Senior Cyber Defense Architect

Salary: £50,000 - 80,000 per year

Requirements:

• We have deep expertise in Microsoft security technologies, particularly Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365 and Defender for Cloud Apps.
• We have experience with MXDR operating models, detection engineering, threat hunting, automation and managed security services.
• We bring strong senior-level cyber defence architecture experience in enterprise environments.
• We have a proven ability to lead client workshops, shape solutions, support proposals and present at executive level.
• We are comfortable acting as a trusted advisor, market-facing leader and senior escalation point.
• We can provide technical and architectural direction to architects, consultants and delivery teams.
• We have experience in SOC and SecOps transformation, including operating model design, tooling consolidation and incident management.
• We are able to contribute to capability planning, certification pathways and skills development.
• We understand how to develop commercially viable, scalable security solutions for large enterprise clients.

Responsibilities:

• We lead the architecture of Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR and MXDR solutions for large enterprise clients from strategy and business case through design, mobilisation and delivery assurance.
• We shape modern SOC and SecOps transformation programmes, including operating model design, tooling consolidation, incident management, detection engineering, automation, threat hunting and continuous improvement.
• We define and evolve our cyber defence offerings, accelerators and go-to-market assets aligned to Microsoft Security priorities and client demand.
• We support sales development and conversion by leading client workshops, qualification, solution shaping, estimation, proposal development and executive-level presentations.
• We provide technical and architectural direction to security architects, consultants and delivery teams to ensure solutions are robust, deliverable and commercially viable.
• We act as a senior escalation point for complex delivery challenges across Sentinel, Defender, MXDR and managed security services engagements.
• We build trusted relationships with client security leaders, Microsoft, Accenture and internal stakeholders to drive growth and delivery excellence.
• We contribute to demand management, capability planning, certification pathways and skills development for our Security team.
• We represent our Security business in the market as a credible cyber defence thought leader and ambassador.

Technologies:

• Cloud
• Incident Management
• Support
• Office 365
• Security
• Architect

More:

We operate through direct Avanade relationships and through the Accenture Microsoft Business Group (AMBG), our joint channel with Accenture and Microsoft. AMBG helps clients address critical business and technology challenges by combining our Microsoft expertise, Accentures industry reach and Microsofts security platform innovation. This senior Director-grade role sits within AMBG Security and focuses on shaping, selling and delivering Microsoft-led security operations transformation. We help enterprise clients modernise their SOC, consolidate SIEM and XDR capability, improve response outcomes and realise the value of Microsoft Security investments through practical, scalable and commercially strong solutions.

last updated 36 week of 2026