Lead Identity Specialist

Lead Identity Specialist – Microsoft Entra

Location: Sheffield

Employment Type: Contract

Industry: Identity & Access Management (IAM)

We are looking for a highly experienced Lead Identity Specialist (Microsoft Entra) to take ownership of the design, implementation, and governance of enterprise-wide identity services. This is a senior technical leadership role combining deep hands‑on expertise with strategic advisory responsibilities. You will act as the organisation’s subject matter expert for Microsoft Entra , Conditional Access, Identity Protection, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), CIEM, and Microsoft Defender for Identity (or equivalent tools), while guiding engineering teams, application owners, security architects, and business stakeholders.

This role is central to shaping and delivering a Zero Trust identity strategy across a complex enterprise and multi‑cloud environment.

• Lead the enterprise architecture, design, and deployment of Microsoft Entra solutions, including Entra , Conditional Access, Identity Protection, PIM, CIEM, and Identity Governance.
• Define and deliver IAM strategy aligned to Zero Trust principles.
• Act as the technical authority and SME for identity integration across application, infrastructure, and security teams.
• Provide expert guidance on IAM modernisation, including migration from legacy identity platforms.
• Oversee application onboarding and ensure secure identity integration patterns across the organization.
• Drive adoption of identity threat detection capabilities and identity‑based risk management practices.
• Partner with Security leadership to ensure compliance with regulatory, audit, and governance requirements.
• Serve as escalation point for critical identity incidents and lead root‑cause analysis and remediation.
• Define IAM technical standards, governance policies, and best practices across multi‑cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Collaborate with Microsoft product and engineering teams and provide feedback on roadmap and platform improvements.
• Mentor and support Level 3 engineers and Technical Account Managers (TAM).
• Work closely with Infrastructure, Microsoft 365, and SOC teams to strengthen identity security posture and optimise configuration.

• Expert‑level experience with Microsoft Entra architecture and implementation.
• Strong background in hybrid identity, including Active Directory, AD FS, and Azure AD Connect.
• Deep understanding of IAM security controls including Conditional Access, Identity Protection, PIM, CIEM, and Governance.
• Experience with identity threat detection tools and integration into broader security ecosystems.
• Strong knowledge of authentication protocols including SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, Kerberos, and LDAP.
• Experience working with AWS IAM and GCP IAM in multi‑cloud environments.
• Proven ability to translate technical IAM capabilities into business‑aligned strategy.
• Strong understanding of B2B and B2C identity models at enterprise scale.
• Extensive experience managing workforce and non‑human identities, including automation in hybrid environments.
• Experience conducting IAM security assessments and configuration reviews.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing senior engineers and technical teams.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and consulting skills.

• Microsoft certifications such as SC‑100, SC‑300, AZ‑500 (or equivalent).
• 12+ years of experience in Identity & Access Management.
• Experience presenting IAM strategy and architecture to senior and executive stakeholders.