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 Agent 365, 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

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: The Identity Solution Architect will soft-report 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.
• A repeatable presales motion for Entra-led IAM that improves speed and win rate.
• Delivery governance and QA standards that reduce programme variability and escalations.

12 months

• A scaled, Microsoft-first IAM pipeline with a predictable conversion pattern.
• Demonstrable asset reuse (templates, reference architectures, automation patterns, delivery playbooks).
• A clear project-to-service pathway into Identity MSS.

24 months

• UK recognised as a credible IAM leader in regulated industries, with external presence supporting sustained growth.

Key responsibilities

1. IAM GTM & seller enablement (primary)
   • Own the UK IAM narrative and differentiation: Microsoft Entra-first.
   • 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.
   • Ensure IAM offerings explicitly address AI-driven risk scenarios.
   • Position Identity as the foundational security layer for AI adoption.
   • Build IAM-led GTM plays where AI security is anchored in identity governance.
   • Create repeatable plays by industry and account segment.
2. Presales leadership & solutioning
   • Lead solutioning for complex IAM pursuits with UK IAM Solution Architect.
   • Drive fast, outcome-led client entry motions.
   • Work with Microsoft to accelerate co-sell and secure sponsorship.
3. Delivery quality, escalation & governance
   • Own IAM delivery quality and programme health.
   • Ensure delivery standards produce repeatable outcomes.
   • Embed modern identity security realities into delivery.
4. Capability, assets & IP
   • Build reusable assets across various domains.
   • Establish a clear lifecycle across project → asset → offer → service.
5. Identity MSS interlock
   • Define the "handshake" from projects into Identity MSS.
   • Partner closely with the MSS Lead to ensure Identity MSS is scalable.
6. Partner leverage
   • Build and support the Partner Ecosystem team.
7. Culture, leadership & people development
   • Act as a high-trust, high-autonomy, high-standards leader.
   • Provide mentorship and capability development.

Essential Experience

• Proven track record building and scaling IAM capability in a consulting environment.
• Deep Microsoft Entra leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to translate emerging Microsoft platform shifts into credible client narratives.
• Strong understanding of workforce IAM and hybrid/legacy identity modernisation.
• Senior stakeholder presence.

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.
• 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.
• Comfortable operating in a high-ambition peer group.

Measures of success

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