IT Security SME​/Architect

Position: IT Security SME / Architect

IT Security SME / Security Architect (Microsoft Security)

18‑Month Fixed‑Term Contract (day rate considered) – Circa £72,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience). 35 days annual leave and a generous pension scheme. North West England, hybrid (approximately 2 days on site).

Role Overview

You will be embedded within the university’s security function, acting as a senior technical authority across Microsoft security tooling. The environment is already live with several components and now requires expert input to complete rollouts, plan future phases, and stabilise operational security controls.

Current State

• Microsoft Sentinel implemented and operational
• Defender for Servers ~90% deployed
• Defender for Endpoint pilot completed; production rollout scheduled

Planned And Upcoming Phases

• Implementation of Microsoft Defender for Identity
• Design and rollout of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (CASB) – a complex, high‑impact implementation with significant visibility across the organisation
• Subsequent rollout of Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Key Responsibilities Microsoft Security Engineering & Architecture

• Provide hands‑on technical leadership across the Microsoft Defender and Sentinel ecosystem
• Design, implement, and optimise security controls aligned to Microsoft best practice
• Support tuning, alerting, detection rules, and operational readiness
• Guide secure integration with identity, endpoint, server, and cloud platforms

Security Architecture & Advisory

• Act as a trusted technical advisor to senior security leadership
• Contribute to security architecture decisions, patterns, and roadmaps
• Challenge existing approaches and provide pragmatic, experience‑led recommendations

Identity, Policy & Framework Alignment

• Contribute to ongoing IDAM maturity improvements (including lifecycle and end‑of‑life considerations)
• Support the realignment of security frameworks, policies, and operating models
• Work alongside third‑party suppliers delivering DR runbooks and maturity assessments

Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with internal technical teams to explain, demonstrate, and embed security tooling
• Communicate complex security concepts clearly to non‑specialist audiences
• Help bring teams on the journey as security controls become more visible and impactful

Required Technical Experience

• Proven experience as a Security SME / Security Architect in complex enterprise environments
• Deep hands‑on expertise with:
• Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM / SOAR)
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint & Servers
• Microsoft Defender for Identity
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (CASB)
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365
• Strong understanding of:
• Identity‑centric security models
• Zero Trust principles
• Cloud and SaaS security controls
• Security operations and detection engineering

Engagement Details

• Duration: 18 months
• Focus:
  Heavily hands‑on for the first 12 months, with ongoing architectural contribution thereafter
• Contract Type:
  Fixed‑term preferred; day‑rate contractors considered
• Location:
  
  North West England
• Hybrid:
  Approx. 2 days per week on site
• Salary:
  Circa £72,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience)

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