and focus, and the ability to influence executive stakeholders and clients
• Demonstrates and is recognized as an eminent Microsoft security thought leader internally (ideally externally as well) in security
• Broad Microsoft security technical, delivery and sales experience across Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Purview and Cloud Security, able to articulate the end to end value proposition.
• Ability to lead large scale Microsoft security transformations and managed security services opportunities
• Ability to identify, define and build new offerings from ideation through to market
• Advanced Microsoft security certifications such as SC-100, SC-200, SC-401 etc.

Nice to have

• Industry recognized certification such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, GIAC etc.
• Familiarity with compliance frameworks (E.g. GDPR, NIST AI RMF, ISO27001, SOC 2 etc.)
• Ability to build organizational culture, drive employee engagement, strengthen inclusion and diversity, reduce attrition, and attract top talent
• Market-focused with a growth mindset
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a highly matrixed company to deliver results within a region

About you

• Characteristics that can spell success for this role
• Deep competency and skills in Microsoft security consulting and managed services
• Extensive experience growing and leading Microsoft Security offerings and capabable of leading large scale and impact Microsoft opportunities.
• Deep experience in understanding client needs and selling and delivering assets and solutions
• Experience shaping and developing people skills / capabilities of a large team
• Collaborative by nature, driven to share with and develop others.

Enjoy your career

• Some of the best things about working at Avanade and AMBG
• Opportunity to work for Microsoft’s Global Alliance Partner of the Year (20 years in a row), with exceptional development and training (minimum 80 hours per year for training and paid certifications)
• Real-time access to technical and skilled resources globally
• Dedicated career advisor to encourage your growth
• Engaged and helpful coworkers genuinely interested in you
• Work on some of the largest and most cutting-edge Microsoft Security engagements in the world.

A great place to work

As you bring your skills and abilities to Avanade, you’ll get distinctive experiences, limitless learning, and ambitious growth in return. As we continue to build our diverse and inclusive culture, we become even more innovative and creative, helping us better serve our clients and communities. You’ll join a community of smart, supportive collaborators to lift, mentor, and guide you, and to lean on your expertise. You get a company purpose-built for business-critical, leading-edge technology solutions, committed to improving the way humans work, interact, and live. It’s all here, so take a closer look!

We work hard to provide an inclusive, diverse culture with a deep sense of belonging for all our employees. Visit our Inclusion & Diversity page.

Create a future for our people that focuses on

• Expanding your thinking • Experimenting courageously • Learning and pivoting

Inspire greatness in our people by

• Empowering every voice • Encouraging boldness • Celebrating progress

Accelerate the impact of our people by

• Amazing the client • Prioritizing what matters • Acting as one