Security Advisory & Client Solutions Associate Manager/ Manager (Microsoft Security)

The Security Advisory & Client Solutions Manager is a senior, client-facing cyber security professional responsible for leading security advisory engagements, shaping strategic security opportunities, and driving growth across Microsoft-first clients. The role combines deep security consulting experience with strong commercial acumen, enabling the individual to identify client challenges, translate requirements into compelling security solutions, and support the full sales lifecycle from discovery through proposal and project delivery.

As a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, the successful candidate will lead security assessments, maturity reviews, regulatory readiness programmes, and strategic security transformation initiatives aligned to frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, DORA, NIS2, Cyber Essentials, and GDPR. They will confidently engage with C-level leaders, facilitate workshops and executive playbacks, develop high-quality proposals and presentations, and work closely with sales and delivery teams to convert opportunities into successful security engagements.

The role requires a strong understanding of Microsoft's security ecosystem, including Microsoft 365 E3/E5/E7, Entra ID, Defender, Sentinel, Purview, Copilot and emerging technologies such as Agent 365. While primarily advisory and client-focused, the individual should possess sufficient technical knowledge to assess security capabilities, make informed recommendations, and guide customers toward modern security architectures and transformation programmes

Join a curious and diverse team that’s passionate about next-gen tech and establish yourself as a Leader in the Security space. Together, let’s transform cybersecurity.

Key Responsibilities:

As a member of Avanade’s security practice, you will be in a unique position to work for both Avanade and Accenture clients, ranging in size from medium to large global enterprise clients. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the entire Avanade organization by being a collaborative and knowledge-sharing individual, with the real opportunity to help shape the global Avanade security offerings as well as demonstrating your thought-leadership by producing blogs and articles for your region and for Avanade.com. We actively encourage and provide opportunities to undertake innovation, training, and development to ensure you are always at the cutting-edge Microsoft Security technology and our vendor solutions.

This is a fantastic opportunity to establish yourself as a leader in the this space. You will learn how to deliver and solution large projects, as well as gain the knowledge and experience of Microsoft’s broader Security, Compliance, and Identity (SCI) ecosystem, which is already recognized as a world-leading integrated security platform.

Security Advisory & Consulting

• Lead security assessments, discovery workshops, maturity reviews, and strategic advisory engagements.
• Assess client security posture against industry frameworks, standards, and regulations.
• Develop security roadmaps, recommendations, and transformation programmes.
• Deliver executive-level findings, presentations, and remediation strategies.

Client Relationship Management

• Act as a trusted security advisor to senior business and technical stakeholders.
• Build strong, long-term client relationships and identify opportunities for additional value.
• Embed within strategic customer accounts to uncover future consulting and transformation opportunities.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and facilitate executive workshops and governance discussions.

Pre-Sales & Solution Development

• Shape and influence security opportunities from early-stage client discussions.
• Translate business challenges into security propositions, solution designs, and statements of work.
• Lead RFP, proposal, and tender responses.
• Support sales teams with customer presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and solution positioning.
• Develop compelling business cases for Microsoft security investments and services.

Microsoft Security Strategy

• Advise clients on Microsoft security capabilities and best practices.
• Conduct security capability assessments across Microsoft security technologies.
• Recommend appropriate licensing, architecture, governance, and operational improvements.
• Stay current with Microsoft's evolving security portfolio and emerging technologies.

Business Growth

• Identify expansion opportunities within existing engagements.
• Contribute to pipeline growth through security thought leadership and client engagement.
• Support practice development, service innovation, and go-to-market initiatives.
• Mentor and guide customers through security transformation journeys.

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Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience

• Significant experience delivering cyber security advisory and consulting engagements.
• Proven track record working with enterprise and mid-market organisations.
• Demonstrated success in security pre-sales, opportunity shaping, and solution development.
• Experience delivering strategic assessments and security transformation programmes.
• Comfortable operating across both business and technical stakeholder groups.

Industry & Regulatory Knowledge

Strong understanding of:

• ISO 27001, 31000, 42001:2023
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) 2.0 & NIST AI RMF
• CIS Controls
• Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus
• DORA, NIS2,EU AI Act Requirements, GDPR
• Risk Management and Security Governance
• Security Operating Models and Roadmaps
• OWASP, MITRE, MITRE ATLAS

Microsoft Security Expertise

Strong working knowledge of:

• Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance
• Microsoft Security Copilot
• Agent 365 and emerging Microsoft AI-driven security capabilities
• Entra ID & Identity Governance
• Microsoft Defender Suite
• Microsoft Sentinel
• Microsoft Purview
• Defender for Cloud
• Defender for Cloud Apps
• Intune
• Zero Trust Architecture
• Microsoft E3, E5 and E7 security capabilities and licensing

Commercial & Sales Skills

• Security consulting and opportunity qualification
• Solution shaping and value proposition development
• Proposal and statement of work creation
• RFP and bid response management
• Executive presentations and storytelling
• Customer workshop facilitation
• Business case and ROI development
• Pipeline development and opportunity growth

Stakeholder & Communication Skills

• Executive presence and credibility
• C-suite engagement and strategic advisory capability
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong PowerPoint and presentation development skills
• Facilitation of workshops, assessments, and executive playbacks
• Ability to simplify complex security concepts for non-technical audiences

Technical Capabilities (Preferred)

Whilst not expected to deploy and operate the full Microsoft security stack, candidates should possess practical experience in at least one or more of the following areas:

• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft Purview
• Microsoft Defender
• Microsoft Sentinel
• Security Operations
• Identity Governance
• Data Protection and Compliance
• Cloud Security

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