Lead Security Architect - Microsoft Security specialist

Anson McCade; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

Career progression

Job summary

Anson McCade is seeking a Lead Security Architect to shape and deliver enterprise security across complex programmes in the UK. You will set security direction, partner with senior stakeholders, and embed security-by-design across cloud and on-prem environments.

In this senior leadership role, you’ll define strategies and roadmaps for Microsoft security technologies, lead a talented team, and drive transformation with pre-sales support and governance alignment.

Qualifications

• Senior security leader with strategy and delivery capabilities.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Purview and Cloud Security.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise security architectures across large programmes.
• Define security strategies, frameworks, and roadmaps aligned to business objectives.
• Embed security-by-design across cloud, applications and infrastructure.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders on security strategy and risk.
• Oversee security across cloud environments, platforms, and enterprise systems.
• Ensure alignment with industry standards, compliance and governance frameworks.
• Support pre-sales and solution shaping on strategic opportunities.
• Mentor security architects and engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement and adoption of modern security practices and tooling.

Skills

Leadership

Microsoft security

Stakeholder management

Security strategy

Cloud security

Security governance

Pre-sales support

Job description

Lead Security Architect - Microsoft Security specialist

Location: UK (Hybrid) (London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh)

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Lead Security Architect to play a key role in shaping and delivering secure, enterprise-scale technology solutions across complex transformation programmes.

This is a senior leadership role combining strategy, architecture, and hands-on delivery, where you’ll define security direction, influence senior stakeholders, and ensure robust, scalable security architectures are embedded across major client engagements.

You’ll operate as a trusted advisor, helping organisations navigate evolving security challenges while enabling secure digital transformation.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the design and delivery of enterprise security architectures across large-scale programmes
• Defining security strategies, frameworks, and roadmaps aligned to business objectives
• Embedding security-by-design principles across cloud, applications, and infrastructure
• Acting as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders on security strategy and risk
• Overseeing security across cloud environments, platforms, and enterprise systems
• Ensuring alignment with industry standards, compliance, and governance frameworks
• Supporting pre-sales and solution shaping activities on strategic opportunities
• Mentoring and developing security architects and engineering teams
• Driving continuous improvement and adoption of modern security practices and tooling

What We’re Looking For

• 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

Nice to Have

• Experience across DevSecOps and secure SDLC practices
• Knowledge of Zero Trust, identity & access management, and modern security architectures
• Experience in regulated industries

What’s on Offer

• Performance bonus
• Opportunity to lead high-impact security transformation programmes
• Strong career progression within a senior architecture community