Lead Security Architect - Microsoft Security specialist

Anson McCade; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

Job summary

Anson McCade is seeking a Lead Security Architect to shape and deliver enterprise-scale security solutions across complex transformation programmes in the UK. This senior role blends strategy, architecture and hands-on delivery, guiding security direction, influencing senior stakeholders and embedding robust architectures across client engagements.

You’ll lead design and delivery of enterprise security architectures, define security strategies and roadmaps, and mentor security teams while

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead enterprise security design and delivery.
• Strong leadership, client presence and executive stakeholder influencing skills.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft security products and end-to-end security transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of enterprise security architectures across large-scale programmes.
• Define security strategies, frameworks, and roadmaps aligned to business objectives.
• Embed security-by-design across cloud, applications, and infrastructure.
• Act as 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 for strategic opportunities.
• Mentor and develop security architects and engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement and adoption of modern security practices.

Skills

Security architecture

Leadership

Microsoft security

Stakeholder management

Pre-sales & solution shaping

Tools

Microsoft Defender Suite

Sentinel

Entra

Purview

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