Identity & Access Management (IAM) Senior Manager

Avanade UK Security is scaling fast, requiring a Director‑level Identity & Access Management (IAM) Lead to build a Microsoft‑first IAM growth engine across advisory, implementation, and managed services, with a strong bias toward repeatable offers, accelerated conversion, and delivery excellence. This role is also accountable for positioning Identity as the control plane for AI‑era security, including Microsoft Agent365, Copilot‑driven workflows, and emerging agent‑based architectures, ensuring UK Security is future‑proofed for the next generation of identity‑centric security demand. This role reports to the UK Security Practice Lead and leads presales/solutioning with a technical Solution Architect and Presales Lead. Furthermore, this role owns IAM GTM, delivery quality, capability/IP build while feeding into the Identity MSS module as part of the broader MSS portfolio. Travel expected for key clients, Microsoft, and Practice leadership commitments.

Commercial expectations

This role influences revenue and will carry a soft target aligned to the UK Security all‑up plan:

• Year 1: $1–2m influenced growth.
• Year 2: $2–3m influenced growth.

Success is measured through supporting the sales team to generate pipeline, conversion of pipeline, expansion/attach of existing accounts, and repeatable delivery.

Reporting line & operating model

Reports to: UK Security Practice Lead

Key peers: UK MSS Lead, UK Security Presales Lead, UK Security Solution Architects (x2 from other practices – Infrastructure, Software Engineering, Modern Workplace, Data & AI, Business Applications)

People leadership: No formal line management initially; expected to act as Career Advisor/People Lead for a small number of individuals (mentorship, development, high‑performance standards).

Matrix influence: Identity Solution Architect soft‑reports into the IAM Lead for practice‑level IAM direction, consistency, and capability build while security leadership team members continue to report to the Practice Lead.

Success criteria

• First 6 months – A clear IAM “spine” for the practice: what we sell, how we sell it, how we deliver it, and what becomes service delivered across UK onshore, nearshore delivery centres, and offshore delivery centres.
• 12 months – A scaled, Microsoft‑first IAM pipeline with a predictable conversion pattern.
• 24 months – UK recognised as a credible IAM leader in regulated industries, with external presence (clients/Microsoft/events) supporting sustained growth.

Key responsibilities

• IAM GTM & seller enablement (primary) – Own the UK IAM narrative and differentiation: Microsoft Entra‑first (Entra ID, Entra Suite/E7 positioning, Identity Protection, governance and lifecycle foundations etc.).
• Own the UK Security narrative and capability for identity‑centric AI security, including Microsoft Agent365, Copilot, and agent‑based workloads, where identity, permissions, and trust boundaries are the primary control mechanisms.
• Define how agent identities, agent permissions, human‑to‑agent and agent‑to‑agent trust, and data access are governed, monitored, and secured using Microsoft Entra and the broader Microsoft Security stack.
• Ensure IAM offerings explicitly address AI‑driven risk scenarios, including delegated agent access, over‑privileged identities, lateral agent movement, and non‑human identity sprawl.
• Position Identity as the foundational security layer for AI adoption, pulling through Entra, E7, Purview, Defender, and AI Security conversations as a single, coherent value proposition.
• Build IAM‑led GTM plays where AI security, Copilot adoption, and Agent365 are anchored in identity governance, access control, and trust, positioning IAM as the entry point rather than an implementation afterthought.
• Build practical seller enablement: talk tracks, qualification prompts, value proof, commercial guardrails, “what good looks like” etc.
• Create repeatable plays by industry and account segment where identity is the control plane for transformation and AI adoption.

Presales leadership & solutioning – Lead solutioning for complex IAM pursuits with UK IAM Solution Architect: scope, approach, commercials, delivery model, risks, and dependencies. Drive fast, outcome‑led client entry motions (e.g., Entra security & resilience assessment, identity modernisation, governance quick starts etc.). Work with Microsoft where relevant to accelerate co‑sell and secure sponsorship.

Delivery quality, escalation & governance (shared accountability) – Own IAM delivery quality and programme health: QA gates, architecture assurance, delivery risk management, and escalation resolution (shared with delivery leads). Ensure delivery standards produce repeatable outcomes and strong client confidence.

Capability, assets & IP – Build reusable assets across assessment/diagnostics, reference architectures and design patterns, migration patterns (hybrid/legacy modernisation), automation (PowerShell, Graph/API patterns), runbooks and onboarding templates. Establish a clear lifecycle across project → asset → offer → service to compound capability and drive recurring revenue.

Identity MSS interlock – Define the “handshake” from projects into Identity MSS: what must be true at handover, onboarding artefacts, operational KPIs/reporting, continuous improvement backlog and ownership boundaries. Partner closely with the MSS Lead to ensure Identity MSS is scalable and commercially viable.

Partner leverage – Build and support the Partner Ecosystem team to manage relevant partner alliances when needed (e.g., migration from non‑Microsoft IDPs; selective IGA integration etc.) always anchored to a Microsoft‑first end state.

Culture, leadership & people development (mentorship) – Act as a high‑trust, high‑autonomy, high‑standards leader who raises quality, pace, and ambition. Provide mentorship and capability development through Career Advisor responsibilities and informal leadership especially for Solution Architects and emerging IAM talent.

Essential Experience

• Proven track record building and scaling IAM capability in a consulting environment: sell + solution + deliver + industrialise.
• Deep Microsoft Entra leadership across Entra ID security and configuration, Conditional Access, authentication strength, Identity Protection, Identity governance and lifecycle foundations.
• Demonstrated ability to translate emerging Microsoft platform shifts into credible client narratives, offers, and delivery patterns, with Identity positioned as the primary security control.
• Strong understanding of workforce IAM and hybrid/legacy identity modernisation.
• Senior stakeholder presence: able to operate credibly with CISOs/CIOs and internally influence sellers and architects.

Desirable experience – Security operations awareness; Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)/B2C experience.

Non‑negotiable behaviours – Microsoft‑first mindset; “start‑up mentality” – hungry, creative, ambitious, pace‑driven, ownership‑led; able to form and articulate a clear point of view on how identity, AI agents, and automation change the security model; Builds through others: sets direction, creates clarity, removes blockers, demands quality without creating dependency.

Measures of success

• Influenced revenue against soft target (pipeline creation and conversion).
• Win rate and cycle‑time improvement for IAM pursuits.
• Delivery health: reduced escalations, stronger QA, predictable outcomes.
• Reuse rate and adoption of IAM assets/standard approaches.
• Successful, measurable conversion path from IAM projects into Identity MSS.