Lead Identity Specialist

Lead Identity Specialist – Microsoft Entra

Location: Sheffield

Employment Type: Contract

Industry: Identity & Access Management (IAM)

About the Rol

e
We are looking for a highly experience d Lead Identity Specialist (Microsoft Entr a) 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 responsibilitie

s.You will act as the organisation’s subject matter expert fo r Microsoft Entra ID , Conditional Acce ss , Identity Protecti on , Privileged Identity Management (PI M), CI EM, an d Microsoft Defender for Identity (or equivalent tool s), while guiding engineering teams, application owners, security architects, and business stakeholder

s.This role is central to shaping and delivering a Zero Trust identity strate gy across a complex enterprise and multi-cloud environmen

t.
Key Responsibilit

• iesLead the enterprise architecture, design, and deployment of Microsoft Entra soluti ons, including Entra ID, Conditional Access, Identity Protection, PIM, CIEM, and Identity Governa
• nceDefine and deliver IAM strategy aligned to Zero Trust princip
• lesAct as the technical authority and SME for identity integration across application, infrastructure, and security te
• amsProvide expert guidance on IAM modernisation, including migration from legacy identity platfo
• rmsOversee application onboarding and ensure secure identity integration patterns across the organisat
• ionDrive adoption of identity threat detection capabilities and identity-based risk management practi
• cesPartner with Security leadership to ensure compliance with regulatory, audit, and governance requireme
• ntsServe as escalation point for critical identity incidents and lead root cause analysis and remediat
• ionDefine IAM technical standards, governance policies, and best practices acro ss multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, G
• CP)Collaborate with Microsoft product and engineering teams and provide feedback on roadmap and platform improveme
• ntsMentor and support Level 3 engineers and Technical Account Managers (TA
• Ms)Work closely with Infrastructure, Microsoft 365, and SOC teams to strengthen identity security posture and optimise configurati

ons
Required Skills & Experi

• enceExpert-level experience w ith Microsoft Entra architecture and implementa
• tionStrong background in hybrid iden tity, including Active Directory, AD FS, and Azure AD Con
• nectDeep understanding of IAM security controls including Conditional Access, Identity Protection, PIM, CIEM, and Govern
• anceExperience with identity threat detection tools and integration into broader security ecosys
• temsStrong knowledge of authentication protocols includ ing SAML, OAuth, OpenID Connect, Kerberos, and
• LDAPExperience working w ith AWS IAM and GCP IAM in multi-cloud environm
• entsProven ability to translate technical IAM capabilities into business-aligned strate
• giesStrong understanding of B2B and B2C identity mo dels at enterprise s
• caleExtensive experience manag ing workforce and non-human identi ties, including automation in hybrid environm
• entsExperience conducting IAM security assessments and configuration rev
• iewsDemonstrated leadership experience managing senior engineers and technical t
• eamsStrong stakeholder management, communication, and consulting sk

ills
Preferred Qualifica

• tionsMicrosoft certifications suc h as SC-100, SC-300, AZ-500 (or equiva
• lent)12+ years of experience in Identity & Access Management
• (IAM)Proven experience delivering IAM transformation or legacy migration progr
• ammesExperience presenting IAM strategy and architecture to senior and executive stakeh