Active Directory (AD) Lead

Job Title: Active Directory (AD) Service Lead - Contract to Perm (VP Level)

Location: London, 5 days on-site (reducing to 3 days post-conversion)

Contract Duration: 5 months (with guaranteed permanent conversion)

Rate: £600–£700 per day

About the Role

We are partnering with a leading global investment bank to hire an experienced Active Directory (AD) Service Lead on a contract-to-permanent basis. This is a strategic leadership position focused on owning and overseeing all AD and Entra ID services, including onboarding, identity lifecycle management, and the operational stability of directory services across the organisation.

You will lead a team of AD professionals and take end-to-end responsibility for the administration, governance, and delivery of the bank’s core identity platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the AD and Entra ID service end-to-end, including onboarding, access provisioning, lifecycle management, and service governance.
• Manage and lead a team of 6 Active Directory Analysts (2 onshore, 4 offshore), ensuring high-quality service delivery and performance.
• Oversee the design, administration, and optimisation of on-prem Active Directory and cloud-based Entra ID environments.
• Implement and uphold AD/Entra ID security controls, compliance standards, and Group Policy frameworks.
• Ensure stable and efficient directory services supporting users, applications, and infrastructure.
• Work closely with IT infrastructure, security, and engineering teams to maintain seamless identity and access operations.
• Drive improvements across processes, tooling, automation, and service levels.

Requirements

• Proven experience as an AD Lead, AD Service Manager, or Senior AD Administrator with line management responsibilities.
• Strong technical expertise in Active Directory, Entra ID (Azure AD), LDAP, Group Policy, AD FS, and identity management services.
• Hands-on experience supporting Microsoft 365 and hybrid AD environments.
• Strong PowerShell scripting and automation capabilities.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder-facing skills.

What’s on Offer

• A 5-month contract with guaranteed conversion to a permanent VP role.
• 5 days in-office during the contract phase, reducing to 3 days/week post-conversion.
• Opportunity to take full ownership of AD/Entra ID services within a global investment bank.
• Long-term career growth and development opportunities.